Gender awareness and empowerment has never been more important. SDG 5 aims to create equality between the genders which is needed to create a climate-resilient community. To achieve this, education and awareness must begin with women and girls. Sisters 4 Change are working to address this by working with female youth to empower and educate them.  

Currently, there is insufficient understanding by individuals as to how their behaviour impacts their environment. While people are aware of climate change, there is little awareness as to what has created it. While it’s true that people in Lamu are victims of climate change caused by affluent nations, it’s important that communities are made aware of how their behaviour also contributes to or mitigates the climate crisis. 

This lack of awareness in Lamu East is the root challenge of all environmental and climate action efforts. Education and empowerment aren’t only necessary, but an essential part of creating an inclusive climate-resilient community. Awareness and employment activities must start with the youth and their parents. By starting environmental education with female youth, future generations will be better placed and inspired to fight for climate justice. 

This project aims to make female youth aware of their individual impact and learn how they can work to protect the environment. Within the Lamu community, women are responsible for running households and are in charge of most financial decisions. This is why it’s important for them to be given the education needed to understand how their behaviours can both positively and negatively impact their environment. 

The project will work with 4 schools on Pate Island to provide a robust environmental awareness curriculum delivered over the course of 6 months. This curriculum will provide future generations with the education needed to inform future decisions with regards to purchases, community actions, employment and enterprises. Lamu is primed to have multiple sustainable industries that will benefit the environment and local economy, however, what is lacking is community awareness of the viability, need and possibilities of these enterprises.    

The curriculum will cover;

• Introduction to the environment
• The effect of plastic in relation to their daily activities
• The effect of climate change and what can be done
• Introduction to agriculture by tree planting
• Introduction to composting
• Personal hygiene awareness and the introduction of reusable and washable sanitary towels to the community. 

This is a pilot project if it’s successful, larger projects with a wider scope will follow.