Paheja Siririka
WINDHOEK- An assembly of 29 young participants from Erongo, //Kharas, Hardap, Omaheke, Oshana, Omusati, Khomas and Kunene regions recently took part in a five-day workshop intended to provide hands-on experiential learning to young people in a desert environment.
The workshop took place at the Namibia Desert Environmental Education Trust (NaDEET) Centre in the Namib Rand Nature Reserve, 150 km south of Maltahöhe.
The workshop was attended by a diverse group of participants including university graduates, Grade 10 certificate holders, environmental activists, eco-entrepreneurs and people with disabilities and was hosted by the Hanns Seidel Foundation’s Promoting Renewable Energies in Namibia (PREN) project in partnership with NaDEET, National Youth Council of Namibia (NYCN) and Nedbank Namibia.
“The workshop is aimed to make a considerable impression on the participants and inspire them to integrate the principles of sustainability into their daily lives,” said Rodney Seibeb, the PREN project coordinator. Participants attended seminars on eco-entrepreneurship, energy efficiency, waste management, light pollution, and sustainable consumption to motivate them to adopt sustainable lifestyles.
The workshop concluded with a debate on the relevance of the Paris Climate Agreement. According to Seibeb, the debate on the Paris Climate Agreement was necessary as it forms part of the PREN project objectives. “The PREN project was established to implement the Paris agreement on the grassroots level hence the necessity for participants to know what the agreement entails. This agreement is global and can, therefore, not remain as such. Efforts have to be made on the grassroots level to ensure that the impacts of the agreement are felt on the grassroots level,” he explained.
“Most participants liked the debate which was on the relevance of the Paris Climate Agreement. To most participants, the Paris climate agreement was news to them and it served them right because before that, only one participant knew about the agreement and them having to analyse the content for and against helped them comprehend the agreement better,” added Seibeb.
One of the participants, Pinehas Iyambo praised the organisers and sponsors of the workshop for an informative, educational, exciting, educational experience saying that the solar cooking equipment and the cultural diversity impressed him. “This was an extremely worthwhile initiative and I will start living a sustainable life by using less water, implementing the three Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), replace incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs and supporting the Zero Plastic Namibia initiative,” he said.
Twenty-five year old Maria Aukongo from the Oshana Region said during the four days, she experienced the reality of living sustainably in a household. “I am an environmentalist and passionate about saving the earth, but I must say that I have not been doing as much. Some aspects are so simple such as carrying your shopping bag to the store or using a cup when brushing your teeth,” she related.