from children to changemakers final

7/27/2019 From Children to Changemakers Final

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FROM CHILDREN

TO

CHANGE-MAKERS:Mobilising school children to act as catalysts for

community action on climate change.

A study of the International Climate Challenge programme in Kenya:local vulnerabilities, outcomes and impacts.

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International Climate Challenge (ICC) is an education and action project for young

people, developed and coordinated by InterClimate Network Ltd (UK) and funded by

Barclays PLC.

The From children to to changemakers report is the result of an impact assessment

conducted across seven locations, in Kenya, during March 2011, and including twelve

secondary school communities, plus two out-of-school youth groups, The study was

carried out by Dr Katy Newell-Jones, who is also the report author.

In Kenya, ICC is administered by ERMIS Africa.

Photographs from the ICC project and ICC staff.Cover design by Grace Kingori

Printed in Nairobi, Kenya

Copyright InterClimate Network Ltd (UK)

First printed 2012

ISBN

All rights reserved. Dissemination and reuse of the content is encouraged, but please

also give credit to the ICC Project and send comments to Greig Whitehead (ICC) at:

[email protected]

To reproduce, store in a retrieval system or transmit this booklet, in any form or by any

means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, prior written

permission is required from InterClimate Network Ltd.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Objectives of the study

In March 2011, a study was undertaken into theimpact of the ICC project at school and communitylevels since July 2008.

The objectives of the study:

to understand the challenges faced in thestudy locations, i.e. the vulnerabilities andrisks for the community and particularly foryoung people;

to investigate the awareness of, andknowledge about climate change in relation tolocal environmental, social, economic andpolitical issues in schools where ICC has beenworking;

to identify the impact and sustainability of themicro-projects developed by ICC schoolgroups, in relation to climate change in theircommunities;

to assess the impact of the ICC group/schoolon wider community understanding and actionrelated to climate change and sustainable

development issues, e.g. in parentshouseholds; in nearby primary schools; withGovernment of Kenya personnel; with localofficials;

to identify active stakeholders involved inunderstanding, adapting to and mitigatingagainst climate change in the study locations;

to make recommendations for the furtherdevelopment of the ICC approach in these andother ICC locations.

ContentsPAGE(S)

ICC Model & Approach 4-5

Stories of Change 6-15

Information on localities 16-17

Changes & challenges 18-19

Discussion impacts of ICC 20-22

Recommendations 23

Acknowledgements 24

Introduction

International Climate Challenge (ICC)

International Climate Challenge (ICC) is aprogramme devised and developed by InterClimateNetwork (UK) and implemented in the UK, India andKenya. In Kenya, ICC is hosted by ERMIS Africa.Since July 2008, ICC has worked with Kenyansecondary schools across 20 locations reaching 120schools in total. Each school establishes an ICCgroup (25 students, guided by 2 lead teachers)which is taken through a participatory process by the

ICC programme officers to:

discuss and determine the major socialand environmental concerns in thelocality;

understand the four themes energy,water, food and waste and theirrelationship to climate change, locallivelihoods and sustainable development;

discuss and explore practical solutionsrelated to the themes, that can adaptand/or mitigate for climate change and

help redress the local concerns; research, prioritise, plan and develop a

project to tackle one or more of theconcerns, related to one or more of thethemes and based on the practicalsolutions prioritised.

All schools involved in the ICC project are requiredto be involved in tree planting, to develop andimplement a project which reflects the aboveobjectives, supports income generation as a meansof encouraging sustainability and creates awareness

across the school and the local community.

From children to changemakers:A study of the International Climate Challenge Programme

in Kenya - local vulnerabilities, outcomes and impacts.


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The evidence from this study indicates that theICC model of intervention in secondary schoolshas been highly successful in engagingstudents in learning about climate change andimplementing a range of practical projectsadapting to and mitigating against the effects ofclimate change.

The vulnerabilities and risks faced by communitiesare different in each geographical region. Healthrisks from poor waste management (for example,pollution from burning tyres and increased risk of

disease from stagnant water) are universal,although more extreme in overcrowded urbanlocations dominated by industrial refuse dumps.Shortages of food, water and fuel are more intensein rural semi-arid and arid areas, although theacuteness with which these are felt is related tolevels of poverty.

One of the challenges has been to develop anapproach which is appropriate to the wide range ofschools across Kenya. A national boarding schoolin semi-arid Kitui, and an urban day school in EastNairobi differ enormously in the resources available

One outstanding example demonstrates how the ICC programme has enabled a family to break thecycle of poverty perpetuated by lack of access to education for the children. With the support ofthe school, the parent has paid off her school fee debt through the activities directly arising from

the ICC project and her daughter is able to continue attending school.

Margaret Wangui is a parent with her daughter, Mary attending KimuriSchool. Mary is a member of the ICC club and has taken many ideashome to her mother. Margaret now makes her own fireballs from soil,leaves and sawdust, which saves her money on fuel as well asreducing the number of trees being cut down locally. Margaret alsohas constructed a small dam to catch rainwater runoff and this givesher water to grow some vegetables. Some of the vegetables shesells locally and some she gives to the school to pay Marys schoolfees. The money from the vegetables and the money she saves fromusing fireballs means she has been able to pay off all the money she

owed on school fees and Mary is never sent home for lack of payingschool fees. Even some of her neighbours are copying her now asthey see she has a made a great difference to her life using the ideasfrom the ICC project. (Kimuri High School).

Report author, Dr Katy Newell Jones,with Alice Chege (teacher), CarolineNjiru (ICC Projec Leader) and MargaretWangui (parent)

The model developed by ICC has been successfulacross the whole spectrum of schools. Particularlypositive features include:

The overall approach has been ofsupporting schools in establishing ICCgroups which then devise and implementtheir own projects, relevant to their own

local context, rather than being prescriptive.Schools have also been encouraged todevelop new initiatives each year, buildingon the previous years achievements.

The range of support offered by ICC(expertise on climate change, offeringopportunities for workshops and visits andthe monthly mentoring visits) has providedan excellent framework within whichschools can develop their projects.

By providing limited financial support,schools have been forced to work withintheir own resources and to develop projectswhich can be sustained in the localeconomic context.

The assessment of the ICC projects hasbeen rigorous and fair; allowingcomparisons to be made between schoolsof different status and in differentgeographical regions. It has also provideda deadline for schools to work to which hasresulted in focused projects which fit theacademic year.

The support provided to school leavers hasenabled at least three self-sustaininggroups to be established in Nairobi, Thikaand Nanyuki.

The International ClimateChallenge (ICC) model ofintervention: summary

From cabbages to school fees: anoutstanding example of school-

community relations, promoted by ICC

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1Davies RJ and Dart J (2005) The Most Significant Change (MSC) technique: a guide to its use.

http://www.mande.co.uk/docs/MSCGuide.htm

It has been evident over the last two yearsthat the impact of the ICC project atindividual, school and community levels has

been complex. A qualitative approach, calledMost Signif icant Change

1(MSC), was

selected for this study in order to investigatethe kinds of changes which have been takingplace in the locations and types of schools.

MSC is a participatory approach to evaluationwhich involves collecting stories of signif icantchangefrom as wide a range of stakeholders aspossible. The advantage is that the changesreported are those valued most highly by the

participants in the programme and impact ontheir lives to the greatest extent.

Once the stories have been collected a processof reviewing and discussing the significantchanges takes place with selected stakeholdersand the programme team. Changes aretriangulated with data from other sources.Finally, stories are selected which capture andcommunicate the nature of the changes whichhave been observed. When implementedsuccessfully, MSC captures the impact from the

perspective of those who are engaged in it andencourages programme teams to learn fromthose they have been working with, therebyfeeding into the development of the future work.

