Environment clubs in Ethiopia
Environment club members at Mishikare School in Ethiopia are learning how to look after the land so that they can grow enough to eat. This is difficult, because the climate is very dry, so club members make sure they pass on what they learn to other pupils and their parents, too.
Selemon, 10, says, 'Before the club started, we didn't have things like fruit to eat. Now we grow lots of different fruit and vegetables. Whats more, we can show other schools and people in our villages how they can do the same.
Last year was a very bad time for us. There wasn't enough to eat. The year before, the rains had come late, so planting was late. We didn't produce much because heavy rains during the harvest damaged the crops. Lots of people died and there were many problems. I was hungry, but not too hungry. It was worse for my mum who missed meals so that I could eat and come to school. It made me feel bad but I told my mum I'll help her when I'm older.'
Lots of trees and plants have been cut and burned down to make space for farming and to make charcoal for cooking. This means that a lot of soil, and the good things in it that plants need to grow, have been washed away, leaving bare rocks behind.
'I've been coming to the club for two years,' says Mintwab, 13. 'My favourite job is planting trees. We need them for firewood and to hold the soil together, so it's really important to plant them and let them grow for longer before cutting them down. My favourite trees are wyvetta and wanza. They are special Ethiopian trees, which can be used for many things like building houses and for medicines.
If I could make a wish, I'd like people to see our school compound looking green. It would be wonderful if we could grow lots of fruit like mangoes and oranges.'
Meet more Global Gangers who are trying to put things right.
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Down on the farm in Kenya
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Christian Aid/Elaine Duigenan
Every drop of water is precious. Selemon digs a crescent shape around the banana plants, where it can collect and soak in. If they didn't do this, the water would flow away quickly, taking the soil with it
Christian Aid/Elaine Duigenan
'Our lives depend on plants and trees, so it's important to tell people to plant them instead of burning them and cutting them down!' says Mintwab, 13
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