The 2016 Eco Schools Challenge Competitions and Awards Ceremony
Starting at 9 am and ending at 3pm, several hundred school children, students, teachers, VIPs and others descended on Mukuvisi Woodlands on 21 October for the annual Enviro Challenge and Awards event, with the theme for this year “My Environment, My Future, My Responsibility”. The theme covers all our natural resources and areas being implemented by Eco Schools member clubs, who seek to improve people’s lives, whilst also ensuring national environmental sustainability, and caring for the Earth.

The exhibition was held in the open under trees at the Boma next to the Education Centre at Mukuvisi Woodlands. The Enviro Challenge competition was again sponsored by the Delegation of the European Union to Zimbabwe and the French Embassy in Zimbabwe sponsored some of the prize categories.

Schools countrywide participate in the various categories of the competition. The Enviro Challenge Competition is held annually as a tool for evaluating environmental stewardship and environmental awareness among primary and secondary schools involved in The Enviro Challenge Programme in Zimbabwe, which is run by the Mukuvisi Woodlands Environmental Education Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The thematic areas covered by the competition include; Climate Change adaptations and mitigation, Waste Management, Resource Use (Water, Soil, Energy), Nature and Biodiversity, and Global and Local Issues.

This year’s event was held against the backdrop of the UNFCCC COP 21 Paris agreement and as a follow up to Walk-to-Paris Zimbabwe Cop 21 campaign which was launched last year by the French Embassy in Harare and the EU in collaboration with UNICEF and Eco-Schools. The 2016 Edition of the Eco-Challenge also reflected on the Clean Energy Workshops for School Clubs Leaders which were supported by UNICEF as part of the Eco-Schools capacity building projects that were conducted in three provinces of Zimbabwe.

The event gave participating schools the opportunity to showcase their talent and their contribution to education for sustainable development in our country through conservation and protection of the environment.

Schools competed in the following Categories:

1. Primary Schools

 Art drawing contest. Express yourself in drawing.

CATEGORY A: Drawing: Primary School Level

Primary Schools to do a drawing where they express their understanding of:

1.1 Climate Change: The effects of climate change.

1.2 Wetland Life: Impression of ecosystems in a well conserved wetland.

1.3 Forest Life: Impression of ecosystems in well conserved forest.

1.4 Waste Management: Impression of waste management system at School.

1.5 Birds of Prey: Impression of threats to birds of prey.

2. Secondary Schools

To do a Model Design for exhibit that tells a story, where they express their impression of:

CATEGORY B: Model Designs: Secondary School Level

2.1 Climate Change: A model Design depicting effects of Climate.

2.2 CAMPFIRE Village: A Model Design depicting Campfire Village, close to Wildlife Area.

2.3 Land Degradation: Model Design of any form of land degradation.

2.4 Recycling: A model showing recycling activity or products.

2.5 Energy: Model Design showing sources of Renewable Energy and Non-Renewable Energy.

3. Survival Skills

CATEGORY C: Primary and Secondary Level

3.2 Song and Dance.

3.3 Quiz: Compulsory.

3.4 Drama and Poetry.

There were exhibitions from outside organisations under 5 general themes:

• Trees and herbs – reforestation, traditional medicines, etc
• Wildlife – our national heritage, conflict with humans etc
• Water – wetlands, pollution, water testing etc
• Waste – recycling, waste management, art from waste etc
• Climate change - facts, mitigation strategies, clean energy etc

The 2016 Eco Schools Challenge Programme

09.30-11.30 - Treasure Hunt, Survival Skills, Quiz, Song and Dance, Dram and Poetry

11.30-12.30 - Lunch for Participants

12.30-13.00 - Arrival and Inspection of Exhibitions by Guest of Honour and Dignitaries

13:00-13:10 - Welcome Remarks from Chairman, Mukuvisi Woodlands Simon Pitt

13.10-13.20 - Speech by the UNICEF Representative

13.20-13.30 - Speech by the French Embassy Representative

13.30-13.40 - Speech by the European Union Representative

13.40-13.50 - Performances by some Prize Winners

13.50-14.30 - Presentation of Prizes by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, the Honourable Lazarus Dokora

14.30-14.50 - Speech by Guest of Honour the Minister

14.50-15.00 - Vote of Thanks by Eco Schools Representative

To Find out more about the Eco Schools Programme, and get involved, contact:

allainc@zol.co.zw; +263 242 747111 / 242 747123 / +263 774 198 009

Click here for more Eco Schools Challenge 2016 photos and videos