Wild Kids Academy at Katima Mulilo, has brought together environmental organisations and government stakeholders, marking its annual Environment Awareness Expo.

The expo was held under the theme "One River System, Many Connections, Many Ways to Make a Difference".
The expo focused on the importance of protecting river ecosystems and understanding the interconnected relationship between people, wildlife and the environment.

An environmentalist of Wild Kids Academy Stanley Muyunda explained.

"Any deliberate effort that we do to save one part of the river saves the whole system. So we are trying so hard to create awareness on the importance of taking care of the river and also how we can sustain our river system."

Senior Fisheries Biologist Deon Tiyeho from the Directorate of Aquaculture and Inland Fisheries challenged learners to understand how their everyday actions can affect river ecosystems.

"When you litter in town, rainwater can wash the waste into stormwater drains, which may eventually carry it into rivers. From there, the waste can pollute the water and harm aquatic life, including fish. If contaminated fish are caught and sold, they may end up on our plates, potentially posing health risks to consumers. So, what happens when we eat fish that have been exposed to pollution? We risk making ourselves sick, and that is something we all want to avoid. This is why proper waste disposal is important. Keeping our towns clean also helps protect our rivers, aquatic life and, ultimately, our health."

The Wild Kids Academy has established a Neem Tree Fishpond Project, inspired by a science project developed by a learner who won a gold medal at last year's NCRST National science fair.

This year, we adopted the same model to implement the project, engaging stakeholders from the Ministry of Fisheries and the Directorate of Forestry. The Directorate of Forestry provided us with 10 neem trees, which were planted around the fishpond to help repel mosquitoes.

The mosquito-repellent properties of the trees are expected to help address the mosquito problem in the school environment, while the fishpond provides learners with practical exposure to aquaculture and sustainable fish production.