The environmental club at Lycee Saint-Esprit High School in Burundi hosted the executive director of CYNESA to discuss local environmental issues. The club, composed primarily of younger students, demonstrated courage, responsibility, and creativity in debating deforestation issues. They have launched an environmental awareness campaign within their school involving drawings on classroom doors encouraging care for the environment. Every Friday, they sacrifice their afternoon to clean their campus grounds, do training, or go on nature visits. CYNESA promised to continue supporting the club and launch a painting project involving Jesuit schools in the region.

1. Nurturing Eco-Warriors in Burundi
The Lycee Saint-Esprit (Holy Spirit High School) is the only Jesuit-run secondary
school in Burundi. While it is not as large, in comparison to other Jesuit schools in the
Great Lakes Region, it is the 'School of Excellence', where intelligence and passion
for nature have became part of the tradition.
On November 21st, 2014, the environmental club of the school hosted the CYNESA
Executive Director, Mr. Allen Ottaro, and organized an interactive forum during which
they shared with him their local experience, hopes and desires for a clean and
healthy environment.
This environmental club is like a tree nursery. The majority of the students are in the
early years of their studies. What is most impressive, is their courage, their
responsibility and their sense of creativity despite their young age. This was exhibited
during a bright and rewarding debate on deforestation moderated by Mr. Ottaro,
which eventually gave way to a guided tour of the school grounds and especially to
admire their initiatives. Their motivation was most impressive.

2. Their manner of expression
Young, determined and with the assistance and the support of the patron of the
environmental club, these young people have launched an environmental awareness
campaign within their high school. The campaign consists in putting drawings on
each door of every classroom.
The drawings invite youth to take care of creation and to continue the campaign
beyond their high school and extend it to their peers in other schools. They give
themselves, body and soul to keep their campus green. This is indicated by the
various recycling points designated by the students. Every Friday, they sacrifice their
afternoon by dedicating themselves to cleaning their school compound, to training
sessions or to visits in nature.
The visit was closed with the presentation of a certificate of participation in the first
workshop on Climate Change, held in Bujumbura from the 19th to 20th November
2014 and organized by CYNESA Burundi.

3. CYNESA Burundi promised to continue closely supporting the Club and in the
coming days, will launch a project involving paintings in nature across Jesuit schools
in the region.
"Today the ecological crisis has assumed such proportions as to be the responsibility of
everyone.... Its various aspects demonstrate the need for concerted efforts aimed at
establishing duties and obligations that belong to individuals, peoples, states, and the
international community."
-- Saint John Paul II
By: Leila Micheline BUTOYI
Country Director, CYNESA Burundi.