South African schools have taken up the challenge to protect the environment by designating students as “eco-warriors” as part of an initiative supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

The programme is aimed at driving the environmental and climate change awareness among the young and old in their communities.

The youthful warriors have supported rubbish clean-up campaigns around their schools, eliminating over 1000 illegal dumping sites.

Other students have established agricultural co-operatives and learnt how to farm sustainably in the face of the effects of climate change and the degradation of the environment.

And in South Africa, the youths have now established six small-scale conservation agriculture co-operatives and coordinate youth training on sustainable agriculture. ​​​​​

The projects in South Africa are supported by UNDP’s Small Grants Programme.

The Small Grants Programme-SGP was established in 1992, the year of the Rio Earth Summit, for sustainable development by “thinking globally acting locally”.

It provides financial and technical support to projects that conserve and restore the environment while enhancing people’s well-being and livelihoods.