CLIMATE ACTION - YOUTH LEAD MOMENTUM FOR CHANGE
Yesterday's youth climate event action at a ram-packed British Council Auditorium heard impassioned plea's from the EU Ambassador, Freetown City Mayor and climate activist Greta Thunberg, with youth taking part in a debate on ocean life and presentations for an innovative art competition from nine schools rounding off two weeks of climate action events celebrating EU climate diplomacy raising awareness of climate change.
Tom Vens, EU Ambassador kicked off the event stressing the role of youth in building sustainable communities and taking climate action:
"I am very pleased to host this Youth Climate Event - Climate Change is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet and I'm so impressed with the strong engagement by Sierra Leone’s youth."
Panellists for the event included Mr Syril Jusu, Director of Environment, Mr Tamba Emmanuel Nyaka, assistant director, Climate Change Secretariat, Environmental Protection Agency and Deputy Minister of Lands and Environment, Rex Bonapha, who told of Government plans to review school curriculum to educate pupils about climate change.
Youth watched Greta Thunberg's video, "The eyes of all future generations are upon you" her inspiring plea to world leaders to take climate action now, connecting this young girl child climate activist to her contempooraries in Sierra Leone.
Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Yaki-Sawyerr electrified the youth present:
“I want you to be angry! Until we have sufficient anger, we cannot gather the momentum required for change”
After a break to visit the many stalls youth took part in an interactive debate, 'If we kill the lives in the ocean, we are killing our own lives' moderated by Dr Arnold Okaoni, Fourah Bay College, which got everyone talking!
Rounding of the day pupils from Sierra Leone Grammar School, Sierra Leone International Mission School, Saint Joseph Secondary, Prince of Wales, Mayford, Huntingdon, Peninsular, Kelly's and Joy Secondary Schools presented their artworks for the grand youth climate art competition.
Peninsular Senior School won the innovative art competition with their poster challenging 'Sierra Leone - Which Road do You Want to Travel?' with Prince of Wales coming a close second with their very artistic endeavor and Huntingon Secondary School claiming a very creditable third for their 'Pollution of Water and Soil', each presented with a certificate by EU Ambassador, Tom Vens and all the pupils winning geometry sets.
The three schools' winning entries had their artworks exhibited at the British Council to raise awareness of climate change in Sierra Leone, the third most vulnerable nation to it's dangerous impacts.
With thanks for additional photographs to Mohamed Saidu Bah!
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