A Rocha Kenya: using English lessons to save forests and creeks

Local students taking part in Environmental Education activities

A Rocha’s field study centre in Kenya is very close to the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, a remnant of a dry coastal forest (which originally stretched from Somalia down to Mozambique) containing an unusually high number of rare and endemic species. Mida Creek, which is also nearby, harbours important mangrove forests and is of international importance for water birds. It is also a key spawning ground for fish and a feeding site for young turtles. However, the future of these coastal habitats hangs in the balance. Every day, human activities damage the forest and creek, in particular illegal logging, poaching and over-fishing.

The A Rocha team is working for the protection of the forest and creek in many ways, including our innovative Resourcing Teachers to Teach programme. Rather than adding Environmental Education to an already over-loaded National Curriculum for primary children, it uses English lessons to explain the importance of these wonderful sites and encourages them to value and protect them.

For several years we have been working with teachers to identify the challenges and we have now prepared a handbook for them, as well as a book for the children to use when studying Grammar, Vocabulary, Listening and Speaking, Word Power and Language Practice. It has already been used in a limited way, and we have seen the kids showing great excitement as they read about people, places and animals that they know well.

Two workshops have been held to introduce the new materials to local teachers. The first, on the northern side of the forest, was attended by 38 teachers and the next, at Gede Forest Station, was also a huge success, attracting 46 teachers from the eastern side. The teachers also enjoyed brainstorming on key environmental issues, local, national and African. Their comments were very useful and are feeding into changes in the final editions.

Tsofa Mweni