Abul Naomi sets to fight deforestation in Juba, South Sudan

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“Along the high way, I always see traders trucks heavily loaded with charcoal, but never did I see a trucks of seedlings going that way”. Abul Naomi

The YWL, Abul Naomi, Flavia and Rachael Ayen (squatting down) pose for a picture with the school girls ready to plant their seedlings

By Yobu Annet, June 2019   

With her hair neatly wrapped in an African print hair turban, Naomi Abul passionately explains her change project on deforestation and Climate change during the Incubator – Eve’s Young Women Leadership Program. “Along the Juba –Nimule high way, I always see traders trucks heavily loaded with charcoal, but never did I see a truck of seedlings on the high way” Abul said.

“The primary objective of my project is to sensitize secondary school girls on climate change and encourage women’s participation in environmental issues”, she said. “My target were girls due to the fact that we mostly tend to take a back seat on issues of environment, yet women as mothers and wives, are the ones who are most attached to the environment than anybody”.

After the Incubator  – The Young Women Leadership Training in June 2019, Naomi Abul, one of the outstanding candidates during the program reached out to a group of 35 selected schoolgirls in Sherikat residential area in Juba. Her project included sensitization of the schoolgirls on climate change, its causes, effects and impacts to the environment with the aim of having responsible young women who are accountable for their environment.

She said if these girls are well mentored, they could impact change in the area by using tree-planting method. She involved the girls in planting 150 seedlings of different species and types including fruit trees, shade trees and decoration trees in the Sherikat area.

“I chose to focus on this particular area of Sherikat because it is one of the most deforestrated areas in Juba”. “Along the high way, you see traders always coming from this area with trucks loaded with charcoal, but never will you see trucks of seedlings going that way”, she mentioned.  

Naomi explains how difficult it was to introduce the environmental concept to the girls. “Climate change being a complex topic, it was too difficult for me to break it down to their understanding, but I was able to come up with a better and more innovative way to pass the message to them. I used videos of where floods have occurred and washed away people, and those who died of heat waves. She used the statistics by UN Organizations on disasters that were related to climate issues. However, the practical exercise of tree planting made them understand.

She appealed to the ministry of education to include the topic of environmental conservation is the school curriculum. This is because South Sudan’s curriculum does not focus on environmental issues.  And this will help the students to choose to become environmental activists.  

I intend to have something visible that I can base on to present to the partners. In the future I want to collaborate with the ministry of environment and forestry, may be they can come up with more policies in this ministry. Also with the ‘UN Environmental protection for climate change’ and other UN agencies. In the future projects, I shall be involving the army, trying to make them understand how conflicts plays a role in climate change, and also youth and the environment together fighting environmental issues. I will liaise with the ministry of education to access more schools and involve more students including boys to participate in environmental issues.

She explains the Young Women Leadership Program that mentored her as a life shifting and changing experience. This program helped me to unleash and develop the leadership instinct in me. I got to learn how to develop and run a project. I was so happy about myself when I witnessed the girls planting trees. It pushed me to the edge of innovativeness, creativity and strategic thinking to solve problems in every aspect of life including my daily life. Time management, ambition, commitment and having goals to commit to”, she said.

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