By; ISAAC ODEH, Kaduna
In an effort to combat the impact of climate change, an NGO, Save the Slum Initiative, has trained Youth Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on how to play active participatory roles in their respective communities.
Its Executive Director, Samuel Adeyinka, made this known at a step-down training on Empowering Youth Civil Society to build strong communities in Nigeria project held on Wednesday in Kaduna.
Save the Slum Initiative, with support from Nigeria Youth SDGs and the German Mission in Nigeria is advocating for policies and programmes that will enable youth to lead and thrive.
According to him, the training is aimed at building local capacity to address climate challenges and to ensure that communities are better prepared to adapt to the effects of climate change.
He said the training was focused on four key areas including; ensuring increased awareness for climate resilience, climate education and adaptation as seen happening around us.
Adeyinka said, “The nation as a whole has prevalence of climate issues some of which are happening in Kaduna.
”So, we are here to step-down this knowledge to CSOs so that the locals can be informed and educated to be able to solve challenges locally.
“The training emphasises strategies like adaptive livelihood practices and community engagement to strengthen their resilience against climate-related challenges.
“Raising awareness about climate change is crucial because vulnerable groups, especially women, children and marginalized communities are disproportionately affected.”
The executive director further disclosed that the training showcased the strategies for ‘Building Climate Resilience Among Women and Youth/”
Adeyinka added that women and youth were often on the front-lines of climate impacts but also hold significant potential for driving change.
“We introduced sustainable practices such as waste reduction, afforestation, and conservation to help communities mitigate environmental degradation and preserve their local ecosystems for future generations.
“Advocacy has always been a powerful tool for change, and we trained participants in how to effectively mobilize their communities and influence policy.
“Long-term climate resilience depends on strong, community-led advocacy that ensures government and institutional support for local adaptation efforts,” he said.
Some of the participants, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the training has opened a new phase for their various organisations towards improving lives and fostering community growth.
