Protecting our planet starts with YOU. ACT NOW.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Young Voices of the Sahel from Senegal use sport and culture to raise awareness on environment and climate change.
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DAKAR (Senegal), 4th June 2022- “Just for one’s eyes, it is advised to look at the greenery. This greenery reflects mother nature to me. This desire to wake up every day and watch my plants bloom is my passion for environment. How beautiful, how magnificent this nature is”.
It is with these words that Maguette Ba, member of the Young Voices of the Sahel from Senegal and a young volunteer for the environment, opened her sensitization speech during the Faudakar urban arts festival.
Dances, hip-hop, Roller, Volleyball, Fitness Cardio Box, Basketball and of course a lot of sensitizations on environmental awareness were on the agenda for the second edition of the urban arts festival-Faudakar which is held from May 28th to June 5th in Dakar, Senegal.
Faudakar is an urban arts festival that promotes campaigns of awareness for sustainable development through culture and sport.
Through cultural and sports workshops and shows, the Young Voices of the Sahel sensitized and spoke about their commitment to the environment in front of an audience full of young students, activists, artists, and sportsmen who came for the festival.
“I work for environmental protection as well as environmental education for young people,” added Maguette. "To keep our environment healthy, we must first be aware that we are destroying the environment ourselves," said Safietou Ndiaye, from the young voices of the Sahel. “Pollution, insalubrity, and global warming are all linked to our bad practices and the way we throw waste everywhere,” she added.
"Nowadays, when people go to the sea, they don't even feel like swimming because of the lack of hygiene surrounding the water. This is very unfortunate. Friends, let's act and now”, informed Mame Diarra, member of the same mouvement and president of the school government of Lamine Gueye high school in the capital city, Dakar.
“Nature gives us everything we need: homes, medicinal plants, water, oxygen, etc. All natural resources are not renewable, one day we will all disappear without realizing it. It is a very simple language to make people understand the importance of the protection of the environment. Taking care of the environment means consciously using the resources of mother nature and participating in its rebirth,” declared Maguette Ba.
“We must all accept our mistakes, educate ourselves and above all, we must be aware of the fact that we are destroying the future of our children by not taking care of the environment” alerted Safietou Ndiaye.
Since 2020, Maguette Ba and her other fellow members of the Young Voices of the Sahel have participated in a series of events and public debates on issues related to environment and climate change.
Ahead of the African Union and European Union Heads of State Summit in February 2022, young people from Africa and Europe, including Maguette Ba, led a public debate on climate change. This debate was an opportunity for both young people from Africa and Europe to share their experiences on the impact of climate change, to discuss solutions with political decision-makers and to come up with recommendations for heads of states.
At the last World Water Forum, in March, UNICEF also brought together young people and adolescents from the Sahel region to discuss water, hygiene and sanitation and climate issues - which affect them and engage in dialogue with policy makers.
Senegal is subject to chronic and seasonal vulnerabilities, mainly due to climate change. Coastal erosion is beginning to take shape in parts of the country, undermining the livelihoods of some communities. Drought is affecting northern, central, and eastern regions, causing food and nutrition insecurity, putting young children and women at risk of malnutrition. Floods are more frequent in urban areas of the western and central regions during the rainy season.
In Senegal, UNICEF conducted a series of consultations with approximately 6,000 young people and adolescents in regions affected by climatic shocks (coastal erosion, drought) in order to collect their perception on the issue of climate change and to raise their voices to decision makers at all levels.
“A single problem for a single land, so let's be one voice because we no longer have a choice” concluded Maguette Ba.
