…teenagers in Luapula are actively participating in the governance processes after being trained in policy frameworks and decision making procedures
By SIMON MUNTEMBA
IN a remarkable display of determination to enhance their voices and rights in response to crisis situations, children in Luapula Province have defied all odds, participating actively in public decision-making processes on issues that affect them such as climate change.
The children, including pupils and school leavers in Mansa and Samfya who are disproportionately affected by climate-related stresses and extreme weather events have vowed to no longer be passive victims, but have their say in the development of policies and strategies that impact them directly.
“It is high time that our voices as young people are heard because we know better than anyone else what is needed to tackle our challenges. We are now well-informed and more determined to change the narrative by making decisions about what will positively influence our own well-being,” says 19-year-old Edward Chongo, former pupil at St. Clement High School.
Edward is one of the young people in Mansa who have civically taken ownership championing change in a changing climate for the realisation of their rights to health, education and protection after being trained in climate policy framework and decision-making processes by Care for Nature Zambia with support from Save the Children.
In Samfya, some of the trained young people are fully participating in council meetings and their advocacy works have led to the Council Secretary appointing a junior mayor who participates and represents other children in most council programmes.
The children have also advocated for construction of the first ever public library in Samfya, of which a foundation stone has been laid in Mano Ward.
“I am happy that our voices as children are now heard, we are able to present our unique needs and challenges during council meetings. For example, we lobbied for the location of funds from the Constituency Development Fund towards the construction of a public library so that, us, as young people can be spending time in the library studying than engaging in unproductive activities due to lack of recreation.
And the good news is that our collective voice was heard and construction of the library have started,” testifies Michael Chimwemwe Daka, a Grade 11 pupil at Chibolya Secondary School in Samfya.
Mike, 15, who is also the Junior Mayor of Samfya states that what the children wanted was the local authority to prioritise development of safe spaces and recreation facilities for them at the community level, adding that: “it’s good that the children’s voice was considered.”
In confirming the development, the councillor Chola Kapya says: “We supported the proposal for construction of the library because it was not only timely but also necessary as it would provide educational materials and enhance skills development for community members, especially the young ones in my ward, and district as a whole.”
District social economic planner Nyamazani Tembo also confirms that the “funds allocated for the construction of the library in Samfya were sourced from the variety of the CDF bursaries component of 2023 CDF.’’
This is a testimony that children, especially the most marginalised, are better able to protect themselves, to fulfil their rights to survival and development and to hold adults accountable, when given opportunities to express their views, to access information, to form associations, to participate in decisions that affect them and to take action.
ENSURING ADEQUATE SPACE FOR CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE
Zambia is a party to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change adopted in 2015 which places emphasis on climate change education and participation in climate action.
This global aspiration is backed by Sustainable Development Goal 13 and domesticated at national level through the national climate change policy and the climate change communication and learning strategy.
However, despite the emphasis that global and national legal and policy frameworks place on climate change education, awareness and participation, access to climate change information and education remains extremely low among children especially those in rural areas.
According to a recent study, Zambia’s Young Voice Survey (2020) conducted by Save the Children, children have few access to climate change education, and less opportunities for participation in public decision-making processes.
To ensure increased access to climate change education, Care for Nature Zambia through the support from Save the Children Zambia under the SIDA-CSO Children’s Agency project recently trained the children in the legal policy frameworks surrounding climate change and the need for them to develop school based climate action plans.
Care for Nature Zambia is a locally founded not-for-profit non-governmental organisation working to promote environmental conservation, human rights and sustainable development.
Over the past years, the organisation has evolved into a child-centred organisation with a bold vision to promote children’s rights and work together with children to address the challenges that affect their well-being and progression of their human rights.
“In 2022 with support from Save the Children, we embarked on a journey to build capacity for children in Mansa and Samfya so that they are able to participate in climate change programmes at district, provincial and national level.
Apart from participating in regional and international policy spaces on climate change, the children have also been trained to develop their own initiatives, and so far, they have developed projects such as recycling which they do within their school clubs,” says the executive director for Care for Nature Zambia Ms Nsama Musonda Kearns.
In an interview, Ms. Kearns, an environmental conservationist and human rights defender stated that most of the schools in the project’s catchment areas have also established school orchards and gardens.
