Earth Day was marked with purpose and passion in Summer Greens, where local learners took part in a hands-on environmental awareness and clean-up initiative led by the environmental group Save a Fishie on Wednesday 22 April.
The day unfolded at Kings and Queens Primary School, where learners from Grades 1 to 7 were engaged in activities aimed at raising awareness about environmental responsibility and community challenges.
Learning to care for the environment
The programme began with younger learners, who took part in an interactive talk about protecting the environment. This was followed by a reading of The Fishie that Got Saved, a self-published children’s book, and creative Earth Day colouring activities.
Founder of Save a Fishie Zoë Prinsloo said educating children at a young age is key to long-term change.
“What an incredible Earth Day we had. Seeing learners so engaged, curious and eager to learn about caring for their environment reminds us why this work is so important.”
Young activists speak out
Older learners, particularly in Grades 6 and 7, shifted focus to activism through a programme developed by Inspire Africa Hub.
They identified a pressing issue in their community, the growing presence of broken glass bottles on roads and pavements, largely linked to alcohol consumption. For many children walking to school, especially on darker winter mornings, this posed a serious safety risk.
Learners created protest posters to raise awareness and shared their concerns about the dangers they face daily.
From awareness to action
Equipped with gloves, bags and their handmade posters, learners from various grades took their message into the community. They marched to a nearby community centre, raising awareness among residents before conducting a clean-up.
In just 15 minutes, the group collected an impressive 16 kg of litter from the area.
However, the initiative also exposed deeper concerns. A nearby playground was found to be unsafe for children due to the presence of needles, highlighting ongoing challenges in the community.
Hope for the future
The day was also filled with moments of hope and inspiration.
For one Grade 1 learner, the day was enough to inspire a catchy campaign brand, “save SAFi”, showing clear resonance among the very young.
“When even the youngest learners start connecting the dots, understanding their actions can protect the environment, then we know there’s real hope for the future. These children… are becoming changemakers in their own communities.”
The initiative highlighted the power of education, how central it is in taking environmental conservation forward.
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