Skip to main content

Narok Learners at the Frontline of Climate Education


Pupils at Nasira Nkujit Primary School received a hands-on lesson in environmental conservation this week when the Mara Basin Conservation Forum, working alongside partners from DSF, KENAWRUA, and Ecolink, visited the school to promote citizen science as a tool for climate action and environmental stewardship.

The program is led jointly by Alfred Owino, chairman of the Mara Basin Conservation Forum; Dr. Jacqueline Goldin, CEO of DSF; Enock Kiminta, chairman of the Kenya National Water Resources Users Association (KENAWRUA); and Blaise Janichon, head of Ecolink.

Together, the team conducted interactive sessions demonstrating how simple observations such as monitoring water clarity, recording rainfall and noting wildlife changes, can contribute meaningful data toward protecting the Mara River Basin.

Owino emphasized that conservation begins at the community level.
“Safeguarding the Mara Basin is a shared responsibility,” he said. “Young people can make valuable contributions when they know what to look for.”

Goldin highlighted the importance of early engagement.
“Citizen science empowers learners,” she noted. “It helps them understand they play a role in climate justice and environmental decisions.”

Kiminta spoke about the need for locally rooted water stewardship.
“When communities, especially children, understand their water sources, they become champions of sustainable use,” he said.

Janichon added that linking schools to conservation efforts strengthens long-term environmental resilience.
“Education is one of the most powerful tools we have for protecting ecosystems,” he said.

Teachers praised the program for making science practical and relevant. Pupils worked with simple field tools, maps of the Mara Basin, and visual demonstrations showing how environmental changes affect both people and wildlife across Narok County.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to integrate climate justice and environmental education into schools throughout the basin. Organizers say the program aims to reach 20 more schools in 2026, expanding a growing network of young “citizen scientists.”

For the pupils at Nasira Nkujit, the visit left a strong impression.
“They walked back to class eager to share what they had learned,” one teacher said. “They now see themselves as part of the solution.”

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grade 7 Girl who Cannot Read: How Years of Trauma Shaped Simaloi's Learning Journey

When 13-year-old Simaloi sits in her Grade 7 classroom at Amazing Grace Academy in Shartuka, her eyes often drift across the pages of her books, pages she still cannot read. While her classmates write sentences with ease, she struggles to form even the simplest words. Her inability to read or write is not because she lacks intelligence or willingness. It is because her childhood was stolen long before she ever held a pencil. For years, Simaloi lived a life no child should endure. At home in Kilgoris, she faced relentless beatings, harassment and emotional abuse from her parents. Instead of learning ABCs or enjoying the innocence of play, she was forced to brew chang’aa, a dangerous and illegal trade. The fumes of alcohol replaced the warmth of a home and fear became her constant companion. The torment grew so unbearable that she began sleeping in a roadside tunnel cold, hungry and alone. Her life became a cycle of survival rather than learning, danger instead of development...
Post a Comment
Read more

Climate Action Through Citizen Science

KENAWRUA CEO Enock Kiminta explaining the importance of measuring water quality and quantity.  In a bid to promote environmental awareness and climate action through citizen science, the Mara Basin Conservation Forum, in partnership with Ecolink, the Diamonds on the soles of our feet (DSF), and the Kenya National Water Resources Users Association (KENAWRUA), held a sensitization exercise in Kilgoris focusing on community-led conservation. The activity began at River Sankale, where KENAWRUA CEO Enock Kiminta led Mara Basin members through a practical session on how to measure water quality and quantity. Kiminta demonstrated how to distinguish safe water from polluted sources and emphasized the dangers posed by human activities and sewage contamination. “Measuring water quality and quantity will help us know whether the water is safe for use or not,” said Kiminta, urging participants to identify existing gaps in water management and take proactive steps to address them....
Post a Comment
Read more

How One Woman Is Rescuing Girls from Early Marriages and Rebuilding Their Futures

In Shartuka, Narok County, school director Dorcas Tarus has turned her institution, Amazing Grace Academy, into a refuge for vulnerable girls, offering education, safety and a second chance at life. In the quiet village of Shartuka, Narok County, stands a modest school whose walls hold stories of pain, resilience and transformation. Amazing Grace Academy, founded and directed by Dorcas Tarus, is more than just a school. It is a lifeline for girls escaping early marriage, teenage pregnancy and female genital mutilation (FGM). Behind many smiles are stories of survival. One of them belongs to Betty Owino, a girl whose life was changed by Dorcas’s compassion. Betty’s story begins in the Migingo informal settlement of Kilgoris town. When Dorcas first met her, Betty was supposed to be in PP1, yet she was not attending school. Her mother, a single woman struggling to raise eight children alone, lived in extreme poverty. Food was scarce, shelter unstable and hope almost gone. Her ...
Post a Comment
Read more