By Koviao Matuzee
According to School Environmental Clubs (SEC) Namibia, environmental education is about more than teaching learners to identify litter or recite facts about climate change.
It is about creating a generation that feels personally responsible for the country’s natural environment and believes it has the power to protect it.
Established in 2024, SEC Namibia has grown from an initiative focused on secondary schools in the Khomas Region into a nationwide environmental education movement, now reaching more than 50 schools across Khomas, Erongo and !Kharas.
With a vision is to eventually establish an environmental club in every primary and secondary school across Namibia’s 14 regions, SEC Namibia also believes that environmental responsibility must be developed early.
“The main mission of SEC Namibia is to foster environmental stewardship and raise awareness about the Namibian environment among school learners,” the organisation said.
However, its understanding of environmental education extends beyond textbooks and classroom lessons.
“To us, environmental education is not just about teaching theory in a classroom; it is about building a strong sense of responsibility so young people care for, protect, and actively preserve their natural surroundings.”
That philosophy has shaped the way SEC Namibia works with schools.
In its early stages, the organisation appointed dedicated coordinators to work with high schools in Khomas, helping learners establish active environmental clubs.
As the organisation expanded, it shifted towards building stronger relationships with passionate teachers, who now serve as adult representatives for school clubs.
The model gives learners a space to take ownership while ensuring that clubs have guidance and continuity.
For many of the learners SEC Namibia works with, some of the most immediate environmental concerns are surprisingly close to home.
Waste management and keeping school environments clean frequently emerge as key concerns.
Rather than leaving these issues as classroom discussions, SEC Namibia encourages learners to act through hands-on clean-up campaigns at primary and secondary schools.
The lesson is schools will inevitably become dirty, but communities have a responsibility to ensure they do not remain that way.
That practical approach appears to be leaving a lasting impression.
According to SEC Namibia, learners who participate in its programs often experience a significant shift in how they view the environment.
The organisation deliberately moves away from purely theoretical lessons and instead uses interactive and enjoyable experiences to make environmental issues tangible.
“Because our programs move away from theoretical reading and focus on fun, interactive experiences, the practical lessons stick with learners long after the event ends,” it says.
Yet expanding the organization’s reach across Namibia is not with- out its difficulties.
Communication remains one of the biggest challenges, particularly in remote areas where SEC Namibia cannot easily travel.
The organisation relies on having a dedicated teacher or student point-person at a school who can help establish and support an environmental club.
“Without this initial link, it is hard to establish, guide, and sup- port local environmental clubs effectively,” SEC Namibia explains.
This is where partnerships have become crucial.
Businesses, schools, communities, and other organizations provide financial, logistical, and moral support that helps keep the organization’s programs moving.
“Our partnerships are essential to everything we do,” SEC Namibia says, adding that the support it receives inspires their team to expand our reach every day.
SEC Namibia points to the fact that young people make up more than 60% of Namibia’s population, making them a powerful force for long-term environmental change.
The organisation believes young people bring energy, innovation, and fresh perspectives to challenges such as climate change, conservation, and waste management.
More importantly, it believes habits formed during childhood and adolescence can extend far beyond school.
A learner who learns to properly dispose of waste, conserve resources or appreciate biodiversity can take those behaviors home and potentially influence their family and wider community.
That ripple effect is central to SEC Namibia’s long-term vision.
Over the next five to 10 years, the organisation hopes to establish environmental clubs in every primary and secondary school across all 14 regions.
However, according to SEC Namibia, success will not simply be about numbers.
It is about creating a culture of environmental responsibility that reaches beyond school grounds and becomes part of everyday life.
“Success to us goes beyond expansion,” the organisation said.
“It means creating a nationwide platform that empowers learners and community members alike to keep Namibia clean, sustainable, and environmentally resilient.”
From more than 50 schools today to a potential presence in every region tomorrow, SEC Namibia bets on the idea that the best way to protect Namibia’s environmental future is to empower the generation that will inherit it.
And for the young people joining its environmental clubs, protecting the environment may no longer be just another lesson at school.