The study was undertaken in March 2011 inseven locations: Nairobi Eastlands, Kitui ,Matuu /Yatta, Naivasha, Kakamega, Emb u and

Garissa(see section C). Visits were made toschools in each location with their ICCprogramme officer. Focus groups took place withtwo school leaver groups in Nairobi and

Naivasha, called Ecogenand Green Plat inum,respectively. These groups have beenestablished by groups of ICC students, who onleaving school, decided they wanted to continueto work on cliate chan e ro ects.

In order to gain a broad cross section ofperspectives on the ICC programme, discussionsalso took place with school principals and staff,parents, community leaders and communitymembers. In addition, discussions took place witheach of the programme officers to gain an overviewof the whole programme. These discussions alsoexplored the factors which had influenced the

success, or, in a handful of cases the lack ofsuccess, in implementing effective ICC projects.

Prior to this study each ICC school had beenassessed on their 2009/10 projects. Theassessment reports were made available for thisstudy. This study differs from the annual schoolassessments as it explores the overall impact of theICC programme, rather than the achievement ofindividual schools.

During the visits, the ICC students were invited to

explain the rationale behind their projects, thechallenges they have faced and their achievements.Visits were made to the community to meet parentsand community members who had adopted ICCinitiatives. Meetings also took place with schoolprincipals, lead teachers, parents, communityleaders, school leaver groups and each of the ICCprogramme officers. Visits were also made to twoprimary schools where the ICC secondary schoolshad strong links. After exploring the ICC projects insome depth, students, teachers, principals andparents were invited to identify the most significant

changes which they had observed as a result of theICC programme.

Case studiesStories of Change

Mini-case studies were produced for each of theschools studied. More than 70 stories of changewere collected which were supported by evidencefrom different sources including the independentassessment of the ICC projects and communityvisits. The stories were then reviewed by theprogramme officers, categorising them and selecting

those which were felt to reflect most accurately thekinds of changes which they have been observingacross the ICC project. The result is a series ofstories which characterise the changes which havebeen brought about through the ICC project inKenya 2008-2011.

Limitations of the study

This study was an in depth investigation into the impact of ICC in 10% of ICC schools across 7 locations.The schools selected for this study tended to be those which had engaged well in the ICC programme

and had implemented relatively successful projects. Fewer than 5% of schools failed to devise andimplement ICC projects; none of these was included in the sample visited.

The approach to this study


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What are the changes as a result of ICC?

There is clear evidence from the project assessments and the visits toschools and communities that the ICC programme has resulted in a widerange of positive changes. These can be broadly categorised under thefollowing headings;

increases in knowledge and skills

clean and green local interventions

innovations and inventions

community awareness

improving livelihoods

Under each of these headings there were many examples of change givenby students, staff and community members. This section uses selectedexamples to highlight the changes and identifies factors which promote orinhibit these changes.

Increases in knowledge and skills

In all the schools visited students had gained knowledge and skills onclimate change, from the workshops offered by the ICC programmeofficers, teachers, local community members with expertise, and throughthe students own research using books and the internet (depending ontheir access). However, ICC students are not just gaining theoreticalknowledge on climate change. One of the powerful features of ICC is thattheoretical and practical knowledge are brought together. Students areusing their practical ICC projects to understand terms better, likedeforestation and soil erosion, which they encounter in the classroom.They are also devising more effective projects because they are based ona sound understanding of the complexity of climate change in relation totheir own locality and the concepts of mitigation and adaptation.

Gaining knowledge about mitigating against climate change

We have learnt a lot about the environment and what we can alldo to improve it. Before ICC we would not have thought of theseideas and did not look at the rubbish in our communities assources of materials for our projects. We use plastics to stop thewater draining away in our nursery, this stops plastics being burnt,which reduces pollution and also helps the plants survive whenthere is no water. We now feel we have a responsibility to improvethe environment and try and return the land to how it used to be.We are proud of what we have done in our school. (KithyokoSecondary School)

Students l inking their greening project with cl imate science

Students are using waste gunny sacks to grow sukumawiki inlayers. The students were able to explain about carbon dioxide, itsrole as a greenhouse gas and the links with photosynthesis. Theyalso talked about the leaching of nutrients during watering and thebenefits of planting around the base of the containers. Links weremade to the lack of space to grow vegetables in local overcrowdedurban communities, and high levels of poverty linked with poorhealth and nutrition. (Our Lady of Fatima Secondary,EasternNairobi)

ICC groups, with usually around 25 students, are established in schools

involved in the ICC programme. This group is responsible for planning andimplementing the ICC projects with support from the lead teacher. Theextent to which these changes are disseminated across the whole schoolvaries considerably between schools and depends on the value which theschool places on climate change and also the extent to which clubs areencouraged to impact on school life and activities. In most schools visitedthe ICC club was one of the most popular and most active clubs, often with

Theoretical

Knowledge

Practical

Knowledge

Understanding the concepts of

climate change in relation to

the local environment

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a waiting list to join. However, where the membership had been allowed toincrease substantially, it was more difficult to maintain the activeinvolvement of all members.

In most schools efforts have been made to engage the rest of the schooland to extend the gains in knowledge and skills to the whole schoolcommunity. Dissemination often begins with school clean ups, treeplanting and the introduction of litter bins. In the more successful schools,assemblies have been used to raise awareness and the whole school hastaken responsibility for planting and watering specific trees, growing their

own vegetables or in collecting waste materials for income generating artprojects.

Other clubs copying us:Some of the other clubs are copying us and growing their ownvegetables and flowers. The History club and the Scouts havebeen growing flowers and the business club are growing kale.Their kale is finished but ours is still going but it is good that theyhave been growing their own and selling it. (Kithimani SecondarySchool)

Ben, class 8, class garden:Ben has been interested in the ICC project although he is only inclass 8. He has started a small garden outside his classroom andhas explained to his class how this will stop soil erosion on thepath outside their classroom and also contributes to mitigatingclimate change. He hopes to make the class 8 garden as good asthe ones of the older students which have different varieties ofplants. (Kitui Seventh Day Adventist School)

Key factors which promote increases in knowledge and skills in relation to climate change are:

knowledgeable, supportive and active lead teachers

practical projects linked to local vulnerabilities and needs

active links with members of the community involved in relevant activities.

Key factors which promote dissemination and engagement across the whole school are:

commitment of the Principal to climate change and its practical relevance to the lives of students

a school ethos which encourages out of classroom activities and peer learning between students.

Personal development (leadership, teambuilding, creativity and

self-reliance)

In all schools visited the students have gained in terms of personaldevelopment; acquiring knowledge and skills in leadership, teambuilding,creativity and self-reliance. Several school principals and teachers saidthat they feel the school curriculum is crowded and focuses on theacquisition of theoretical knowledge; they reported that the ICCprogramme has provided opportunities for students to use their practicalskills, to work collaboratively and to be creative.

The Principal at Kimuri School, Mr J.K. Muiithi, said that he has seenchanges in the proportion of students selecting geography, agriculture andnatural history over less practical subjects. He says, They can see the

practical relevance through projects like the water harvesting and this hasbrought home to them the way they can be using what they learn in theirown lives in their communities. The practical subjects are providingstudents with opportunities to be creative, which they dont have in thetraditional curriculum.