The success story of the project has attracted the attention of not only senior civic leaders but also the international humanitarian organisations such as Bloomberg Philanthropies that have come on board to support youth participation in climate change programmes.
“This year we are proud to note that one of our Care for Nature Clubs that applied for the Mansa Mayor’s Climate Change Initiative supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies were among the 13 other clubs that have been selected to implement the project in the district,” says Ms. Kearns.
Mayor of Mansa Njikho Musuku said being a young person himself, he has observed that taking young people’s contributions into account fosters a sense of citizenship in them, assisting them in the development of key competencies such as cooperation and communication skills, self-efficacy, responsibility, civic-mindedness, and respect for the value of democracy.
“To the youth of Mansa, this project is not just a funding opportunity; it is a demonstration of the faith that Bloomberg Philanthropies and our municipal council have in your innovative spirit and dedication.
You, our young leaders, are the torchbearers of change. Your contributions will shape the future of our district, nation, and indeed, the entire planet,” says Mr Musuku.
Indeed, placing children at the centre of the world’s response to the planetary crisis has the potential to provide the critical watershed moment that will drive action to protect their health and well-being, thereby leading to stronger communities and more resilient and inclusive economies.
Meanwhile, some beneficiaries have expressed happiness that the project has provided platforms for participation, network-building, and civic engagement that raise their voices, and more importantly, secure their right to participate in decisions that affect them.
Through community and civic engagement, the capacitated young people are championing climate and environment solutions for a community in crisis.
Rohama Royce Mboshi, an 18-year-old who is a former Mutende Secondary School pupil in Mansa is one of the young people selected to implement the climate change adaptation and mitigation project supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Rohama, who is the president of the Care for Nature Club has been running a campaign called Safe Cities for Children in the district.
“I feel blessed to have received the training in climate policy and decision-making processes, it has opened doors for me. I am so excited to be among the selected young people to implement the Climate Change Initiative supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
I thank Care for Nature Zambia for having laid the good foundation for us. The project has given me an appropriate platform to raise issues concerning water, environment and climate change among policy makers, as well as fellow young people,” she says.
Rohama said she has been using her position to lobby for recreation facilities and economic opportunities for the young people in the district to deter them from engaging in bad vices like substance abuse and theft, as well as illegal mining and charcoal burning which exacerbate climate change.
It is heart-warming to note that young people from rural areas who were often left behind have also been able to attend national programmes in the nation’s capital Lusaka, and outside the country.
Some of them are leaving Luapula Province for the first time to be in the city and also interact with other children from different areas.
For instance, 19-year-old Edward Chongo, a former St. Clement High School pupil in Mansa who has been instrumental in raising climate change awareness through music has been selected to attend the landscape leadership camp in Nairobi, Kenya in September this year.
This is good because through the project, a platform has been created for children to travel outside the country and participate in programmes which in the past were only attended by adults.
By engaging with communities, attending workshops, and working with local organisations through Care for Nature Zambia, Edward has gained valuable insights into the realities faced by children in different places. This intimate understanding allows him to effectively represent the voices of children in Zambia locally and at the global level.
In Edward’s own words: “Care for Nature Zambia has given me everything I could ever need at my age to face the outside world after high school. I have participated in numerous symposiums like children’s parliament where I added my voice when coming up with policies which were later enacted into law by the current Republican President, Hakainde Hichilema.”
Edward says the landscape leadership camp in Kenya is yet another opportunity to add his voice to the development of Zambia, and Africa at large.
Certainly, engaging children and young people is essential for tackling global challenges and creating a sustainable future.
It is encouraging to note that Care for Nature Zambia has continued to mentor young people who have just completed secondary school to continue with the climate action they used to conduct within their school clubs.
Hopefully, more international organisations will emulate Care for Nature Zambia and Save the Children by coming on board to support child and youth participation in climate change programmes as the area is wide and there are a lot of policy documents that still need to reach children, especially those in hard-to-reach places like islands, and rural remote areas.
It must be noted that child participation is a way to create social capital and mutual trust in society, which in turn provides a societal or community framework for not only realising children’s capabilities, but also for enhancing their fundamental rights to health, education, and protection
Thus, participation of children in decision-making is vital, and any Government must create an enabling environment for the participation of children in the national discourse.
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