In Diana, a village in the Bignona department, schoolchildren have distinguished themselves as a driving force in the fight against environmental degradation. The final of the 2026 Green Trophy, organized as part of the Feminist Climate Action in West Africa (ACFAO) project, demonstrated that students are now at the heart of environmental awareness and civic engagement.

Five schools – Kafountine Middle School, Hilol Middle School, Kafountine High School, Diana Middle School, and Abéné Mixed High School – participated in this educational and cultural competition. Their performances highlighted essential themes: sustainable management of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, waste reduction, climate change, and forced marriages, emphasizing the interdependence between the environment and society.

Representing the mayor of Kafountine, Niara Diaban emphasized the urgent need to raise awareness among young people about the effects of climate change, which are already impacting the municipalities of Kafountine and Kataba 1. She encouraged students to continue their commitment to building resilient territories.

On behalf of the participants, Huguette Manga stated that the Green Trophy was a true school of awareness and responsibility, offering young people the opportunity to defend the environment through words and actions.

Enda Pronat's program coordinator, Mamadou Abdoulaye Sow, stressed the need for a collective and inclusive response to the degradation of natural resources, highlighting the role of the Green Trophy in promoting youth leadership and responsible governance.

Presiding over the ceremony, the sub-prefect of Kataba 1, Amadou Balla Ndiaye, called for a general mobilization: State, communities, civil society, women and youth must join forces to strengthen climate resilience and promote integrated management of natural resources, in line with the Senegal 2050 Agenda.

Thus, in Bignona, the students showed that the fight against environmental degradation is not only an institutional challenge, but a civic mission, carried out by a conscious and committed youth for a sustainable future.