Community Dialogues: Tackling climate change

• This was the sixth session of the community dialogues. The event was hosted by A Million Hugs and Media Focus on Africa. 
• Proper waste management approaches are one of the remedies that will help in curbing climate change. 
• A Million Hugs had been at the forefront of women’s advocacy and inciting women to get to leadership.

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In an event that marked the climax of the Ms. President sessions, women in leadership and other stakeholders expounded on matters climate change. 

This was the sixth session of the community dialogues. The event was hosted by A Million Hugs and Media Focus on Africa. 

This partnership has, through these dialogues, been meant to sensitize women and other members of the society.

“Educating and empowering women is a key factor in the society,” Jairus Kibagendi, CEO of A Million Hugs, advised.

Climate change

This topic is heating up every single day, and damage continues to grow with each day passing without appropriate action being taken.

Bina Maseno, Executive Director Badili Africa, advised the audience on the importance of knowing and researching on climate change and learning about the environment.

“We should use the Wangari Maathai philosophy and have her passion of working tirelessly toward conserving the environment,” Mrs. Maseno added.

Edinah Kangwana, MBS, a transformational women leader, also encouraged the audience to be informed and inform others about climate change for an appropriate course of action.

Causes 

Obino Nyambane, County Director of Culture, took center stage to attack bad human activities that are ravaging the environment.

“Most of the modern technology has destroyed the environmental adaptations of certain things. Humans are building structures that are not eco-friendly, for instance, building houses and clearing forests,” Mr. Obino lauded.

Mrs. Maseno also lamented on the poor disposal habits of non-biodegradable materials.

“Diapers are not well disposed of after they have been used. This is due to lack of knowledge about recycling and re-using plastic material that might help with these bad habits,” she added.

She also cited logging as another factor that is a challenge. Urbanization and changes in land use can affect the earth’s surface albedo and contribute to temperature changes.

Industrial processes like cement production and the use of synthetic chemicals release greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change.

Remedies 

It is no secret that we are in a state where we seek both long-term and short-term solutions to this problem that is facing the entire globe. 

The participants shared and educated one another on approaches to solving this matter.

According to Mrs. Maseno, research has to be the first initiative that will help people learn more and know more about the environment and, therefore, develop better farming techniques that are eco-friendly.

Mr. Nyambane advised the audience on the importance of switching or reverting back to eco-friendly traditional architecture. 

He insisted on the importance of controlling the rate of deforestation.

Ms. Kangwana, on the other hand, insisted on the need to be informed. 

She argued that people need to have information on climate change and related topics so as to always make appropriate decisions and that conserve the environment. 

“We need to be exemplary to others back in our homes and societies so as to create a desire to embrace the good environmental conservation strategies,” Ms. Kangwana added.

Linet Onguti encouraged women in leadership to come up with political parties that would place environmental conservation as their main agenda and also fund other groups that align themselves to that idea.

Proper waste management approaches are one of the remedies that will help in curbing climate change. 

Educating people on various types of wastes and how to best dispose them is a good approach, as poor disposal habits will be done away with.

According to Amisi Yunge, environmental issues are emerging issues and everybody has to engage in this conversation in order to team up and create practices that do not derail the operations toward creating a healthy and sustainable environment.

“The more we are destroying the environment, the more we are destroying the future. It is good to preserve the environment, for it will preserve the future generation,” Mr. Obino urged.

Curtains close

After a series of Ms. President sessions, this was the climax of what had been a mentorship forum for women.

Ms. Kangwana appreciated the efforts of the two teams at the event.

“These sessions have created friendships and connections among people that will help us now and our future endeavors,” she added.

These forums have been very instrumental for the participants who were there to educate the Gusii society on women’s leadership and other social aspects.

Bina Maseno, who had emerged second in the just concluded Ms. President competition, motivated the women to go for every leadership position starting from the lowest ranks up, and cultivate their way up by believing they can also compete and win.

Kibagendi thanked their co-hosts from Media Focus on Africa for teaming up with them to bring these sessions to this region and equip people with knowledge.

“It has been really educative all through from the beginning up to this last session. We thank Media Focus on Africa for making it easy for women in this region to gain this information that opens up their minds and motivates them to go for all positions that men go for,” he said.

A Million Hugs had been at the forefront of women’s advocacy and inciting women to get to leadership.

Harrison Manga, Country Director of Media Focus on Africa, appreciated the audience for always finding time to participate in this community discussions and learn new aspects to contemporary issues on women and leadership.

“The sessions have been interesting and full of learning opportunities, that is learning from the best and in the best way possible. 

Thank you all for attending these sessions and we look forward to be back here again and bring other mentorship programs to educate our societies.”

On behalf of Media Focus on Africa, Tom Juma thanked the audience that had been there all through and for making sure the sessions were successful by participating.

Mr. Juma believes that women should seek leadership positions as they can be leaders just like men and that society should narrow the gender gap. 

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He also adds that educating society would be an essential approach toward changing attitudes and beliefs that are demeaning to either gender.

“We appreciate your participation and look forward to returning to Kisii. From our side, we wish you well,” Mr. Juma appreciated.