The CITW Botswana team embarked on a trip to Parakarungu Primary School in Botswana Chobe area on 2 July 2024 to meet with the schools’ Environmental Education Club members, and hand over 17 fruit trees for a new orchard.
CITW Botswana and the FNBB Foundation have been supporting the school since 2021 after the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the two parties.
Parakarungu Primary school has been managing a poultry initiative since 2022 and expressed an interest in a second project – an orchard. The school started a mini-orchard with the help of parents from Parakarungu Village, who donated both exotic and indigenous trees in 2023. The Parent-Teachers’ Association (PTA) also assisted the school by fencing this mini-orchard.
Ms Stoff, the Parakarungu Environmental Education Co-ordinator and her team made a project proposal for fruit trees to CITW Botswana, in collaboration with the FNBB Foundation.
The objectives of this project are:
- To help children understand their curriculum with practicals
- Promote a friendly environment: children will learn that these fruit trees (orchard) will create shelter for a wide range of species
- To be used by the Environmental Club to conduct their lessons
- To help the children with entrepreneur skills (selling the fruit)
On behalf of CITW and the FNBB Foundation, we handed over 17 fruit trees (mango, banana, custard apple, lemon, guava, naartjie, paw-paw and peach) to Ms Stoff and the children during their Eco-Club session on 2 July 2024.
The support was much appreciated by the school and children. The Eco-Club members led the activity by sharing information about the fruit trees before planting, including steps to follow when planting and how to take care of them. The children were encouraged to take care of the trees and always take part in planting trees in their village, so that they can feel a sense of belonging and also help fight against climate change.
The CITW Botswana team would like to direct their special gratitude to the Ministry of Basic Education – Chobe Region, the local PTA and wider Parakarungu community for supporting the CITW programme in their school, as well as the FNBB Foundation for the important role they continue to play.
Compiled by Gaba Modirapula, CITW Botswana Administrator
