Founded by a group of young activists, “The Little Earth’” has been on a mission to preserve the unique nature of Tajikistan and our planet for future generations. Currently, young people in Tajikistan are not well-informed about environmental issues and climate change, and that whilst about 70% of the population in Tajikistan are under the age of 30. To empower the next generation of environmental leaders, The Little Earth – with support from WECF –  has organized the School of Environmental Activism.

Fifteen young female activists from the areas of Dushanbe, Khujand, Khorog and Kulyab took part in the three-day workshop to enhance the participants’ knowledge on climate change, environmental protection, the role of women in the environmental movement and gender equality. The workshop also provided practical skills on how to work with social networks and the media to spread the word on these important topics.

“Without the leadership, knowledge and participation of girls and women in responding to climate change and environmental challenges today, it is unlikely that solutions for the sustainable development of our country and the planet will be implemented tomorrow. That is why it is so important to support those activist girls who are interested in the topic of the climate crisis and environmental protection and who are trying to implement local or national initiatives”, – said Timur Idrisov, senior adviser to the Little Earth and the initiator of the School.

The school featured 15 expert speakers from Belarus, Finland, Germany, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, working in a wide variety of fields, such as environmental activism, journalism and photography. Have a look at this video capturing the spirit of the school that took place last October.

Following the success of the school, its graduates were then invited to apply for a mini-competition of local environmental initiatives. One of the two winners receiving 500 euros for their project, is the Eco-bag initiative from Mashkhura Maksudzoda, from Khujand. The 20-year-old student and small business founder shared:

“after participating in the School of Environmental Activism, I decided to hold Master classes to share my experience in painting on fabrics and, at the same time, talk about the dangers of plastic bags.”

The graduates of the School for Environmental Activism remain in touch online, and The Little Earth continues to be committed to fostering learning experiences for the next generation of environmental leaders!

Photo credit: Mashkhura Maksudzoda

We are proud to support this initiative with the Ecofeminist Movement Building Fund. Read about the other organizations and activities we support here: Building the Ecofeminist Movement – WECF