A refugee-led organization, Refugee Coalition for Climate Action (RCCA) in Tongogara Refugee Camp, Chipinge, is calling upon the refugees and the host communities to halt the ongoing deforestation in the district as climate change take hit on the natural environment. The organisation made this challenge during a training workshop held at Tongogara Refugee Camp on 7 July 2023.
The workshop which was attended by the young people from the host communities of Chipinge, Chimanimani and the Tongogara Refugee youths from different climate advocate groups focused on the need for people to promote climate adaptation by preserving the environment, through reduction of the cutting of wood, planting of more trees, leveraging children and girls’ leadership for more ambitious climate action.
During the training workshop, the young people built some guidance strategies on children’s involvement in climate action, combating climate effects on vulnerable displaced women and girls and effective coordinated efforts on climate action led by young people from the immediate host communities and the Tongogara Refugee Camp.
“Climate induced disasters which are affecting us today are anthropogenic that date back to over half a century. If an appropriate action was taken then, climate change would have been reduced. Now I challenge everyone in the country to be climate conscious and play a role in saving our environment. If you know that you want to cut a tree in ten years to come, plant it today. Don’t cut a tree that you didn’t plant. That way, we would be doing justice to the climate,” said Elie Nsala, a board member of RCCA.
Tongogara Refugee Camp has been affected by natural disasters which include droughts, heat waves and flooding. The need for fuel wood and brick moulding inside and outside the camp has seen people from within Tongogara camp and those from host communities put much pressure on woodlots surrounding the refugee camp.
RCCA playing a pivotal contribution in re-greening Tongogara Refugee Camp and host communities.