ICC Group

The whole school population

Tree

planting

Schoolassemblies

Litter

bins

School

clean-up

Wasterecycling

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Gaining skills in leadership, organisation and communicationWhen we have wanted to do something we have needed to havethe help of our fellow students. This means we have had to learnhow to communicate with them, how to write notices and organiserosters so they will join us. We know now how to mobilise peopleand to lead others.(Kangaru Secondary School)

Leadership

Katharine explained, Before the ICC project I was shy and couldnever have imagined myself having the confidence to talk to

visitors to the school. The ICC project has helped me developconfidence and learn presentation skills. I know now that I can talkwith some knowledge about climate change and that outsiders willlisten. I do not need to be ashamed that I live in a slum area ofNairobi.(Our Lady of Fatima Secondary School)

Teambuilding and creativityWe in the ICC club have been able to work as teams, to rely oneach other and to use our own ideas and creativity. This hasmeant we are more focused and active even in our otherclassroom lessons. So we have these things which we can take toother parts of our lives.(Naivasha Day Secondary School)

Self-relianceWe feel more self-reliant now, more independent and able to dothings for ourselves. Coming from our families most of us had notheld a jembe, but now we even know how to dig and buildsomething. We also have reconnected with our environment, weknow that the interactions between humans and the environmentare important and we can be active in improving the environment.(Kitui Seventh Day Adventist School)

Where students had gained most in terms of leadership and self-reliancewas where the students have a strong degree of ownership of theirprojects and were fully engaged in the decision-making processes inrelation to them. There were several schools which had a strategic

commitment to climate change and improving the schools environmentand this usually results in highly effective ICC projects. In some instancesthis resulted in the students developing strong leadership and teambuildingskills, however, in a small number, the school had taken over responsibilityfor deciding the future of individual projects and the students were involvedonly in implementation, not leading or decision-making. The students atthese schools tended not to gain as much in terms of self-reliance,leadership and teambuilding.

Key factors which promote personal development of skills in leadership, teambuilding, creativity and self-reliance among ICC students are:

ICC students fully engaged in selecting, devising and implementing the project

schools recognising the value of including students in decision-making in relation to the ICC projects and alsolinked programmes which the school is considering

students being given opportunities to disseminate to the wider school, parents, the wider community andevents like Science Congress.

Clean and green local interventions

As might be expected, the most consistent practical changes seen as aresult of ICC projects were improvements to the environments of schools.In many cases the impact was also extended to some extent to localcommunities.

Cleaning the environment

Initiatives have often started with school clean ups, where rubbish iscollected but in most cases this has been extended to recycling the waste

Ownership and full engagement

in decision making processes

Students build leadership

skills & self reliance

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in creative ways to retain water or create saleable products from availablewaste materials.

School environmentWe have cleaned up our school environment ourselves. Now wehave a roster for school cleaning. When it is our groups turn wecollect the rubbish, we sort it so the vegetable matter is forcomposting, we even collect the cow dung for the biogasgenerator. All of this is our responsibility. (Shieywe SecondarySchool)

Clean and greenWe have made our school grounds clean and green and this isalso happening in some of the other communities around us.Clean means less disease and green means less soil erosion,surface water run-off, more shade and a cooler environment for usto work in. (Kimuri High School)

Greening the environment

Almost all schools have been engaged in planting programmes of trees,shrubs, flowers and grass. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, theimpact has been to stabilise the soil, reduce soil erosion, reduce nutrient

leaching, provide shade and in some urban cases, to filter pollution fromnearby rubbish dumps. Students, staff and visitors say how muchdifference the greening has made, stressing that the school environmentis now more conducive to study, as well as more environmentallysustainable.

In areas like Kakamega, Embu and Naivasha, historically exotic trees likeEucalyptus which require large amounts of water were planted. These arebeing removed and replaced by indigenous, drought resistant trees.

Replacing exotic trees with indigenous onesYears ago exotic trees were planted around our water holes andin the valleys. They looked beautiful but they took too much water

and are responsible for the lowering of the water table in someplaces. We are replacing them with indigenous trees which willstabilise the soil and provide shade but not take as much water.(Kangaru Secondary School)

Students have often been surprised by the extent to which they caninfluence the school environment through their own combined efforts.Where students have managed to do this, it has resulted in a sense ofachievement and an enthusiasm to continue to take notice of theirenvironment, to take steps to improve it and to encourage others to alsodo so.

Appreciating the environmentBefore the project we noticed that the environment was changingbut we did not think it was anything we could do anything about.We thought that the school grounds would always be dry anddusty. Now we notice and appreciate our environment more andwe encourage others to do the same. For example, if I go to myhome and one of my brothers is cutting down a tree unnecessarilywith an axe, I ask him to think about what he is doing and what theimpact will be. Instead of cutting down trees he could be plantingthem and helping the environment. (Kitui Seventh Day AdventistSchool)

Taking responsibility for our environmentBefore this project we did not even see the changes. We heardpeople talk about climate change but now we can see what hashappened. Even in the last 5 years places in Kenya which hadwater have none now. We are taking responsibility and doingsomething about it here in our school and we talk to people whenwe go home as well. We find that people respect us and listen tous because of what we are doing. This makes us feel good.(Kangaru Secondary School)

Planting tree, shrubs,

flowers and grass

Stabilise the soil, reduce soil

erosion, reduce nutrient

leaching, provide shade

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Tree planting to provide shade and reduce soil erosionThe trees are my favourites as we planted them ourselves and welook after them. We can see the trees we planted in 2008 and2009 growing big now and not needing water any more. And hereare the ones we planted in November, we water them twice aweek now. The trees give us shade, they stop soil erosion andwhen the rains come they reduce the runoff so more of the wateris kept by the trees and plants here in the school. (KithimaniSecondary School)

On the whole the success rate of greening programmes has been high.Where they have been less successful, this has been due to:

trees or plants not being watered adequately during school

holidays.

local community members entering school grounds and removing

the seedlings. This was particularly difficult to deal with in urban

localities where poverty levels are particularly high and the school

perimeter is not secure.

lack of water, or water retaining measures, during the dry season.

lack of technical knowledge about planting and care of seedlings.

However, where this is the case, ICC programme officers aresupporting schools in accessing local expertise.

Reducing health risks

Quite a number of schools, especially in the arid and semi-arid areas haveincorporated recycling of kitchen or dormitory waste water in order to beable to use the water for vegetable growing or watering of trees. Wherethis has been successful, not only has there been a reduction inunpleasant odours, but the health risks associated with stagnant waterhave also been reduced.

Eliminating a health hazard

Before the ICC project our waste water was thrown outside theoffices and there was a swampy area where the mosquitoes wouldbreed there and give us diseases. Now waste water is collectedfor tree watering and in the place of the swamp we are growing agarden to make the environment look more beautiful. We nolonger have any swampy patch and we have fewer mosquitoes tobite us and make us ill. (Kithyoko Secondary School)

Key factors which promote clean and green interventions include:

the compulsory nature of tree planting for ICC schools

receiving donations of seedlings from ICC, local authorities and local organisations

having safe and secure grounds

careful planning of water availability and watering systems suitable for the locality

advanced planning for school holidays

Innovations and inventions

ICC has encouraged the students to develop practical projects whichrespond to local vulnerabilities and risks under the themes of waste, water,food and energy.

Waste

Poor waste management occurs across Kenya in both urban and ruralcommunities. The most serious waste management challenges are facedin urban areas. In Eastern Nairobi which is overshadowed by the Dandoradumpsite, there are high levels of poverty and the lives of staff andstudents are dominated by the health risks and pollution arising from the

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toxic industrial waste. Yet the dump is also a source of income for manyand also provides some of the waste materials needed for their ICCprojects. In rural parts of Kenya, paper, food, plastic packaging, used carand bicycle tyres are often discarded without consideration of the impact.Waste management often involves burning, causing the release of highlevels of carbon dioxide as well as toxic pollutants.

