Unite 4 Climate & Conservation

Unite4Climate and Conservation (U4CC) is one of UNICEF’s signature child-led advocacy programmes and is implemented by the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia ( WECSZ).

Climate change is already impacting Zambia, creating unprecedented droughts, floods, and heat with dangerous consequences for our health, agriculture and our economy. Read more about climate change in Zambia.

We have trained over 1,600 children and youth as climate ambassadors across all 10 provinces of Zambia. We empower our climate ambassadors to be agents of change ready to combat climate change and inspire their peers. Our multi-day intensive trainings include presentations by climate experts, field visits, action planning, and workshops learning skills from radio to theater. Students are also trained on conservation issues such as deforestation and waste. Our ambassadors gain not only an awareness of climate change, but skills in leadership and communication to be lifelong leaders for change.

After our trainings, we support our ambassadors to implement action projects and educational campaigns in their communities. Our climate ambassadors are putting young people at the forefront of climate action in Zambia. Some accomplishments of our programme include:

Over 1400 climate ambassadors trained

Planting over 30,000 trees in over 200 schools countryside

Innovative waste management projects

Students from Lusaka Boys Secondary School created bins for schools from plastic bottles

Student-led radio shows on climate change and action

Leading community education in over 450 schools

In implementation of the program, WECSZ collaborates with local stakeholders such as the Ministry of General Education (MoGE), the Forestry Departments, Agriculture and the Local Councils as well as other organizations whose focus is well aligned with the program framework.

Slide 1
Climate Ambassador Christina Malake

After her training in 2011, Christina organized climate action workshops in her church and created a waste management project in her boarding school. In 2015, Christina became a facilitator to train other U4CC members. Today Christina is a staff member of WECSZ, and works with hundreds of ambassadors as a lead facilitator for U4CC.

Slide 1 – copy
Climate Ambassador Beatrice Phiri

Beatrice, aged 22, has served as a Climate Ambassador under U4CC since 2013.. She led a school-based environmental club in creating awareness and action on environmental issues and child rights. She was trained as an assistant facilitator in 2015, and as a facilitator in 2019. Beatrice was gained international media attention after creating two videos on the impacts of climate change in Zambia. Beatrice uses radio programs to empower youth voices.

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