In a green and enthusiastic atmosphere, Save the Children International's Chief Operating Officer, accompanied by Save the Children's Global Program Directors for Sweden, Italy, Germany and Indonesia, SCUS's Portfolio Growth and Performance Manager and Save Children's Country Director for Senegal, were welcomed in the courtyard of the “Cité des Enseignants” secondary school on the outskirts of Dakar to appreciate the students' initiatives regarding climate change.

The visit enabled guests to explore the work carried out by student members of the environment club, share ideas and actions taken by students to preserve the school and community environment, discuss the pressing challenges of climate change and share personal experiences.

The school's environmental club has embarked on an extraordinary mission: to reduce and sort waste, minimize the effects of climate change and work towards a healthy learning environment. Members of the environment club have worked tirelessly to raise awareness among their fellow students, teachers and communities of the importance of taking strong, immediate action to preserve their environment and contribute to a wider collective effort to save the planet. "Enabling us to live and learn in a healthy environment means ensuring a better, sustainable future. We appreciate the reinforcement of our capacities, but also the donation of colored garbage cans that will make it easier for us to sort our waste", says Bintou, 16 years old and president of the club.   This children's club is enrolled by the organization Jeunes Volontaires pour l'Environnement JVE (Young Volunteers for the Environment), one of Save the Children partners in the program funded by the Swedish Cooperation (SIDA) to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations through technical and financial support.

"I was impressed by the students' willingness to make a difference and move their school and community forward on environmental issues. I was also delighted to learn that JVE really values its partnership with SCI, which supports their organizational development. This is something new for JVE!" exclaims Cécilia Chatterjee-Martinsen of Save Sweden.

Climate change is a global challenge that affects each one of us, but children have shown that they are determined to be the agents of change, through concrete actions for a healthy environment that enables them to learn in acceptable standards.

Djibril Niang, Executive Director of JVE, added: "The future decision-makers are in the schools, and the future polluters are in the schools too. Now is the time to train them, get them involved and make them responsible from an early age for a sustainable future".

This visit perfectly demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the Senegal country office of Save the Children and its partner JVE to the effective realization of children's rights, as well as the importance of giving children a voice in the fight for resilience in the face of climate change. It also shows that, when children are encouraged and supported, they can take concrete action to preserve the environment and raise awareness of the climate emergency.

N. Anta NDIAYE, Communications and Media Coordinator