Recycling waste in the communityI have learned a lot from the ICC club about recycling our wasteand not just making the dump even bigger! At home now we

recycle our kitchen water and also I have been picking up therubbish around my home and in the community. My neighboursnow do not just throw their rubbish everywhere; they find the rightplace to put it and we have a cleaner neighbourhood with lessrubbish and smell now.(Dandora Secondary School)

Devising creative ways of using local wasteWe are proud that we have made the tyre gardens using our ownideas, our own minds. We have gone to the community andlooked at all of the rubbish and thought, What can we use thisfor? By using the tyres and the plastics it stops them being burntso reduces the pollution as well as making good growingcontainers.(Kyua Secondary School)

Milk cartons as growing containersWhen we tried making a nursery last year we planted into theground and we were not successful. Companies use these smallplastic containers for growing the seedlings until they are strongenough to survive in the ground. But we cant afford them. So welooked at the dump and saw that the milk packets are just thesame. So we have been picking them from the dump and havefilled them with soil mixed with compost from the rabbits.(Dandora Secondary School)

Managing our wasteWe have changed the way we deal with our waste there is less

of it now. The kitchen waste water goes into pools to growarrowroot, some of it also helps with the kale. We have also beenrecycling - the poultry cages were made from waste except thefew nails we needed. And we use the plastic rubbish to put in thebottom of the holes for our trees to retain the water. (KithimaniSecondary School)

The most successful projects are those where not only are waste materialsrecycled to generate income but that schools and communities also workto reduce the amount of waste which they produce. This requires thewhole school to be involved including the kitchen staff and other areas ofthe school where there is the potential for large amounts of waste.

Water

Water management is an increasing problem across Kenya as weatherpatterns change as a result of climate change. The rains are lesspredictable, with many areas still recovering from the severe drought in2008/9.

In the semi-arid and arid areas of Matuu, Yatta and Garissa, boreholesand river beds are drying earlier in the season and piped water supplies,which some communities have come to rely on, are being interrupted forlong periods. Cultivation and tree planting are extremely difficult withoutwater harvesting and using drip irrigation.

Managing water shortagesWe have been taught many ways of managing our watershortage. We have planted grasses to give ground cover andreduce evaporation, we have saved the dormitory water andneutralised it with ash for our vegetables and the kitchen wastewater for our trees and the fruit trees. We are also using drip

REDUCE

RE-USE RECYCLE

RETHINK

REFUSE REPAIR


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watering using plastic bottles for the trees to make the little waterwe have go further. (Kithyoko Secondary School)

In Embu, Naivasha and Kakamega, where there is higher rainfall, watermanagement is also a concern as deforestation has led to increased soilerosion and leaching of nutrients from the soil. Kimuri Secondary Schoolhas developed an innovative system to collect rain water runoff from theroad and to filter kitchen waste water, through a series of ponds for use intree planting and vegetable growing.

In Eastern Nairobi, the schools visited come from poor communities withmost living in overcrowded and cramped high rise blocks, accessing waterprimarily from standpipes. Tree planting and vegetable growing poseadditional strains on existing water supplies. Among the ICC groups aresome excellent examples of whole schools getting involved in recyclingand managing waste water.

Kitchen waste w ater m anagement

The evergreen project needed water in order to grow vegetablesbut there is very little water in the school. The ICC clubapproached the school kitchen and explained our need. Wenoticed that waste water was being thrown away, creating a healthhazard. We persuaded the kitchen to manage their waste water

with soapy and non-soapy water being saved separately. The non-soapy water is used straight away for the vegetables. The soapywater is neutralised first with ash before it can be used. (OurLady of Fatima Secondary School)

Food

Vegetable growing has been a feature of a high proportion of the ICCschools with a strong focus on indigenous varieties suitable for the locality.Innovative cultivation techniques include stacking used tyres or usinggunny sacks to make vertical growing containers, with plastic bottles usedfor irrigation in many cases. These have the advantages of being suitablefor urban areas where space and water are at a premium as well as

recycling waste which avoids it being burnt releasing more greenhousegases and toxic pollutants.

Improving the nutrition in local communitiesIn local communities there were not many vegetables in themarket and we have now been growing some here which arehelping the local community to improve their diet. The blacknightshade and sukuma wiki are good for iron which is good forpregnant women. Then when people in the community begin tocopy, this means they are also making some small income aswell.(Shieywe Secondary School)

ICC has supported schools in poultry keeping, rabbit breeding and alsofish farming, all of which provide manure for tree planting and vegetablegrowing as well as generating income through selling the meat and fish.The ICC exchange days have been invaluable events for schools to learnfrom each other, sharing innovative ideas. These projects have beenpopular with the students. However, they also require a strongcommitment from the school, for example, fish farming requires excavatinga fish pond.

Dennis and Jeff - rabbit keeping in the communityWe came to the prize giving day at Dandora last year and got theidea there of keeping rabbits to raise some funds. We started justover 1 year ago by making our own hutch from wood we found onthe dump and around the place. We only had to buy the nails;thats all. Now we sell our rabbit meat in the market. (DandoraSecondary School)

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Energy

The most common project tackling energy is the making of fireballs out ofa variety of ingredients including charcoal dust, sand, dung and leaves.These can be an efficient way of cooking as well as reducing the amountof wood required by families, schools and communities. ICC groups havetended to start by making fireballs to sell locally, but where they have beenmost successful, parents and other community members have learnedhow to make them and continued the practice themselves. Otherinnovative ICC projects, under the theme of energy, include a biogas

generator at Shieywe Secondary School which produced gas for theteachers kitchen for several months. The school has decided not toupscale this pilot to provide gas for the main school kitchen, however, theconcept has been adopted by two families locally.

Biogas in the communityDouglas Moru has introduced biogas to his grandfathers farm.Moru used to get up at 5am to light the fire every day. The familyrelied on firewood which meant cutting down many trees, but nowhe only has to turn on the gas and can heat water quickly. Thefamily all live together with the grandparents, parents and all theirchildren. They have many animals so there is always fresh dungfor the generator which has now been going for about 1 year. The

plastic tube is expensive and is liable to puncture but they havefound a way of mending the holes when this happens with grit andmanure. Moru says, Some people think that biogas can only dofor light cooking but my family has shown that it can provideenough gas for a whole small community. (Shieywe Secondary

School)

Another example of a successful energy project is at Kimuri SecondarySchool, where they have built an energy saving jiko in the school kitchenusing an old clay pot and building a clay surround to retain and focus theheat. This jiko is still being used after a year and the kitchen staff say it ismore efficient than using a more open fire.

Key factors which promote innovation and invention include:

thorough assessment of the local issues and resources available

encouragement of projects underpinned by scientific principles

a school ethos which encourages creative ideas and allows students to follow these through

opportunities for exchange of ideas through visits to science fairs

Community awareness

All schools are encouraged to increase awareness about climate change

and practical ideas about adaptation and mitigation among the localcommunity. The extent to which this has been successful has dependedon the strength of the existing links between schools and theircommunities. Boarding schools tend to have less strong links, althoughthere are some excellent examples of day and boarding schools workingclosely with local primary schools and the local community. Severalschools have used their AGMs to inform parents and the local communityof their ICC projects, others have involved the local community in treeplanting or have invited the community in to see specific projects, likerabbit keeping.

