Theirworld and Earth Warriors to teach rural children about climate challenges

We are facing a climate emergency. There is hope – but urgent action is needed. Education unlocks climate action. It helps people to learn about the causes and impacts of climate change.  

That’s why Theirworld has joined forces with the education technology company Earth Warriors to deliver climate education to children at rural schools in Zambia and Botswana. 

The programme will teach students aged three to 11 in 20 schools about the southern African region’s most urgent environmental challenges, including droughts and flooding. The comprehensive climate curriculum will also be taken to Dukwi Refugee Camp in Botswana. 

Half of all children globally – more than one billion – are at “extremely high risk” from the impacts of climate change, according to UNICEF. Climate-related disasters displace more people than conflict and violence. 

Climate change has directly affected schooling in both Zambia and Botswana. Students in Zambia recently urged the government to change the school calendar due to colder temperatures, while increasing droughts in Botswana are causing more children to be taken out of school to collect water and care for their family. 

Theirworld Chair Sarah Brown said: “Theirworld is delighted to be working with Earth Warriors to deliver climate education to children in Africa. Education unlocks climate action. It helps children learn about the causes and consequences of climate change, empowering them to take action to make our planet cleaner and safer. 

“All of us are affected by climate change – but it is the poorest and most vulnerable communities who are impacted the most. We hope that this new programme will help both teachers and children deliver positive change to their communities and beyond.” 

Research has shown that if just 16% of students received comprehensive climate education, that alone would lead to a 19-gigaton reduction in the world’s annual CO2 emissions. That’s equivalent to 50% of the world’s carbon emissions in 2019. 

Earth Warriors is a social enterprise with a mission to empower two billion children to understand the climate crisis and take action through age-appropriate education.

The teacher resources and lesson plans will be delivered via Earth Warriors’ online portal. It allows teachers and students to connect with other classrooms following the curriculum, including in the United Kingdom, the United States and India. 

Earth Warriors’ co-founders Shweta Bahri and Keya Lamba visited Zambia and Botswana last week. They said: “It was a privilege to meet the teachers who will be teaching our curriculum. As they are facing the devastating impact of climate change in their daily lives, the teachers understand that climate education must be a priority for their pupils.” 

The programme will also be delivered to Dukwi Refugee Camp – home to 3,500 displaced people from across Africa – thanks to the Botswanian social impact organisation Learn To Play. 

Maipelo Motsemme, Community Outreach and Impact Coordinator at Learn To Play, said: “Many of our students and their families can tell that there is a drastic change in our climate but they don’t know why.

“By implementing the Earth Warriors climate curriculum, young children can be the first to raise that awareness, bring that knowledge to their families and take greater care of the world we live in today and protect their tomorrow.” 

Providing environmental education to children has a ripple effect, with knowledge transferred to their communities, inspiring action and reducing vulnerability. Learn more about climate change and education in Theirworld’s Teaching Resources or at The Key, our online information toolkit. 

Podcast: learn more about climate education 

In a new episode of the podcast Better Angels, Theirworld Chair Sarah Brown talks to Earth Warriors’ co-founder Keya Lamba about the climate education programme. 

The episode will be published on October 27. You can listen to it here or wherever you find your podcasts.