Through the “Ecological School-Seeds for the Future” project, Verde Azul, a company linked to the development and management of environmental projects, recently promoted education and awareness campaigns for students, teachers and administrative assistants in seven (7) primary schools in Maputo province. The initiative was supported by the Cooperativa de Educação Ambiental Repensar in partnership with AMAIA (Mozambican Association for Environmental Impact Assessment), CDM (Cervejas de Moçambique) and Associação Yinguissa.
As part of the project, Verde Azul carried out awareness campaigns on the importance of conserving biodiversity by organizing lectures from room to room and in school yards. In addition, it provided didactic material to encourage students to investigate and understand the environment. It promoted cleaning campaigns on the Costa do Sol beach, water conservation and tree planting actions.
The project in question encompasses the Primary School Complete Garden, the Primary School Complete Costa do Sol, the Primary School Complete 24 July, the Arco-Íris School, the Hitankula Community School and the Primary School Gungunhana.
Some of the activities of Verde Azul, included the “training of twenty-five (25) students belonging to the 4th, 5th and 6th grades, revitalization of the school Environmental Club, education for the management of solid and liquid waste”.
Regarding the promotion of the Blue Economy, Verde Azul believes that the practice can catapult Mozambique’s economic development by turning the country into a source of knowledge in terms of maritime conservation. The opportunities that exist in the area of scientific research and conservation can create more jobs and businesses related to the area.
Verde Azul’s campaigns regarding the Blue Economy are based on the fact that more than 60% of the Mozambican population lives along the sea coast, which poses a threat to the sustainability of marine and coastal resources, in this context that the VA promotes awareness campaigns in resident communities along coastal areas in order to adopt measures for the use and exploitation of the sea and the coast in a sustainable manner, diversifying livelihood activities, reducing pressure on natural resources and adopting technologies for the extraction and transformation of environmentally advantageous natural products to perpetuate ecosystems and associated resources. Mangroves, reefs, rivers and marine species are part of complex and symbiotic ecosystems, when one of these ecosystems undergoes changes, the impact is felt along the entire value chain, reducing the country’s resilience to climate change and exacerbating extreme events that directly affect the security of the population and their livelihoods.
Thus, Verde Azul believes it is essential to mitigate the impacts of maritime pollution and enhance marine resources, implementing and monitoring new environmental policies that protect ecosystems and that promote local communities. Kemal Vaz, director general of Verde Azul, believes that “greater involvement of the government and supervisory authorities is necessary in partnership with civil society and the private sector’ ’. It is necessary to consolidate environmental mechanisms and policies so that there is greater coordination between communities, coastal protection mechanisms, the government and the private sector ”.
Taking into account the challenges imposed by the pandemic, the company has implemented new methodologies and systems for preventing Covid-19 in all its projects, from social distance, hand disinfection to the correct use of the mask.
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