The reception from local communities has not always been positive.Several schools, both urban and rural, have had trees uprooted by local

communities and vegetables taken. This has taken place, especially if thelocal community is very poor, has easy access to the school grounds andhas not had an opportunity to understand the purpose of the project. Someschools are attempting to solve this problem through greater security,others through working more closely with their community.

Inspiring communityaction on climate change

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Community involvement in tree plantingWhen we first started tree planting the communities were quitehostile and some of the trees were uprooted by the localcommunity. So we decided to involve local people, the church andfarmers. When they understood what we are doing they havejoined us and helped with the tree planting.(St Ignatius MukumuBoys High School)

Hostile reaction to Dandora clean upWhen we went to do a clean up of the rubbish in Dandora we

were shocked at the reaction from the community. I mean, likethey were so angry and hostile to us. They shouted at us sayingwe live here do you think we dont know what it is like? Some ofthem were even throwing more rubbish at us from the upstairswindows. It was like if we were picking up rubbish, then we couldhave the rest as well. But we learnt a lot and when we dosomething like that again we would plan it differently, like wewould engage the groups in Dandora and work with them, so theywouldnt feel we were outsiders coming in, criticising the way theylive. (Ecogen, ICC school leavers group, Nairobi)

ICC has been working with secondary schools, however, some schoolshave engaged with primary schools, planting trees for them and helping

them to look after them, or making toys for them from waste materials.

Able to create awareness in community and schoolWe have not just stayed in our school but have taken ourmessages and our knowledge outside. We have planted trees insome of the local primary schools, with 20 trees in each schooland we taught them how to look after them. And we have takenour best ideas to the Secondary School Science Congress, givingthem to others and returned with some new ideas like the openplastic sack beds for vegetables. And also we have visited theCBO Friends of Kinagop which has not got enough trees for all thebirds and wildlife there and we have planted trees for them.

(Kimuri High School)

Individual students have taken the initiative and engaged with localcommunity groups with which they are already involved.

Student talk ing to his local church

One of the students has been talking to people at his localCatholic church and even made some presentations about the ICCprojects and how they are making their school moreenvironmentally friendly. (Our Lady of Fatima Secondary School)

Awareness rais ing through Islamic gather ings

Islamic gatherings in Garissa were used as a way of engaging withthe community and sharing innovative ideas, such as making

plastic plates from egg shells and molten plastics . (Tetu BoysHigh School)

Community outreach and awareness has been most successful when ithas been linked to income generation for local communities.

Key factors which promote community awareness include:

strong links between schools and their local communities

active engagement of the community prior to any community based activities

consideration of how community members are going to gain directly from engaging in climate change relatedactivities

joint decision making by schools and communities on activities

SCHOOL

PARENTS

YOUTH CHURCH

FARMERS

CO MM

UN ITY

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Improving livelihoods

With an increase in the focus on income generation in 2010, there isevidence that in all schools visited there are examples where a parent orother community member has learned skills from an ICC student and usedthese to generate income and improve their livelihoods. The most commonexamples were of parents of students taking up activities like vegetablegrowing or making fireballs. There were also examples of people startingincome generating activities like making art from waste materials.Community visits confirmed that these activities were not only taking place

but sometimes making a considerable impact on the lives and livelihoodsof families.

Gunny sacks at homeAfter we startedthe gunny sacks at school I took this idea homeand we have started one now which has sukuma wiki and spinach.The plants are doing well and we eat the vegetables instead ofbuying from the market. This saves us some money for other foodlike milk and eggs we cannot often have. (Dandora SecondarySchool).

Parents starting kitchen gardens and fireballsTwo parents Madam Esther and Madam Antionina both have

children in the ICC club. As a result of learning what their childrenare doing both have started growing vegetables in multi-storygrowers made from waste sacks. They grow kale, onions, spinachand managu (black nightshade) all of which are very nutritious.Growing their own vegetables is healthier and also saves themtime travelling to the market and money. Both of them have alsolearnt how to make fireballs from charcoal dust and this has meantthey have saved money on fuel. They have been able to buy milk,beans, flour and other items, which previously they would haveonly occasionally been able to afford. Their activities haveimproved the diet of their families and they have also inspiredsome of their neighbours to take up vegetable gardening andmaking fireballs. They also feel that the ICC project has made their

children more responsible and given them new skills which willhelp them achieve more in the future. (Our Lady of Fatima

Secondary School).

Successfully introducing the community to our greentechnologiesWe have the skills and knowledge now to introduce our ideas toour communities. People have started using our tyre grardens,reducing the pollution by burning tyres and plastics and making abetter way of growing seedlings and vegetables. They have alsostarted using the raised chicken cages to keep the chickens safeand use the droppings for fertiliser.(Kyua Secondary School).

Bott le top artwork being m ade and so ld

One of the ICC students, Katherine, has been making artisticpictures from bottle tops which are inspiring and high quality.These have been bought by teachers and others locally, with theICC group keeping the receipts and using the artwork as anorganised income generating activity. One of Katherines cousinshas been so inspired that she has also begun making pictures andselling them herself. (Our Lady of Fatima Secondary School).

Key factors which promote improvements in livelihoods include:

practical projects which address local environmental challenges and offer low cost opportunities for localpeople to generate income

students sufficiently enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their projects that they can disseminate to theirfamilies and communities

school ethos which values creativity and enterprise in the community

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Matuu

Location: situated on the Nyika Plateau in EasternProvince Kenya, 120 Km. East of Nairobi.Climate and conditions: seasonal but low rainfall

throughout the year. A semi-arid area characterized byred volcanic and black cotton soils. The naturalvegetative cover is of scattered trees and shrubs,sparsely dispersed across the terrain. Area vulnerable tochronic food and water shortages, especially during thedry season (Nov-April).Economic activities: include small-scale farmingmainly of drought resistant crops such as Katumanimaize, livestock keeping - small cattle herds and goats,fruit farming - pawpaws, mangoes and bananas and infew cases bee farming. People in this area rely onseasonal rivers, earthdams (harvesting flash floods) andboreholes to get water.

Population, infrastructure and services: overall, thearea is scarcely populated with poor provision of basicservices. There is high level of food insecurity and theregion receives significant amounts of development aid

Embu

Location: Provincial Headquarters of EasternProvince, situated on S.E. slopes of Mt. Kenya.Climate and conditions: generally hot and wet with

temperatures ranging from 14-38c. The area ischaracterized by rich red volcanic soils, with adequaterainfall, treed and green with an abundance of naturalvegetation.Economic activities: A productive area supportingagriculture and related activities. The predominantenterprise is mixed farming - both commercial andfood crops (tea, coffee, legumes, cereals, etc.) andincluding dairy farming).The area is widely known forrice production which is grown on the Mwea irrigationScheme, North of Embu (and East of Mt. Kenya) is aspectacular hilly terrain with terraced gardens and awide variety of small scale agriculture.

Population, infrastructure and services: the areahas high population with comparatively low incidenceof poverty (below 50%). There is a relatively goodprovision of basic services such as education andhealth..Climate variations and vulnerabilities: landsubdivision has led to deforestation of water catchmentareas and a negative impact on water availability andland productivity, With continued unpredictability ofclimate, cash-crops such as coffee, tea and rice face adecline in production, and are being replaced by morereliable crops, such as maize.

Kakamega

Location: Kakamega town is the provincialheadquarters for Western Province. Thetown is located at altitude 1500m, 50Km.

