A Kasungu Based Environmental Management Youth Organization by the name NatureKit has embarked on a youth mentorship program aiming at protection for the endangered animals such as Pangolins, Lions and Elephants around the Kasungu National park.
The 4 day workshop from the 9th to 13th June 2021 saw Youths being mentioned on how they create awareness and advocacy activities on the endangered animals in schools and Communities.
The Organization’s Director Steven Makumba said the youth should have knowledge of in bio diversity and Environmental Management and conservation to create a difference in protecting the Natural resources.
Speaking to Malawi Metro News Makumba explains that the mentorship program was funded by Crowder Messersmith Conservation Fund and saw about 30 Youths from Chathope Community day secondary School attending the environmental leadership program.
“We are an organization that is nurturing youths in Malawi to be passionate environmental leaders by mentoring them on environmental conservation and management, hence, they take a critical role in providing awareness and advocacy about environmental conservation in their communities, schools and homes” he explained.
He further said that NatureKit aims at creating a future were youths have effective knowledge and understanding about environmental conservation and management, so that they became nature guardians, actively protecting and preserving nature for ourselves and future generations.
Their programs also provides environmental knowledge and understanding about conservation of endangered animals.
Currently, the program is focusing protection species such as pangolins, lions and elephants. Through this program youth are mentored on how they can play a role in protecting these animals.
The program also aims to provide young people with knowledge and understanding about a particular animal’s: description, behavior, distribution, current conservation status, population, roles to ecosystem and biodiversity, roles to humans, impacts and how they can create awareness and advocacy in communities and schools.
Their emphasis was also on the active roles that the youths have in conservation. The program is designed to create passion, participation, collection action and activism spirit in wildlife conservation.
