This key component of the Community Conservation of Mangroves project aims to develop content and execute activities that will build community and stakeholder awareness and active engagement in the conservation of mangrove ecosystems.
Local schools will be a particular target for community awareness and engagement. School-based training and extra-curricular events will be organized for 150 primary and secondary-level students. Students will initially be engaged through the distribution of activity boxes that will allow them to learn about mangrove conservation at home. This exceptional measure is taken due to current Covid-19 restrictions and requirements for social distancing.
This component will also focus on capturing the voices of the students and youth in targeted communities on the importance of mangrove protection and will provide training in using social media to advance conservation practices. Green Heritage Fund Suriname (GHFS) may collaborate with The Back Lot, the Executing Agency for the IDB Lab operation SU-T1095 Employment in the Creative Industries, to support this intervention element. This organization has extensive capacity in multimedia content development and youth training in this area.
Additionally, GHFS will develop engagement materials and content to target and engage other key stakeholder organizations involved in mangrove conservation. These key stakeholders include Anton de Kom University, Stichting Mangrove Forum Suriname, and relevant government agencies. These stakeholders will be engaged through presentations (virtual & in person), debate events, and thematic dialogue. The expected outputs of this component will include:
(i) 150 students participating in school-based and extra-curricular training events and
(ii) 100 Adults participating in community engagement events.
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