Kenyatta University Green Education Hub marked its 8th Green Education Day on Friday 24th March 2023
“Mazingira Challenge – Opportunities in the Blue Economy”
Kenyatta University Green Education Hub, in collaboration with Kenyatta University Environmental Club (KUNEC), hosted a mazingira challenge to mark this month – March 2023 Green Education Day on the 24th. Mazingira is a Swahili word for the environment. The Mazingira challenge involves fun activities undertaken by students from different disciplines to stimulate their interest in environmental matters through questions and answers. The event was held at the University’s Business and Students Services Centre (BSSC). The challenge, whose theme was Opportunities in the Blue Economy, featured several speakers highlighting different ways participants could conserve the blue economy resources and harness them for socioeconomic development. A documentary on Kenya’s 2018 Blue Economy Conference was screened to enlighten participants on government efforts to conserve and harness resources from Kenya’s coastal and freshwater ecosystems. In the documentary, Kenyans are advised to actively participate in rehabilitating mangroves, riverine, wetlands and other natural resources in aquatic ecosystems.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Brenda Kajuju, KUNEC’s vice chairperson, noted that humankind is deeply connected to the planet, and humans are therefore responsible for protecting the earth’s fragile ecosystem for just and sustainable development. Ms. Brenda urged the participants to support the government and local communities to rehabilitate the fragile blue economy resources. Mr. Joseph Ndolo, the Administrator in the school Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, read the Executive Dean’s keynote speech. In the Keynote address, the Executive Dean reiterated that the blue economy is a macroeconomic concept focusing on national and global governance, economic growth and sustainable environmental protection. Moreover, he explained that the blue economy integrates sustainable development and green growth to balance economic, environmental and social pillars. In his address, the Executive Dean pointed out that maritime and freshwater ecosystems in Kenya are under significant threat due to harmful human activities and climate change and encouraged the participants to be at the forefront of implementing initiatives to protect the country’s blue economy ecosystems. The participants were particularly challenged to conduct awareness and sensitisation forums with communities in and around maritime and freshwater ecosystems on the importance of the blue economy.
Participants took part in the Mazingira Challenge under the group and individual categories. Questions on climate change, multilateral environmental agreements and other national and global environmental issues were posed to the students. The question and answer challenge empowers the participants to analyse environmental matters individually and in groups for in-depth comprehension. The group and individuals who emerged winners received gifts like t-shirts and bracelets after careful vetting by the judges.