Kenya Environmental Education Network started as an environmental education professionals’ network and discussion forum. The organization has since grown beyond talks and discussions to be the epitome of environmental education and action in Kenya – disseminating information, inspiring action, mobilizing citizens and delivering Kenyan leadership to steer the nation towards realization of green economic growth.
Kenya is faced with a myriad of environmental challenges that range from pollution, global warming, climate change, deforestation, desertification, land degradation, poaching, loss of biodiversity, poor sanitation to mention but a few. These challenges are largely anthropogenic. They arise as a result of unrestrained human activities on the environment and threaten our very own existence.
Addressing these challenges and preventing new ones from occurring requires an approach that aims at changing how humans interact with the natural environment. This approach must encompass change of attitude and behaviour towards the environment, knowledge and deep understanding of the environment, its associated problems and solutions and inspire not only awareness and appreciation of nature but also stewardship and practical action.
Humans must adopt a new set of sustainable lifestyle and values to make the earth a sustainable and liveable place. This shift requires active dissemination of environmental information and mobilization of citizens to play an active role in environmental problem solving through a robust environmental education program that inspires action.
The goal of environmental education as envisaged in Belgrade Charter, 1976, is to develop a world population that is aware of, and concerned about, the environment and its associated problems, and which has the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivations, and commitment to work individually and collectively toward solutions of current problems and prevention of new ones.
Even though various recommendations have been put forth to implement and strengthen environmental education across the globe, environmental education in Kenya is still nascent and growing at a slow pace. Children are increasingly becoming disconnected from nature. People are increasingly becoming unconcerned about the environment and our disappearing biodiversity.
This can be attributed to shortage of trained and experienced personnel and professionals in the field, inadequate resources, inadequate collaboration among stakeholders and to some extent the overloaded and examination oriented curriculum in learning institutions among other challenges. It is for this reason that Kenya Environmental Education Network has been established.
Kenya Environmental Education Network aims to work strategically and collaboratively towards advancement of action-oriented environmental learning in Kenya in order to enhance environmental literacy and ensure that Kenyans are actively engaged in environmental stewardship and contributing to a healthy and sustainable future.
At Kenya Environmental Education Network, we believe that for active and meaningful environmental learning and action, both in school and over a lifetime, critical and creative thinking, decision making, communication, as well as collaborative, participatory and experiential learning are essential and must be emphasized.
We support and advocate for the move beyond awareness and appreciation of nature to environmental stewardship and action to promote hands-on environmental conservation and management in Kenya.
We welcome partnerships and collaborations partner with us? with like-minded individuals and organizations to realize this mission.
