Feed the Minds: Creating a resilient future – World Environment Day

Sangita Shrestha, Communications Manager, Feed the Minds writes

World Environment Day, celebrated annually on June 5th, is a global event to raise awareness and promote action on pressing environmental issues. The day serves as an opportunity to engage with individuals, communities, and organisations in environmental initiatives that aim to protect and preserve the planet. To mark World Environment Day today, we highlight our work with communities that are promoting sustainable agriculture, conservation of natural resources, and climate change adaptation measures. 

Feed the Minds acknowledges the unequal effects of environmental challenges on marginalised communities, specifically in low-income countries. Here, at Feed the Minds, we endeavour to tackle these environmental disparities by advocating for fair educational opportunities and empowering communities to act as catalysts for change. 

Over the years, Feed the Minds has been collaborating with local partners to implement eco-friendly initiatives. By engaging communities in environmental activities, Feed the Minds has been encouraging individuals to become active participants in sustainable development, helping to create a greener and more resilient future. 

Through our current project with Tanjona Association, we are working towards improving biodiversity and livelihoods for women in Madagascar through sustainable silk production. Similarly, with our project partner Sudan Evangelical Mission, we are working towards reducing environmental damage in South Sudan. With the Society for Conservation and Development Empowerment, our focus is on improving food security in Tanzania. 

In Madagascar, 90 project participants from a women’s association group in Mandrosoa are benefitting through training in making silk using environmentally friendly methods, which is helping them generate more sustainable income and break the cycle of deforestation. It is anticipated that 490 individuals will indirectly benefit from the project, gaining increased awareness of the importance of mangrove protection, and encouraging them to pursue sustainable livelihoods that can improve their quality of life.

In Mvolo County, South Sudan, local environment experts are providing training primarily to women farmers, as well as people living with disabilities, across 66 communities, by recommending environmentally friendly techniques and advising on ways to reduce environmental damage. The project participants are being provided with hybrid seed varieties such as maize, beans and cassava and given training in practices such as land selection and planting. Feed the Minds understands that education is a powerful tool for fostering environmental consciousness and empowering individuals to make sustainable choices. Our project in South Sudan is also an example of how the integration of literacy and numeracy skills in their farming is making a difference in transitioning from subsistence farming to earning an income.  

Similarly, following the success of our environment and conservation project in Tanzania, we are continuing our work with our local partner organisation, Society for Conservation and Development Empowerment, in another phase of the project. In Busega District, where this project is being implemented, there is severe food insecurity that has been exacerbated by pest infestations and the effects of climate change. A reliance on indoor cooking and firewood has also increased domestic air pollution and CO2 emissions in the country. This project is providing training to 800 women on sustainable farming techniques, conservation, and the production of dry-resistant crops to improve food security. We’re also providing training in smokeless stove making. 

Whether our past projects, currently running or newly started projects, the elements of environment and sustainability are integrated in our work. Through our recently completed project with Menna Women’s Development Association in Sierra Leone, 1000 project participants benefitted from training and support in how to increase the quantity and variation of crops. They also learnt sustainable farming techniques, including how to adapt to climate change and deal with harvest loss. 

A new project with (ACSET) in Uganda is working towards improving the social, and economic status of marginalised households by involving women and youth in good agricultural practices to improve food security. By engaging individuals and communities, Feed the Minds contributes to the collective efforts in safeguarding the environment and achieving sustainable development goals. 

In conclusion, Feed the Minds recognises the intrinsic link between education and environmental sustainability. By incorporating environmental education into its programmes through various training, Feed the Minds strive to empower individuals and communities to become responsible stewards of the environment.