Mouhoun: Students from the departmental high school of Safané, in the province of Mouhoun, came together in the environmental unit of their establishment to plant around twenty trees with protective grilles. This initiative, conducted on Saturday, November 9, 2024, in Safané, was part of the days dedicated to patriotic commitment and civic participation.
According to Burkina Information Agency, this effort by the students aligns with a call from the country’s highest authorities concerning environmental protection. The governor of the Boucle du Mouhoun region previously urged school heads to take environmental issues seriously, recommending that each class plant and maintain at least one tree. Responding to this call, students in the region pledged to plant trees in each school and ensure their maintenance, supporting Burkina Faso’s national environmental policy.
In pursuit of this vision, students from the Safané departmental high school have established an environmental unit within their school. This unit
is dedicated to environmental protection and maintaining cleanliness to enhance their working environment. The unit serves as a platform for promoting environmental protection values, addressing challenges like desertification and global warming. Matthieu Bicaba, an SVT teacher, and Gédéon Tamboé, the education attaché, both members of the ecological cell, emphasized the day’s goal of raising awareness about the importance of planting and maintaining trees. They highlighted how creating a shaded, friendly space within the school could improve learning and help reduce the adverse effects of climate change.
The initiative is part of a broader national effort to prioritize environmental protection, marked by the institution of National Tree Day and other civic engagement days to spread awareness about the significance of greening local environments. As a Sahelian country, Burkina Faso faces climate challenges such as floods, droughts, heat waves, and land degradation, which increase population vulnerability and
affect health and well-being. Recent heat waves, they noted, have tragically resulted in loss of life.
Kollé Naon, the school’s principal, expressed satisfaction with the collaboration among various stakeholders that contributed to the activity’s success. “Through this activity, students will understand the importance of planting and maintaining trees to improve our living environment,” he concluded. The planted trees are equipped with protective grids, and each class will be responsible for maintaining its tree. Before the planting began, students received a demonstration on the correct tree planting technique.