1Pupils at a school on Tonlé Sap, a lake in the west of Cambodia, are learning about pollution and the climate crisis. These children are promoting sustainable ways of living with the support of Save the Children, an international organization devoted to serving children’s needs and securing their rights around the world.
2Every morning, 12-year-old Ratana sets off by boat from her home on Tonlé Sap lake towards her floating school. Students work together to collect the rubbish that litters the lake. “When we row the boat to school, we pick up the trash and put it in our boat,” says Ratana. Ratana and her friends care passionately about cleaning up the lake because of the ecology lessons that Save the Children has introduced to the school’s program. “I have learned about pollution, deforestation and garbage. I’ve learned how to clean the environment,” Ratana explains. She is also spreading the word to her community. “Adults should listen to children because we are now aware of the environment,” she adds.
3Kanha and her aunt Kem Rai work on their floating garden. Kem built the floating garden from waste. “I created my garden by collecting old bottles and old fishing nets people throw away,” Kem explains. Kanha helps her aunt grow different types of vegetables and fruits such as lettuce, cabbage, melon and papaya.
4For kids such as Sreyvatey, 14, who lives in a floating house on Tonlé Sap, the climate crisis is a big threat to their education. The very frequent storms on the lake make the journey to school more dangerous, and the hot weather in the dry season makes it hard for children to concentrate. “When the weather changes drastically, when the sun is really hot, I cannot study,” says Sreyvatey.
5Save the Children’s green project has installed solar-powered fans so that Sreyvatey and her friends can keep cool while they are learning. The charity has repaired and decorated the classrooms to make them more inviting and creative. It has also introduced ecology lessons to the school so that pupils can learn about climate change and the environment.
6Sreyvatey’s new knowledge has inspired her to lead her classmates in their efforts to clean up the rubbish polluting the lake and get her community to do the same. “We travel by boats to campaign for environmental awareness. We try to convince people not to throw trash into the water and to reuse bottles to grow vegetables,” she explains.
Adapted from: www.theguardian.com
