Stop Open Waste Burning

The project had five (5) schools participating with more than seventy-five (75) students and teachers acquiring skills related to recycling paper and plastics, acquiring knowledge on environmental issues particularly solid waste management and the significance of greening.

The project was executed by Geography and Environmental Movement with support from UNDP GEF small grants programme between November 2009 and November 2010. The project was done in an attempt to tackle the land and air pollution many schools in the urban areas were facing. The land pollution was as a result of littering of solid waste in form of plastics, paper, cans and bottles by students and communities surrounding schools while air pollution was from car emissions, gases from aerosols and burning of waste thus the aim of the project was targeted at helping the schools develop proper methods of waste management especially by recycling which would be followed by greening.

The project was implemented by identifying schools that would participate in the project in order to identify participants that would be trained to equip them with skills to act and become involved in their environment. The participants gained training on various concepts of waste management and greening/landscaping skills. For continuity of the project, school environmental clubs were established to continually impart environmental management knowledge to colleagues in their resident schools or other’s. A platform for dialogue was created through on-going sensitisation of schools and neighbouring communities, periodical meetings with school communities and competitions between houses and classes in schools.

The schools have also earned income by selling white waste paper to recycling companies such as BAM Promotions for sustainability of the project whilst pupils are able to make saleable craft materials out of waste paper and plastics. The target group of the project are the youths and adults.

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