North of Kisumu City and Lake Victoria.Climate and conditions: The averagetemperature in the district is 22.5 C. Most ofthe year while the average rainfall rangesfrom 1250 to 1750 mm p.a. There are twomain cropping seasons i.e. long rains (Marchto June) and short rains (August to October).Economic activities: The main economic

activity is mixed farming - both subsistenceand cash cropping. Major food crops aremaize, beans, sweet potatoes and bananaswhile cash crops are tea, sugar cane, andsun flower. There is a significant tourism

industry centering on the Kakamega tropicalforest.Population, infrastructure and services:The county has high population density i.e.495 persons per km

2(2009 census) .

Access to education, health facilities andbasic amenities is fairly well distributed.Climate variations and relatedvulnerabilities: Poor weather conditions andrising costs of farm inputs along withintensive cultivation over long periods withoutadequate measures to conserve soil fertilityhave all contributed to declining crop yields

and loss of livelihood. These challenges area threat to the conservation of Kakamegaforest as people encroach in search ofalternative means to generate income.Locations selected for this study

KENYA

Kakamega

Naivasha

Nairobi

GarissaEmbu

Matuu

Kitui

Background information on localities


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Naivasha

Location: Central Rift Valley, bordering the AberdaresRanges, a major water tower, which is the source ofmany rivers that feed Lake Naivasha.Weather and climate: hot and dry. The region

receives low amounts of rainfall between the month ofMarch and end of May. High temperatures can lead todrought.Economic activities: Most people in the area practicefarming through irrigation (drawing water from the lake

and rivers that feed the lake. The horticultural industry(flowers and vegetables) is dominant and relies onwater from Lake Naivasha. Employment in the industryis a major source of livelihood for local families.Population structure: Densely populated, particularlyin areas close to Naivasha town and the lake.Climate variations and related vulnerability:Continued deforestation in upper catchment haschanged the area to an extent that it receives lessrainfall and temperatures have increased, thus reducingproductivity. The local population also faces challengessuch as water and wood fuel shortages,

Garissa

Location : North-Eastern Province of Kenya. Its lowlying with altitudes ranging between 70m and 400m

1.

Weather & Climate: hot all year round, reachingtemperatures of up to 45C. Occasional high rainfallcan lead to flash floods UNICEF estimates that the2006 floods affected 350 schools, disrupting theeducation of 150,000 children.Economic activities: Generally people in Garissa arenomadic and depend on livestock farming (cattle,camels, goats and sheep). Agriculture is practicedalong the River Tana. Garissa is the main town in thearea and thus the trading and commercial centre.Population structure: the region has a low populationdensity with most people concentrated around waterpoints and market locations. 20% of the people live in

Garissa town and much of the population isconcentrated where services e.g. health, educationetc., are available.Climate variations and related vulnerabilities: Hightemperatures prevalent over long periods, leavingpeople exposed to chronic drought and food shortages.Increased variations in rainfall, with extremes of droughtand flood, makes the region prone to disasters such asfamine. An increase in climate- induced rural-urbanmigration has led to increased pressure on Garissatown infrastructure, such as the water and sanitations stems.

Kitui

Location: between 400m and 1800m in EasternProvince of Kenya.

Weather and climate: generally hot and dry with rainyseasons being highly erratic and unreliable. Has tworainy seasons i.e.: April-June (long rains) and October-December (Short rains). Has many seasonal rivers withno single perennial river in the region. Highly marginaland semi-arid.Economic activities : the economy is based on rainfed agriculture, with small portions of irrigation alongrivers Athi and Tana. The region is prone to drought,related water shortages and food insecurity. As aresult, the area receives significant amounts ofGovernment and NGO aid.Population Structure: most of the region has a low

population density with the exception of Central Kitui-Matinyani and Mutonguni. The majority of thepopulation is below 20 yrs. Education access andservice shows a low transition rate from primary tosecondary school.Climate variations and related vulnerability: Theregion is generally food and water insecure. Unreliablerainfall is causing decreased livelihoods, inducingpeople to turn to charcoal burning, thus leading todeforestation and land degradation. Unavailability ofwater has also led to health hazards and climate-induced mi ration

Eastlands, Nairobi

Location: North East sector of the Nairobi metropolitanarea.Economic activities : people in this area of Nairobiare mainly self employed. Small and mediumenterprise coupled with all manner of commerce including juakali (cash-based economies) thrive here.Population structure: the population is characterizedby low income, high population density, poor urbanhousing, and poor sanitation and health services.

There are inadequate education opportunities, highpoverty incidence among others leading to subsistenceurbanism.Climate variations and vulnerability: people in thisarea are vulnerable to negative economic and socialpressures, due to socio-economic factors causing aninability to meet daily needs. Exposure to healthhazards, natural and man-made disasters e.g. fire,flooding, and disease outbreak, cause susceptibility toclimate related problems. Recent increases in prices ofbasic commodities, especially food and fuel, havemake the lives of people in this area even harder,greatly affecting the outlook for children.

16

17

Background information on localities


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Changes and challenges

The research process for this study was participatory and involved the programme officers fromICC Kenya in reviewing the evidence of change collected during the field work. After this processthey reflected on the major changes which they have seen through the ICC project and thechallenges they have faced.

Miriam Githongo (Project Leader, ICC East)

The introduction of ICC programme in Garissa(Northern Eastern Kenya) classified as an ASAL(Arid and Semi Arid Lands) region has resulted inschools being centres of change especially in theaspect of tree planting. Trees as we all know havevery many benefits like providing shade, attractingrain and acting as carbon sinks just to mention afew. Schools in Garissa have embarked onplanting the neem tree which grows very fast and itis well adapted to dry conditions and it providesgood shade especially during lunch breaks. Treeplanting has created a cool and habitablemicroclimate in these schools. As a result of thispeople living within the vicinity of the schools nowunderstand the importance of planting trees andthat they can actually grow in these dry areas.

The ICC programme does not fund projects inschools; what it provides is technical advicefrom its highly trained personnel and resourcesto help and guide students in understandingclimate change concerns and interventionsrequired. This proved a challenge because mostof the projects being run by NGOs providesseed money to initiate projects in the targetareas. Therefore to convince schools especiallythe administration to provide some money to theICC club proved to be a huge task given that theschools in ICC programme were diverse inresources. Furthermore the teachers chosen aspatrons of the clubs had very high expectationsof ICC programme, this included motivation interms of money (which we gave but accordingto them it was not enough). Once they realizedthat it required dedication, self motivation anddrive most of them opted for a sit back and

watch strategy leaving the students withoutmentors and guides.

The changes

18

The challenges

The biggest challenge has been put t ingcl imate change issues a number one priori tyin schools. ICC schools cut across all sectorsand standards. They range from private Britishcurriculum schools, urban, National, Provincial,mixed/separate entities, rural and finally to small

schools in the slums. Ensuring that climatechange issues are taken seriously by thestudents especially those from very humblebackgrounds is an enormous challenge. Moreoften they would give a chain of problems theyface on a day to day basis such as lack of basicnecessities: food, water, clothing and schoolfees. On the other hand, schools from well upbackgrounds may not see climate change as aconcern. Normally these schools have all thefacilities they need and the students come fromfamilies where everything is provided for. Theydo worry over water shortages, electricity, lackof food, diseases etc. Our challenge has beento get them all to see climate change asrelevant.

Anne Kirori (Project Officer, ICC East)

The biggest change is the drive and initiative ofthe young people to take their projects to thecommunity after school and training them on

climate change issues. This involvement ensuresthat the young people are engaged in moreproductive activities therefore having less time toindulge in harmful ones. As a result, they have ahigher self esteem and their role as changemakers in the society is fulfilled. This is a bigmotivating factor to me as an ICC staff member.There are organized out of school groups thathave come up as a result of the ICC program.They include: the ECOGEN group in Nairobi, onein Nanyuki and another in Thika. This is indeed aclear indication of positive impact to the

community.


