MASINDI: Kabalega secondary school in Masindi district, western Uganda has launched a campaign against polythene bags commonly known as Kavaeera in a drive aimed at protecting the environment in district.
The campaign dubed ‘’Say no to Kaveera’’ was launched by collecting the polythene bags and cleaning around the school and the streets of Kijura trading center and Kijura market in Masindi central division yesterday.
Led by their head teacher Andrew Tumwesige, the teachers and students also sensitized the locals of Kijura trading centre on the dangers of improper disposal of polythene bags and garbage to the environment and their health.
They also urged them to guard their environment against any form of pollution.
Headteacher Tumwesige revealed that the campaign is part of the school’s efforts to act as role model to the society so that the citizens can be responsible to their country.
He added that the drive is also aimed inculcating the patriotism culture of protecting the environment into the students and the neighbouring people so that they can live responsibly and also spread the same gospel to other people in their communities through acting as change agents.
· “We must start with our students at our school by teaching them the dangers of Kavera to the environment and then take the gospel to our neighbours so that we can save our environment through collective efforts”, said Tumwesige.
He added that the campaign is part of the school’s social corporate responsibility revealing that they intend to extend it to other areas in the division including Kirasa, Kihande, Masindi central market and Masindi main hospital among others.
Isaac Bongomin, the chairperson Masindi Central division applauded the school’s campaign which he is welcome since Kaveera is a big problem to the division and the country as a whole.
He expressed optimism that that the campaign will help fight the problem through making the communities aware of the dangers of the Kaveera and improper garbage disposal. He also urged other schools and institutions in the division to emulate Kabalega’s gesture.
Uganda is grappling with the problem of polythene materials and the efforts to ban their use by government have not yielded fruits as they are still being produced and widely and openly used in the country.
Many water bodies in the country are chocking on polythene and plastic materials amidst warnings by experts of severe environmental disasters to the country.
