One tree at a time: Kelvin Chiwesi The Climate Champion

It may seem mundane — planting a tree. Small. Ordinary. Almost insignificant in the face of everything the world is grappling with. And yet, a single tree can produce enough oxygen to sustain life. One root takes hold. One seed breaks ground. One act becomes a future.

And in one school, one fellow is making a difference.

 “My name is Chiwesi Kelvin, a 5th Cohort Teach For Zimbabwe Fellow based at Kotwa Government Primary School in Mudzi District.

Tasked with the responsibility of nurturing environmental awareness — and driven by a deep passion for climate action — I founded an Eco-Club at my school. Through this initiative, learners engage directly with the environment by getting their hands in the soil and understanding how nature feeds them, sustains them, and gives back to their communities.

As they learn about climate change, they also begin to understand how environmental challenges affect their daily lives and access to education. In rural communities like ours, issues such as flooding, soil erosion, gully erosion, and muddy terrain can make it difficult for learners to walk to school or attend consistently. This has helped them see climate action not as an abstract idea, but as something deeply connected to their education and future.

Through the Eco-Club, my learners have also come to appreciate the vital role trees play — absorbing carbon dioxide, producing oxygen, filtering pollutants, and improving air quality. They now spend much of their spare time watering, mulching, pruning, weeding, and staking the 20 orange fruit trees they have planted in the school orchard.

Beyond environmental learning, these trees are also a source of nourishment. They represent more than climate action — they are an investment in health, providing vitamin C and supporting learner wellbeing, which in turn strengthens participation and concentration in the classroom.

I am incredibly proud and grateful to have started this initiative. I invite every fellow, every educator, and every community member across the country to begin where they are — even by planting one tree. Because change always starts with one.

Credit goes to Teach For Zimbabwe for the leadership support you continue to give me. “