UNA Tanzania conducted school visits with the main aim of promoting awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among students of Kibasila Secondary School and Temeke Secondary School. The sessions involved 135 students in total from Ordinary level and Advanced level classes from both schools. In the session a brief concept of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) was provided, how it evolved to the SDGs and the differences between the two.

Ally Mwamzola, Project Officer at UNA Tanzania facilitating the SDGs awareness session at Kibasila Secondary School.

 Further more the students were introduced to the SDGs followed up by a session on the role that students possess in SDGs implementation.The students were encouraged to actively participate in the implementation of the SDGs. Some key roles they can play were identified including; raising awareness at school and in their communities, engaging in school activities such as cleaning and environmental conservation, using innovation and creativity to find sustainable solutions and mobilizing other students to join SDGs related initiatives. The sessions where made more engaging by involving visual games and fun activities  where in the end SDGs champions for each school were obtained.

Ms. Ummilkher Yassin , Advocacy and Communications Officer at UNA Tanzania awarding a badge to the SDG Champion from Temeke Secondary School.

Temeke Secondary School students playing a card game aimed at enhancing SDGs understanding.

Apart from SDGs a special session on climate change was conducted by Haika Simon, the climate resilience officer at UNA Tanzania. This session aimed at raising awareness on climate change as well as accelerate youth engagement in clmate action. During the session students learnt about how climate change occurs, it’s causes, impacts and actions that they as students can take at school and at home to address climate change.

Haika Simon, Climate Resilience Officer at UNA Tanzania leading the climate change awareness session at Temeke Secondary School.

The visits were successful in raising awareness of the SDGs among students from Kibasila Secondary School and Temeke Secondary School. The students gained a better understanding of the global goals and their role as active agents of change. Students were encouraged to take action and contribute to the implementation of the SDGs in their communities.

“We are happy to be visited by UNA Tanzania. They have educated us about the 17 goals of the UN. We have been able to learn what we can do to stimulate the implementation of these goals such as environmental protection in and out of our school. Also, we can motivate others by giving them the education we have received starting from our fellow students in Kibasila and even others outside of Kibasila” Steven Joseph Mosso, The Head Prefect of Kibasila Secondary School.

Steven Joseph Mosso, The Head Prefect of Kibasila Secondary School paying close attention during the session