AU Cieffa trains over 40 African youths in Kigali
Nyasha Chingono
In Kigali
Bloodshot-eyed ,we trudged through security points at Kigali International Airport to collect our luggage after a long trip to the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda.
None, knew the other except a few old friends chatting in hashed tones as the first group of attendees of the AU Cieffa, youth capacity building workshop on girls and climate change made their way to the hotel.
It is 1am and all I want at this point is some good rest after travelling 12 hours from Harare Zimbabwe.
However, I had to wait another hour, searching for my little suitcase which, was apparently still stuck in Addis Ababa. Mardhy, from Gabon experienced the same ordeal. At least I was not alone.
But the joy of meeting 40 African youths far outweighed the luggage delay and the morning of December, 1 would mark the start of the best four days of my career.
As I stepped into the workshop, the palpable warmth filled the room.
The moderator, Yougbare Boubakar, a former youth volunteer at the AU, now working with AU Cieffa made everyone feel welcome and to break the ice, he gave everyone a few minutes to know each other.
Imagine having to master someone’s profile in a few minutes. And that we did, with mastery!
“Happy are you happy?” Boubakar said referring to Tanzania participant, Happy ltros Sanga drawing laughter from the room and setting the tone for what would be an amazing four-day-workshop.
The 40 youths were selected among over 4 000 applicants to attend the AU Cieffa capacity building workshop themed, ‘Girls & Women’s Education & Climate change: Connecting The Dots to build sustainable resilient communities’.
Young people drawn across various sectors of Africa’s fledging economies could not have been selected at a more opportune time, where issues of climate change and its impact on women and girls have taken centre stage.
More importantly, weeks after the Cop 27, the AU Cieffa workshop sought to consolidate Africa’s commitment to keeping women in school in the face of climate change.
The diversity of languages, ideas and depth of knowledge in Africa’s affairs kept the room alight as moderators took turns to speak.
Time to learn
From learning about climate change, AU Cieffa work on girls’ education, as well as Rwanda’s programmes to make education accessible, to eye-opening lessons on the nexus between climate change and gender, the workshop was a timely experience.
To learn about one’s role in the fight against gender stereotypes, take the lead in getting girls back to school.
Anticipation grew as AU Cieffa, Executive Director, Simone Yankey shared the agenda for the workshop.
Expert presentations from various speakers, including Rwandan educational and climate experts, gave insight into the nexus between education for girls and climate change.
“Here in Rwanda commendable steps have been made in promoting gender equality in different domains of life, including the education sector, leadership, trade, financial inclusion and other socio-economic activities,” Rose Baguma, Director General – Rwanda Ministry of Education said.
“We all know that you cannot promote gender equality without promoting gender equity, we appreciate what the AU Cieffa is investing in building sustainable and resilient communities that climate affects everyone.”
She said in Rwanda, women’s education had faced major headwinds due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“So we see this as an opportunity to pave a way for solution, not just solutions but sustainable solutions. We believe that investing in girls’ education is a key to sustainable development and combating climate change,” Baguma said.
While climate change has adverse effects on Africa, the African Development Bank (AFDB) has been spearheading climate financing, through the private sector and recently governments.
Winnie Mutai, a climate change expert with AFDB said for countries to access funding, they are required to present a gender proposal.
She also urged African government to see funding for the green economy as part of economic and social development.
“As long we keep seeing climate change as different from social development, we will always see a huge burden in investing in climate change. What we try to do is make countries see climate change from a systematic approach. To say if I don’t invest in this, what is the economic loss, environmental and other form of losses,” Mutai said.
“We have to see climate change as a democratic and a development achievement.”
The role of Traditional Leaders/Mama Light Initiative
AU Cieffa underscored the important role played by traditional leaders in ending gender stereotypes and getting girls back to school.
And one such successful initiative is the Mama-Light-Initiative, pioneered by Prince Abze Djima of Burkina Faso.
Mama Light is an initiative for Sustainable Energy recognised worldwide program that provides access to affordable and sustainable energy for women, notably providing solar lamps for school children.
It also empowers the informal sector, it drives the generation of new jobs and it creates a sound basis for gender equality and women empowerment.
The initiative has been recognised by the UN at the Global Solutions Summit in 2015 as one of the 14 breakthrough solutions achieving the SDGs an example of ‘walking the walk’ to scale up.
“We do need a energy and we cannot afford to leave without it. I did not do it to get any award, whatever I do is to solve a problem,” she said.
“What I have done is to work with my government to support of the launch of the local development plans in Burkina Faso.”
While Princess Djima fights to keep rural Burkina Faso lit, thereby lessening chances of early marriages His Majesty Nana Bibi 2 Kouadjo Yeboua said marrying minors was a punishable offense in his country of origin, Ivory Coast.
“A marriage should never be arranged. The laws have to prosecute people who marry young girls,” he said during a panel discussion.
Swati Princess, Ntsetselelo Tekhaya Dlamini, who has been working with several communities in bid to end child marriages and provide sanitary wear also said in Eswatini:
“We take rape very seriously. Anyone who rapes gets a rape sentence.”
Girls and Climate change in Africa
Ghana’s Dr Might Abreh presented evidence on climate change impacts on Girls and Women’s Education.
While contributing only 4% of the world’s carbon emission, Africa remains the most impacted continent, he said.
This included rising temperatures, severe droughts, and flooding, adding that girls should be at the centre of climate change solutions.
“Research shows that without urgent action, climate change will make it increasingly difficult to achieve quality education, especially for disadvantaged girls and young women. We must act now, or the gender gap will widen even more,” Abreh said.
As the workshop would grind to a halt, participants toured the Rwanda, Eco park where several initiatives to protect several species like birds, trees, flora and fauna are being practiced.
The lush of green near the mountainous area outside central Rwanda is Africa’s most successful eco-park, boasts of over 100 bird species.
Rwanda is one of Africa’s leading examples of green economies and it is indeed something to emulate
After the tour and presentation of certificates, it was time to go back home.
Unending embraces, many goodbyes and final exchange of numbers, would mark the end of four amazing days.
It is 3am on a Monday, at Addis Ababa Bole International airport and visibly exhausted but spirited African youths made their final journeys to their respective countries, fuelled to serve their continent and get girls back to school.
A thousand Bosas to you 2022, AU Cieffa champions!
