HERITAGE & IDENTITY
Care for Creation
In the Franciscan outlook, creation is a gift that deserves respect and care. Environmental stewardship is not merely decorative language for a website; it is visible in how water is used, how cleanliness is maintained, how plants and animals are treated and how a community manages waste. For children, these values become meaningful when they can observe, ask questions, participate and learn through practical activity.
Brother Martin Primary School describes gardens, the environment and practical activities as part of school life. A garden can help pupils learn about plant growth, soil, water, weather, nutrition and patience. When a child helps care for a plant, they see that results require time, consistency and teamwork. It is a learning space where knowledge meets responsibility.
Caring for livestock, where this forms part of school activities and is properly supervised, can teach pupils about the needs of living things, hygiene, nutrition and compassion for animals. Such activities must be led by knowledgeable adults and respect both pupil safety and animal welfare. Children should not be exposed to hazards or given adult responsibilities; the purpose is learning, not transferring adult duties to pupils.
Environmental habits begin with actions that can be practised every day: putting waste in the right place, avoiding unnecessary water use, caring for classrooms and outdoor spaces, respecting plants and reporting areas that need repair. Teachers can connect Science, Geography and Environment, Arts and Sports, and Tanzanian History and Ethics to practical projects suitable for each age group.
Care for creation also includes the social environment. A clean space with shade and without avoidable hazards supports health and concentration. Respect for living things belongs alongside respect for people: both require responsible care. This reflects the Franciscan call to live simply, recognise our connection with the natural world and serve the common good.
Families can reinforce these lessons at home by involving children in caring for plants, conserving water, sorting waste and maintaining shared spaces safely. When school and family work together, the environment becomes an ongoing classroom. In this way, “Feed the Mind, Free the Child” can include environmental knowledge and a child’s freedom to grow into someone who cares for life and the resources around them.
Read the official Capuchin Tanzania sources: Capuchin History ↗ · Education Ministry ↗