Schools, organisations, and individuals from across Kenya took part in CNN’s fourth annual Call to Earth Day, celebrating the links between people and cultures and how these can help to play a vital role in preserving our planet.
As part of a day of global action to raise awareness of environmental issues and engage with conservation education, CNN celebrated Call to Earth Day with special programming on December 11th across TV, digital, and social media. This year’s theme focused on Connected Generations and how ancient wisdom can provide solutions for a better future.
CNN’s Victoria Rubadiri reported from Rusinga Schools in Nairobi, one of the organisations in Kenya that took part in Call to Earth Day. She met children who were learning about illegal poaching and how to safeguard endangered animals for future generations. A couple of students also spoke to Victoria on the impact of climate change in Kenya.
“Kenya has been deeply affected by climate change,’’ said Thambu, a year 12 student at Rusinga Schools. ‘’Places that were previously not prone to rain are now experiencing floods while other areas face severe drought. For instance, we now have rivers forming in our city backyards – something new and quite strange.’’
The schools in Kenya were part of a global initiative that saw over 230,000 people participating in more than 660 events, across five continents and 107 countries. These organisations made a difference to their local communities by holding events including clean-ups, tree plantings, designing art projects, and making environmental awareness videos. Some children also wrote letters or recorded videos to their future selves discussing what they love most about the environment and how to improve the planet they’ll one day inherit.
Other programming on CNN during the day included a special documentary titled Restoring the Andes, showcasing the conservation work of Peruvian biologist and Rolex Laureate Constantino Aucca Chutas. CNN correspondents visited schools around the world in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and both North and South America, showcasing environmental reporting on CNN International and CNN en Español TV networks, digital, and social media platforms as well as on CNN Arabic.
Call to Earth Day is part of Call to Earth, a major network initiative launched by CNN in 2019, in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative, shining a light on those committed to safeguarding our planet for future generations. Over the last five years, this award-winning programming has told stories of changemakers, visionaries, and ground-breaking projects making a difference to the world around them.