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Njeri Kuria (Project Officer, ICC South)

The biggest change has been seeing studentsdevelop and apply skills especially leadership andcommunication, where they are able to:

conceptualize and communicateenvironment issues and related challenges;

recognize and appreciate that findingsustainable solutions is their responsibility; develop and manage projects on their own; initiate awareness, outreach and peer

mentorshi .

The most challenging aspect of working withyoung people in secondary schools has been

nurturing their potential especially in areas of highpoverty which makes them disenfranchised thuskeeping them engaged, motivated and interested

not only to see change in their locality but to takepart in process becomes quite hard.

The support of the Principal who is the overall

head in the school is crucial. ICC needs to havethe support of the Principal and the lead teachersin empowering and motivating the young people totake action on climate change. Their support hasbeen a major factor affecting the kinds of actionsthat the youth undertake. The curriculum iscrowded and leaves less room for creativity; thefact its also theoretical and exam oriented makesthe in school youth give climate change issues alow priority.

Carol Njiru (Project Leader, ICC West)

The youth in Kenya are the excluded majority;

many of them are never involved in climate changeissues. ICC is unique since it is involving both inand out of school youth in Kenya to come up withpractical solutions that can help communities adaptand mitigate climate change. It has been great tosee the young people, in schools see thecurriculum made come alive through puttingtheory into practice, internalize and own themessage, then take it up even after in school invarious ways; ways that are even helping themearn an income from green businesses. All this isaffecting their lives and they have become real

change agents.

The changes The challenges

19

Transfer of knowledge and skills to thecommunity. Most projects developed by ICCgroups have the potential to make a positive

impact when adopted by many. Sometimes theclimate change language is too complex totranslate to the vernacular language to help theilliterate community members to understand.Kenyan secondary school curriculum is packedwith students spending up to 12 hours a day inclass, thus very limited time is allocated to ICCactivities . Students have little contact with thecommunity making it very hard to work with themto adopt the projects though they are willing andcommitted.

Ann Komen (Project Officer, ICC West)

There is Increased knowledge and confidence ofstudents who have been thirsting for knowledgeabout climate change. As students developprojects to mitigate / adapt to climate change theyare motivated to research by reading, through themass media and by consultations. They have alsoobserved that the forefathers were bettermanagers of the environment and lessenvironmental challenges were experiencedcompared to now and thus some have borrowedindigenous knowledge and inculcated into theirprojects. As a result students have developedcommunication skills and can relate with people ofdiverse back grounds and ages.


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1. Environmental

The most widespread impact of the ICCprogramme is improvements to the schoolenvironment. As a result of the tree planting,agriculture, recycling and waste management

projects, school grounds are more comfortablewith more cool, shady places in which to work andrelax, fewer noxious smells from kitchen wasteand less soil erosion.

Projects have been highly practical and closelylinked to the local environmental risks andvulnerabilities. At the schools visited, the studentshad a sound knowledge of climate change andwere able to explain the rationale behind theirprojects, some using quite complex scientificlanguage. Many of the projects are highly

innovative, using waste materials to constructrabbit hutches, retain water when planting trees,providing fresh vegetables for the school kitchenand managing the waste water, neutralising soapyresidues with ash. In many schools projects aredependent on each other, for example, kitchenwaste water being used for vegetable growing,with the vegetable waste being fed to poultry andthe manure being used for compost for the treesand vegetables.

Quite a number of projects have failed due to poor

planning. Trees, vegetables, animals and biogasgenerators have suffered from neglect duringschool holidays. Many schools also tend not tohave contingency plans for how to deal with therains starting late and other possible setbacks, ordisasters. It is possible that inclusion of disasterrisk management (DRM) into the supportprogramme offered by ICC could encourageschools to consider the potential challenges theymight face with their projects and avoid some ofthese difficulties.

The way in which theoretical understandingaround climate change and practical applicationsrelevant to students own lives are broughttogether in the ICC project has three mainbenefits. Students understand conce ts like soil

Discussion

This section explores the impacts of the ICC project in environmental, social, economic andpolitical terms, drawing on the stories of significant change and other data from schools andcommunities. A summary of the ICC Model of Interventionand discussion of the effectiveness ofthe ICC approach (i.e. working with secondary schools to change attitudes and promote practicalsustainable projects that adapt or mitigate for climate change) is provided on pages 4 and 5 of thisstudy. Recommendations for the future development of the ICC approach are included on page 23.

The impacts of ICCerosion, deforestation, adaptation and mitigationbetter because they are relating them to problemsfaced in their own communities. The projects aremore effective because they are based on soundscientific knowledge and thirdly, the projects aremore sustainable because they are addressinglocal environmental issues.

The ICC projects have tended to focus on thethemes of waste, food and water. Fewer projectswere addressing the theme of energy, despite its

obvious importance in tackling the effects ofclimate change. Apart from making fireballs, othermeans of tackling energy use, for example themaking of energy saving jikos, building a biogasgenerator or using solar power, tend to requiretechnical knowledge. They also require moreresources and need a longer term commitmentfrom the school in order to be sustainable.Consequently, ICC groups have tended to focusmore on the other three themes. Access toexternal technical knowledge might encouragemore schools to tackle energy use in the future.However, it would be important to avoid externaladvisers dictating solutions and maintain thecurrent level involvement of the students in thedesign of the projects.

2. Social

Perhaps the greatest surprise of the ICCprogramme is the extent to which the studentshave gained social skills, including skills inleadership, team-working, self-reliance andorganisation, which are summarised well by three

of the programme officers (see section XX).

The ethos of the school, in particular the support ofthe Principal and the link teachers are key factorsin the development of these skills. In the fewschools which failed to develop ICC projects (lessthan 5%), the schools placed a low priority on theICC project, time was not allocated to meetings,link teachers were not identified and the ICCgroups tended to lack direction. However, in theoverwhelming majority of schools the ICCprogramme has captured students enthusiasmand provided an outlet for their creativity and drive.This appears to have a positive impact onstudents concentration, attention and problem-solving, which is being applied to other areas oftheir life with positive results.


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The ICC groups provide opportunities for studentsof different ages to share in a common interest andto learn from each other whilst achieving a specificgoal. These groups are involved in peer mentoringand also in many cases reaching out to otherstudents.

Strong relationships have developed betweenstudents from different backgrounds as a result of

the ICC events involving multiple schools, includingworkshops, conferences to share inspiring projectsand visits to organisations with expertise onenvironmental initiatives. The formation of leaversgroups in Nairobi, Naivasha and Nanyuki involvingprevious ICC students from different schools is atestimony to the strength of the relationships andtheir commitment to continuing to work in the areaof climate change as change agents.

Many of the students have researched a great dealabout climate change and by the end of the

projects are able to speak authoritatively, drawingon their practical experiences. The increases inself-confidence and communication skills wereparticularly evident in the schools in urban andrural poor locations, where students are less likelyto have opportunities to converse with others on anequal basis.

The study showed that the development ofleadership and teambuilding skills are linked morestrongly with the extent to which the students havebeen able to take responsibility for their own

projects, than the quality of the project. Wherethese skills were most fully developed the linkteachers are supportive, but act more as asounding board for ideas, than as a guide. Theyoffer a direct route to senior staff and offer ICCgroups opportunities to showcase and to beinvolved in decision-making in relation to theirprojects. It was noticeable that where a schooldirects the students in their choice of project andthe students are primarily involved in implementingthe project, rather than devising it, the studentsgain knowledge and skills in relation to climatechange, but do not develop as much in leadershipor self-reliance. This poses a particular challengeto schools which have a strong strategiccommitment to combating climate change andhave strong preferences as to which projects thestudents should implement and how this should bedone. In order for the students to develop theirpotential as leaders and advocates for climatechange, each year each ICC group should beallowed to devise and direct their own projects, tohave ownership and to learn from their own

mistakes.

