In Wajir County, children at Wajir Full Primary School are turning climate challenges into action through Save the Children’s Watoto na Mazingira programme. By planting trees and managing gardens, they are transforming their school into a greener, more resilient space. With support such as a solar-powered water system, these efforts are improving learning conditions while empowering children to become active agents of climate solutions in their communities.
Under the scorching sun in Wajir County, where droughts stretch for months and sudden floods can wash away classrooms overnight, children have long learned in the shadow of climate extremes. For students at Wajir Full Primary School, this was once the norm; a bare compound with no trees, relentless heat, and an environment that made learning both difficult and uncertain.
For years, climate change was something they read about in textbooks. But it was also something they lived through, hunger during drought, disrupted lessons during floods, and a constant struggle to stay in school.
Today, that story is being rewritten. Not by adults alone, but by the children themselves.
Through Save the Children’s “Watoto na Mazingira” programme, part of its Child-Centred Climate Action initiative, learners like Yasmin Yussuf and Samira Abdi Mohamud are turning knowledge into action. What began as classroom lessons has grown into a movement of young environmental stewards, planting trees, nurturing kitchen gardens, and transforming their school into a greener, more resilient space.
“Before, we were just learning about the environment in books,” Yasmin explains. “But now we are actively planting trees and growing food. We are part of the solution.”
The shift did not happen overnight. According to their teacher and 4K Club patron, Mr. Fanuel Imunga, it took time for students to connect what they were learning with what they were experiencing.
“In the beginning, it was not easy,” he recalls. “Children did not see the link between what was taught in class and what was happening around them. But now, they are connecting theory with practice. We are raising a generation that understands climate change and knows how to respond to it.”
Across the school compound, that transformation is visible. Where there was once dry, open ground, rows of young trees are taking root. Small gardens are beginning to yield crops. Shade is slowly returning, offering not just comfort, but dignity to learning.
Yet, one of the biggest challenges has been water.
In a region where rainfall is unpredictable, sustaining trees and gardens requires reliable access to water. Without it, even the most committed efforts can fail. To address this, Save the Children installed a solarised pump connected to a borehole—ensuring that the school has a steady water supply to sustain its greening efforts.
“Since April, we have not received rain,” says Fanuel. “Without this support, the trees would not have survived. The solarised pump has helped us keep them alive.”
The impact goes beyond the school. Children are carrying these lessons home, influencing their families and communities.
Yasmin now helps her father plant vegetables and trees, applying what she has learned in class to everyday life. For Samira, participation in the 4K Club has become a source of pride and purpose.
“I enjoy the activities because they are fun and practical,” she says. “Before, I did not understand why droughts and floods kept happening. Now I do. It makes me proud to protect our land and teach others.”
This sense of ownership is at the heart of the programme’s success. Children are not passive recipients of information; they are active participants in building solutions.
The initiative is part of a broader effort by Save the Children, supported by Save the Children Italy and implemented in collaboration with the Wajir County Government, to strengthen climate resilience in schools across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands. By integrating practical environmental learning into education, the programme is equipping children with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to respond to climate challenges.
At the same time, it is ensuring that children’s voices are heard beyond the classroom through participation in county-level discussions and the strengthening of climate governance structures within the education system.
