At just ten years old, Karen Wanjiru Kimani has planted more than 30,000 trees and cleared tons of plastic pollution from her local environment.
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00:00 [ Music ]
00:02 >> Caring for the environment is important for me
00:05 because the environment is our surrounding.
00:08 When the older generation pollute the environment,
00:12 we the children are the one who are going to suffer.
00:15 When I saw people polluting the rivers
00:19 and I saw the marine lives die, I felt so sad.
00:23 When I see people cutting down trees, they don't remember
00:27 to plant more trees.
00:28 They don't remember to replace the one that they have cut.
00:32 We need to stop littering and plant more trees.
00:35 My name is Karen Wanjeri Kimani.
00:38 I am an environmental ambassador.
00:40 I do planting of trees and also I recycle plastics.
00:45 [ Music ]
00:53 I learned a lot about the environment.
00:56 It started when I was five years old.
00:59 I started a tree nursery because I wanted
01:04 to see more people planting trees and I also wanted
01:09 to donate trees for those people who don't have trees.
01:12 It was important for me to start my own tree nursery.
01:16 I wanted to make people's life easier.
01:19 Trees are important in our environment.
01:23 It started with 10,000 tree seedlings
01:29 and now it has increased to 30,000 tree seedlings.
01:35 We had a lot of people helping us.
01:37 I educate other people about tree seedlings.
01:42 In my tree nursery, I have samples of trees like bottle brush,
01:47 laveria, cypress and many other.
01:53 I feel happy when I step into my tree nursery seeing the trees
01:58 have really grown and seeing the beautification
02:02 that is coming out to our environment.
02:05 [ Music ]
02:15 In my current school, I was elected
02:19 as the cabinet secretary for environment.
02:22 We have an environmental club with 39 members.
02:27 We do cleanups in our school and also we plant trees.
02:32 We have planted maybe 30 trees now.
02:34 During our cleanups, we have cages
02:37 where we can dump the plastic bottles.
02:40 We need to have a place where we dump the plastics,
02:43 not like littering everywhere.
02:46 [ Music ]
02:49 My dream is to stop using plastic bottles
02:53 and make use of biodegradable bottles.
02:56 [ Music ]
03:01 I give talks to other children for them
03:04 to learn more about the environment.
03:07 I advise children to start planting trees and also telling them
03:12 to stop being afraid and talking to big leaders.
03:17 I've given talks in COP 27.
03:21 I was the youngest delegate at COP 27.
03:25 I got a chance to share my story with all those leaders
03:30 and they promised to do something for the environment.
03:33 How are you going to save the wild animals from drought?
03:38 I also voted for the environment
03:40 and I have won a lot of awards.
03:43 I use modeling and fashion to create awareness
03:46 for environmental issues.
03:50 I've made a dress made of plastics.
03:53 I also made a skirt and a top.
03:55 It was made of carrier bags.
03:57 I wanted to tell people to reduce plastics
04:01 and also to stop littering the environment.
04:05 What Karen is doing, I'm very happy for her.
04:08 Being an environmental ambassador, being a voice for the children,
04:13 she's mentoring a lot of children.
04:15 Proud of her as a mother.
04:18 [ Music ]
04:23 >> As a school, we put environment as one of our key policy documents.
04:28 But when she came in, she gave it the energy.
04:31 Upon being enrolled in the school,
04:33 we realized that she could possibly be an influence.
04:37 Among her peers, the mustard seed that came in the form
04:40 of Karen has transformed the institution in a big way.
04:44 >> This bag can be used another time.
04:47 >> Karen is an outstanding person.
04:50 She's been all over just informing everyone about the environment.
04:55 She's learned so many things.
04:57 She's met so many amazing people.
05:00 And she's a very good inspiration for me.
05:04 >> When I grow up, I'd like to be a doctor to treat sick people
05:08 who are getting affected by the environment.
05:13 My dream is to have my own factory making biodegradable bottles.
05:21 My plan is to reduce the use of plastic bottles.
05:24 I'd like to see more children planting more trees.
05:28 And also, I'd be really happy
05:31 to see more ambassadors doing the work that I'm doing.
05:36 I am proud of what I do.
05:39 I'd like to do more for the environment.
05:42 It makes me feel so happy.
05:44 It also makes the environment happy.
05:47 [ Music ]