What

Happy Green World Foundation develops educational programmes with regard to waste, water and energy with the aim to teach sustainable behaviour in children aged between 6 and 14 years old. Our aim is to include environmental education in the curriculum of countries all over the world.

We form partnerships with interested organisations who generally work in areas of education or sustainability. The work of our not-for-profit foundation is supported by sponsorship of various international companies and organisations, usually located in the country of the local partner. With their help, we are able to print the educational materials in the partner’s country for use in local schools.

Our educational programmes consist of an activity guide, a student book and a game, all colourfully illustrated. The activities and illustrations are specifically designed to represent the environment and problems experienced in a country or region. This explains why a programme for a child from the island of Flores in Indonesia is different to a programme for a child living in the city of Cairo in Egypt, both by design and content. Our most popular programme is focused on waste education. The waste programme is taught in Egypt, Indonesia, The Netherlands, Ghana, Australia, Senegal, Ethiopia, and Thailand and it will soon be available in Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Congo, Burundi, Guinea and Burkino Faso.

At Happy Green World, we value the importance of children learning through play and activities. We offer practical solutions that are easy to learn and are attuned to the child’s experience in their cultural setting. For instance, through activities like making compost, re-using plastic or tidying up a school playground, children learn that they can directly influence their own environment.

Repetition is essential for learning sustainable behaviour. Our programme is designed to reiterate important lessons, through a variety of experiences. That is why we have developed a game and an activity guide in addition to the student book. Happy Green World cultivates sustainable relationships with local partners, who teach the customised programme to children in their home country.

More information? info@happygreenworld.org

Why

Pollution of our precious Earth is growing at an alarming rate, calling for immediate action. Over the last decades there has been a growing global awareness of pollution and climate change. Happy Green World wants to make its own modest contribution by teaching and empowering children.

Happy Green World is convinced that children who learn sustainable behaviour at a young age, will become adults who actively contribute to a cleaner and healthier living environment. 
The foundation believes in small-scale, local projects. Our educational programmes are practical, playful and show that you can achieve results quickly. Students develop an environmental awareness, which will encourage sustainable behaviour with minimal effort.

Children gain self-confidence and increase their involvement in their environment, which can have a positive effect on the adults around them. That is the power of Happy Green World’s educational programmes.

“We do not inherit the earth form our ancestors, we borrow it form our children”  Native American Proverb

More information?  info@happygreenworld.org

Who

Environmental consultant Marlou Bessem and illustrator Petra Houweling came up with the Happy Green World concept of educational programmes about waste, water and energy.
At the time, both were living in Cairo, where they were confronted daily with enormous amounts of rubbish on the streets and its polluting effects on the environment.

To give back to their host country, they developed the first educational programme for children about waste, named Green Egypt. This programme, which was in Arabic and contained illustrations representing the Egyption landscape, was used in local and international schools in Egypt and is available in various book shops in Cairo.

In 2013, treasurer Anja van Velzen joined them and together they founded the Happy Green World Foundation.

Currently, founder Marlou Bessem lives in Perth, Australia, where she continues to make the Happy Green World program available to an increasing number of countries. Happy Green World continues to improve and update the existing books, as well as develop more educational programmes and games. All in an effort to teach children about sustainable living and having repect for their local environment. She is supported in this journey by a diverse group of volunteers.

Volunteers are essential to help Happy Green World realise its goals, and we are thankful for our network of dedicated volunteers. We are always looking for helping hands, especially those with skills in graphic design/illustration work.

If you would like to donate some of your time to this worthy cause, please contact info@happygreenworld.org Thank you!


1 Comment

  • This is a great initiative to save our earth. Fondation NYB Shalom has also engaged in environmental protection and proper waste management with secondary school children. We did some conferences with 6 schools and a competition. How can we enter into partnership with you.

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