"Kawnoha" is a campaign aimed at increasing awareness of the impacts of climate change on women".

"Kawnoha" is a campaign aimed at increasing awareness of the impacts of climate change on women".

 It is a graduation project that aims to educate women about the effects of climate change on them and provide solutions on how to protect themselves from climate change. Based on a UN report, women are more affected by climate change than men.

Salma Sorour, one of the campaign organizers, says: "We are a team of 16 girls, in the fourth year of the Faculty of mass communication at cairo universty, English section, and this campaign is our graduation project. We believe that women should be aware of the difficult risks they face due to climate change, including early marriage, early childbirth, and frequent school dropout, in addition to raising awareness among women."

Where did you get the idea for the Kawnoha project?

Salma says, "We were inspired by the interest of both Egyptian and non-Egyptian parties in all issues related to the relationship between gender and climate change during the COP27 conference."

When did Kawnoha start, and what is your goal for it?

" Kawnoha started this year with the beginning of the school year. We will focus on empowering them to help them prepare for disasters and find alternative livelihoods in the event of climate emergencies. We have set our own goals, known as the 5 KDGs, to ensure that every woman lives a healthy and safe life by the end of our campaign".

What are the most important events that Kawnoha has participated in?

"Kawnoha on Ground", we started at our university, Cairo University, and designed a small booklet or story to explain the topic in a simple way. We also used social media to convey our idea and goal to others.

Also, we were working on decorating the place, such as hanging CD discs on the frames and making chairs out of carriage wheels. We were also working on something called "Envelopes" where they would open a box and choose a ball, and we would ask them a question, like "Can we say that the weather is more comfortable for women or not?" If the answer is yes, they put the ball in box, and if the answer is no, they put the ball in another box. In all cases, whether they answered yes or no, we give them a paper with information about the issue. And this makes people ask.

We also had an idea to collect plastic, where people collect plastic with us, and if they collect five plastic bottles, they will take something free from the university cafeteria. It was an attempt to encourage people.

What does the acronym "5 KDGs" stand for?

Salma: It stands for“ kawnoha development goals “.

  "we seriously mean that our goal for the entire campaign is to ultimately achieve the five goals that we talked to you about, which are to remain aware and mindful in her home in a way that promotes the environment, and to remain healthy from the health needs that can happen to her due to climate change.

And to remain an example in this field in terms of climate change, how can she be an example to her children or to the general community, or remain an environmentally friendly person. Finally, to continue adapting as much as possible or if necessary to reduce, and at the same time, they must adapt to climate change".

In addition to the university event, they have organized several other events to raise awareness, such as:

"On the Nile" with Dayma Journeys and Very Nile, where they explained to children about climate change and how it affects the environment through the story of "Ard Salema". They also learned about recycling plastic and how it can be turned into pencil cases, chairs, and more.

"Ilcampo " event, where they taught people about the process of planting and watering using drip irrigation. They also explained the concept of the campaign and how climate change affects the environment through fun games.

" Greenish" event, where they went to Ismailia and conducted a workshop on climate change, adaptation, and mitigation. They used activities such as debates, quizzes, and games to make the information easier to understand.

"Kawnoha in tram alwan" event, where they played fun environmentally friendly activities with people.

"The Story of Ard Salema" is a story created by the Kawnoha team and is available in the central library of Cairo University and online with audio and visuals

In your opinion, what are the most important points on which any project or idea should be built?

Certainly, the most important thing in any project is having a strong and committed team that believes in the project idea. The team members should be knowledgeable about the idea and have a good understanding of it, so they can successfully execute it. In addition, they should have a strong passion and enthusiasm towards the idea, so they can achieve success.

In general, the team should be a good role model for others, both in the project and in daily life. This can be achieved through simple but important actions, such as caring for and protecting the environment, as this will benefit the team and others.

Regarding the role of women in this regard, they should be encouraged to participate in positive projects and activities that benefit the community in general and respect the environment. Women are capable of achieving success and accomplishment in any field they choose, and their capabilities should be enhanced and encouraged towards positive work.

In the end, providing something useful or achieving a great goal for the environment is not easy, but it remains the greatest thing ever. So thank you Kawnoha for this great project and Thank’s Salma for this wonderful meeting.