Climate Action in Action: Apitimiss Asima — The Climate Activist

At Bwanya Secondary School nestled in Chivi, climate action moved beyond discussion and into the soil.

In a powerful demonstration of environmental leadership, Apitimiss Asima — climate activist and Teach For Zimbabwe Fellow — led a practical session on plant breeding and environmental conservation that resulted in the planting of 60 trees. What unfolded was more than a tree-planting exercise; it was a hands-on lesson in sustainability, responsibility, and collective action.

The initiative was made possible through collaboration with Great Zimbabwe University, the School Development Committee (SDC), the Ministry of Youth, the Ward Councilor, learners, and members of the local community. It was a powerful sight: leadership, young people, and community stakeholders united around one shared cause — building a greener tomorrow.

Tree planting is not simply about beautifying the environment.

• It is about combating climate change through carbon absorption.
• It is about restoring degraded land and preventing soil erosion.
• It is about improving air quality and supporting biodiversity.
• It is about securing a healthier future for the next generation.

For rural communities already experiencing prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall patterns, such initiatives are not optional — they are essential. Trees help regulate temperatures, stabilize rainfall cycles, and directly support agriculture and food security. In communities where livelihoods depend on the land, environmental action becomes an act of protection and survival.

As a Teach For Zimbabwe Fellow, Apitimiss understands that her role extends far beyond delivering lessons in the classroom. By integrating environmental education into Agriculture lessons, she ensures that learners do not only understand climate change in theory, but experience what it means to respond to it practically. Through this approach, she is nurturing environmentally conscious learners and empowering them to become change-makers within their own communities.

On this day, 60 trees were planted.

But beyond the seedlings placed into the ground, something even more powerful was cultivated — responsibility, leadership, and hope.

This is climate action in action.

And this is education for change.