3. Economic

Historically, economic discussions in relation toclimate change concentrate primarily on the long-term, global gains, recognising that there aredifficult economic decisions to be made includingthe need for major investment in the developmentof new technologies. However, many of thecommunities most directly affected by the

challenges of environmental mismanagement andclimate change have very low incomes and highlevels of poverty. They cannot afford even quitemodest amounts of money for environmentalchange projects. If such communities are going toadopt initiatives from the ICC programme thereneeds to be a realistic income generating aspect.

In 2010/11 ICC groups have been specificallyencouraged to develop the income generatingaspect of their projects, recognising the linksbetween climate change and poverty, as well as

improving sustainability.

Students have engaged well with the economicaspect of their ICC projects, appointing atreasurer and taking the financial elementseriously. Selling produce has made many of thestudents feel their efforts were being valued andrespected. Many have been surprised that theyhave been able to generate income from growingvegetables or selling their artwork. Previously theyhad thought that caring for the environment meantpaying more, not less.

Decisions have needed to be taken about how tospend the income generated, which again hasencouraged the group to collaborate, prioritiseand take responsibility for their decisions. SomeICC groups, where the students are frommoderately affluent backgrounds, have used theincome from their projects to make donations offood to their local community. However, most ICCgroups have used their income to enhance ICCprojects, for example, income from selling rabbits

has been used to buy nails for new hutches, orincome from selling vegetables has been used tobuy more tree seedlings.

Economic factors were vitally important in virtuallyall examples where ICC initiatives have beenadopted by parents and the community. In poorurban areas the attraction of growing vegetablesin gunny sacks or used tyres was to supplementtheir diet and also save money which can then bespent on other items, like milk and eggs. Equally,learning to make fireballs is a way of reducing the

amount they need to spend on buying wood forcooking. In rural areas, communities are moreaware of issues like deforestation, however,unless using an energy saving jiko, or building abiogas generator also makes economic sense itwill not be adopted by the community.

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Most of the support provided by ICC to schools hasbeen in the form of the expertise of the programmeofficers, materials on climate change, computersand opportunities to attend workshops or visit otherorganisations. ICC has provided relatively smallamounts of funding to schools for participating in theICC programme. Although this has put additionalfinancial pressures on schools to support theprojects, it has also focused everyones attention on

ensuring that projects are financially viable. It hasalso ensured that the projects do not rely onexternal funding but fit within the economic contextof the school and local community.

2. Political

The political dimension is interpreted as influencingthe opinions and actions of others. Notsurprisingly, this is the least well developed area ofthe ICC programme. Young people need to gainexperience and develop confidence in their new

knowledge before they can successfully influencepeople outside their immediate sphere. Equally, theICC approach to working with young people needsto demonstrate its effectiveness in stimulatingmeaningful change, before it can be promoted as amodel to be developed and replicated. Despitethese limitations, evidence was found ofsuccessfully influencing opinions and actions indifferent spheres.

The ICC programme has at its centre groups ofsecondary school students, learning about and

engaging in local climate change projects. The ICCprogramme could potentially influence the followingspheres:

the whole school community

parents and local community members,

local primary schools, churches, farmers

community leaders / chiefs

local authorities

district authorities

national bodies / government departments /policies

In most of the 120 schools in the ICC programme,efforts have been made to engage the wider schoolcommunity. Sometimes this was because the ICCprojects needed the involvement of the rest of theschool to manage the projects, for example treeplanting or watering. More often this was triggeredby the enthusiasm of the ICC group, wanting toshare their excitement and achievements with theirpeers. School assemblies, internal newsletters andappeals for specific support are the most commonly

used methods.

Dissemination to parents and local communitymembers has been through a combination ofstructured events organised by the school and theindividual initiative of individual students. Schools

tend to use AGMs and open events to showcaseICC projects, whereas students have talkeddirectly to family and community members, oftenassisting in building a growing container, ordemonstrating how to make fireballs.

Where schools have a commitment to supportingtheir local community, they are involved incommunity clean ups or tree planting in the local

primary school. Useful though these activities are,they tend to concentrate on doing something fo rthe community, rather than engaging with thecommunity supporting them to make their ownchanges. Interestingly, when the school leaversgroups were asked what had been the mostuseful ways of supporting them, they repliedunanimously being allowed to decide forourselves and develop our own solutions to theenvironmental problems we were facing in ourcommunities. This approach could be a usefulway for schools to interact with their local

communities.

Many students and the school leavers who havebeen involved with ICC, were keen to be changeagents and to influence opinions as widely aspossible, yet they lack the opportunities toengage with decision makers at present. One ofthe next stages of development of ICC could beto find ways of using these young people toengage more directly with decision making bodiesand leaders at district, county and national levels.

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As a result of this study, it is recommended that ICC:

extends the current approach to other secondary schools,developing strategies to gradually reduce the level ofcontact with existing schools possibly using them as

mentors for the new cohort;

maintains the four themes of food, energy, water and wastebut enhances the type and range of support for ICC projectsrelating to energy and alternative sources of fuel;

incorporates Disaster Risk Management (DRM) into the ICCframework in order to support schools in better planning formanageable disasters, like school holidays and late rains;

considers offering training sessions for lead teachers onsupporting ICC groups to promote the kind of supportwhich maximizes the development of skills in leadership

and to support schools in working effectively withcommunities;

strengthens the political aspect of its work at local, regionaland national levels through:

o strengthening the way that schools work with localcommunities, so that schools are using their networks towork with local groups, empowering them to developand own their own initiatives;

o working with local primary schools building theirawareness and encouraging them to influence decisionmakers in the community;

o supporting the development of school leaver groups andprovide opportunities for these groups to engage withdecision makers at regional and national levels aschange makers.

RecommendationsSchools-communitiesand youth groups

participating in the study

ICC East

Kangaru High School, Embu

Kithimani Secondary School, Matuu

Kithyoko Secondary School, Yatta

Kitui SDA Secondary School, Kitui

Kyua Secondary School, Kitui

Tetu Boys High School, Garissa

ICC West

Kimuri High School, Naivasha

Naivasha Day Secondary, Naivasha

Shieywe Secondary School, Kakamega

St Ignatius Mukumu High , Kakamega

Green Platinum Youth Grp, Naivasha

ICC South

Dandora Secondary School, Nairobi

Our Lady of Fatima School, Nairobi

Ecogen Youth Group, Nairobi


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Details of the production of this report and

Acknowledgements

o This impact assessment report was conducted and compiledby Dr Katy Newell Jones, Chesham, UK, during March/April,2011.

o The report is produced in this final form, with images fromschools and related maps and diagrams, etc., and printedfor wider dissemination, March 2011.

o Support to cover the costs of the impact assessment wasprovided by Save the Children, Sweden, and InterClimateNetwork (ICN), UK.

o The cost of design, printing and publication of the final reportis funded jointly by InterClimate Network Ltd (ICN), UK, and

Save the Children, Sweden.

Comments and questions related to the report can beforwarded to:

Greig Whitehead, Programme Manager, ICC, Kenya:[email protected]

Administered in Kenya by
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

from children to changemakers final

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