For
many
in
Zimbabwe,
the
effects
of
climate
change
are
no
longer
distant
forecasts
or
scientific
theories—they
are
part
of
daily
life.
From
failed
crops
to
water
shortages
and
violent
storms,
communities
grapple
with
the
ever-increasing
toll
of
a
warming
world.
In
rural
Masvingo,
young
learners
and
their
teachers
are
experiencing
the
full
brunt
of
these
changes
and
preparing
to
become
part
of
the
solution.
At
Sikato
Primary
School,
Fungai
Makureke
has
taught
for
over
a
decade.
She
recalls
a
time
when
the
rains
were
predictable,
arriving
each
year
in
late
October.
“Now,
we
don’t
know
what
to
expect,”
she
says.
“The
rains
come
late,
or
sometimes
not
at
all.
Our
fields
remain
dry,
and
the
community
suffers.”
The
2024
El
Niño-induced
drought
was
the
worst
she
had
ever
witnessed.
Crops
failed,
water
sources
dried
up,
and
families
struggled
to
cope.
Thanks
to
support
from
the
Korea
International
Cooperation
Agency
(KOICA),
UNICEF
is
working
with
the
Ministry
of
Primary
and
Secondary
Education
(MoPSE)
and
the
Ministry
of
Environment,
Climate
and
Wildlife
to
bring
climate
education
into
the
classroom.
Teachers
like
Priscilla
prepare
to
empower
their
students
with
knowledge
and
resilience
through
Climate
Education
Teacher
Training
Modules.
“I
want
to
help
children
understand
what’s
happening
around
them—and
what
they
can
do
about
it,”
she
says.
“We
can
cultivate
hope,
action
and
awareness
from
a
young
age.”
Eleven-year-old
Mollene
Masiya
lives
in
Chitembere
Village
and
is
in
Grade
5.
“When
the
rains
come,
there
is
food,”
she
says
simply.
“But
now,
we
sometimes
have
to
walk
long
distances
to
fetch
water.
It’s
hard
to
go
to
school
when
you’re
hungry.”
For
Mollene,
hearing
the
term
climate
change
for
the
first
time
made
her
curious.
“I’m
excited
to
learn
more,”
she
adds
with
a
smile.
In
nearby
Magwa
Village,
14-year-old
Tapfuma
Bhasikoro
has
experienced
the
violent
side
of
climate
shifts.
“Sometimes
the
storms
are
so
strong,
they
tear
off
the
roofs
from
classrooms
and
homes,”
he
says.
One
such
storm
destroyed
the
roof
of
his
school
block,
forcing
pupils
into
overcrowded,
multi-grade
classrooms.
Despite
the
challenges,
Tapfuma
remains
hopeful.
“We
didn’t
know
why
these
things
were
happening.
But
now,
if
we
learn
more
about
climate
change,
maybe
we
can
change
how
we
live,
and
protect
our
environment.”
In
classrooms
across
Zimbabwe,
a
new
generation
is
preparing—not
just
to
face
the
impacts
of
climate
change,
but
to
become
the
voices
that
shape
its
solutions.