By Foday Moriba Conteh
Don Bosco Fambul, through its Don Bosco Eco Project, with support from Atabal Foundation and Aexcid has on Saturday 24th September, 2022 embarked on an Awareness Campaign Against Plastic Pollution and Deforestation.
The event, which brought together partner organizations, pupils, teachers from various schools within the Western Area Urban and Rural was part of their support to reforestation and environmental protection in the country. The one day Awareness Campaign Against Plastic Pollution and Deforestation, which took the form of a float parade, was done from Atlantic Beach Lumley to Family Kingdom Aberdeen in Freetown.
In his address, the Project Coordinator of Don Bosco Eco-Project, Murray Massaquoi, noted that the Awareness Campaign Against Plastic Pollution and Disforestation is part of their commitment towards addressing many of the environmental problems in the country.
He said that management of waste is something that many Sierra Leoneans take for granted but said a waste crisis has brought flooding in many parts of the country, adding that Sierra Leone was named among the most vulnerable countries to climate change.
Murray Massaquoi maintained that the Don Bosco Eco Project made a commitment to address two key environmental issues which include plastic pollution and deforestation.
In terms reforestation, he said they are planting a total amount of 20,000 trees across Lunsar, Kabala, Bo, and the Western Area as an effort to environmental protection in the country and that for the plastic pollution they are using awareness-raising strategies to speak to Sierra Leoneans on the importance of managing its plastic waste and deposit them appropriately.
The Project Coordinator also elaborated that they have organized a workshop for teachers and pupils on their responsibility to the environment, specifically when it comes to reforestation and plastic pollution disclosing that is why they are using them on the Awareness Campaign Against Plastic Pollution and Deforestation.
He concluded by encouraging Sierra Leoneans to invest in the environment by embarking on afforestation and segregation of plastic waste from the other waste in their communities.
Fatmata Samura, a teacher of the Hope Assembly Primary School at Hamilton commended the move by the Don Bosco Fambul to embark on Awareness Campaign Against Plastic Pollution and Deforestation in the country as a laudable venture towards enhancing reforestation and environmental protection in the country.
She said that plastic waste also poses health issues, as blocked drainage causes water to stagnate adding that water contaminated by mud and waste is washed into open drinking water wells and can lead to illnesses in the country.
Fatmata Samura ended by calling on other citizens to join the fight towards addressing Plastic Pollution and Deforestation in the country.
Saidu Koroma, a pupil also used the opportunity to commend Don Bosco Fambul for the move adding that he has benefited from a Don Bosco Fambul workshop for pupils on knowing his responsibility to the environment, specifically when it comes to reforestation and plastic pollution.
He assured that as a pupil he will cascade the information to his colleagues and members of his community to address those issues.
Closing the session was the commencement of the Awareness Campaign Against Plastic Pollution and Deforestation from Atlantic Beach-Lumley to Family Kingdom-Aberdeen and during the process participants present displayed placards carrying messages on plastic pollution and deforestation and the picking of plastics on the beach.
