Our Connecting Classrooms project recently became a partner in Plant for the Planet by pledging to offset its carbon footprint with tree planting. It will also be taking part in the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).

Reducing our own carbon footprint
Earlier this year, Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate and global campaigner for the environment, visited our centre in Nairobi and made a personal plea that we embrace initiatives to guard against further damage to the environment. The Connecting Classrooms project heeded this call and on World Environment Day all of the 752 African and UK schools involved in the programme committed to planting trees to offset the carbon footprint created by the international flights that have brought teachers and students together for the project.

An invitation from the United Nations
In recognition of the children's efforts, the UNEPnow recognizes Connecting Classrooms as a partner in the Plant for the Planet; Billion Trees Campaign. The campaign aims to encourage and mobilise people, communities, business and industry, civil society organizations and governments to plant at least one billion trees worldwide during 2007. Speaking about the potential impact of our involvement in the campaign, Elizabeth Githinji and Jane Henry, Project Managers, say that; 'It is our hope that through this project we will effectively encourage inter-generational responsibility for the rehabilitation, conservation and protection of the environment and contribute to this noble goal.'

Linking up children all over Africa
Additionally, UNEP will be hosting the first TUNZA African Regional Children’s Conference in Cameroon in July 2007. TUNZA (which is a Swahili word for ‘treat with care’) is UNEP’s children and youth network, whose objective is to provide young people with information and the tools on how to manage their environment in sustainable ways. 'This conference will bring together children from all over Africa', say Elizabeth and Jane. 'Connecting Classrooms is proud to have submitted over ten applications from our partner schools and the conference will be an excellent opportunity to show cases the project and its potential to make a difference in the lives of young people.'