By Tamba Borbor
Public Relations Officer
Welthungerhilfe Improved Waste Management Project
Koidu City
German International Non-Governmental Organisation, Welthungerhilfe commonly called (WHH), through its Improved Waste Management Project (SLE 1048) in collaboration with the Koidu New Sembehun City Council (KNSCC) has on Friday 5th June 2020 celebrated World Environment Day.
As the United Nations principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of the environment, this year’s theme is “Celebrate Biodiversity” as the world is faced with the challenge of the extinction of one million species.
The Environment and Social Officer of the Koidu New Sembehun City Council (KNSCC), Ibrahim Bockarie explained that the celebration is geared towards raising awareness about the environment as Sierra Leone is a signatory to the international treaty to protect the environment.
“We have held a radio sensitization programme to educate the people about protecting and preserving the environment in collaboration with WHH in addition to cleaning long-clogged up canals and drainages in the city of Koidu and planting trees/flowers and sweeping major streets in order to beautify the face of the municipality,” Bockarie informed.
He added that as populations around the world increase, the environment is adversely impacted, consequently posing a serious challenge.
Isata Sulaiman, a resident of Konomanyi Street where WHH in collaboration with the City Council cleared a canal/drainage which had posed a perennial challenge of flooding, expressed appreciation to both institutions for finally bringing relief to residents of that area through the cleaning.
“In the recent past before this exercise by WHH and the City Council, the canal was a source of an unbearable stench which always floods and fills our shops and houses. But now that it has been fully cleared up, we would breathe a sigh of relief,” Ms. Sulaiman stated.
Contracting a total number of forty youth, the World Environment Day activities by WHH targeted major streets and areas like Kainkordu Road, Gbense Gumbu and Konomanyi streets canals, Masingbi Road, Gbense Market skip locations, among others.
Prior to the celebration, stakeholders involved in environmental issues in the country like the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), civil society were brought together in a one-hour radio discussion programme to highlight issues bordering on preserving and protecting the environment.
The Improved Waste Management in Cities Project (SLE 1048) implemented by Welthungerhilfe in collaboration with the Koidu New Sembehun City Council (KNSCC) is funded by the British people through the Department For International Development (DFID) and has been successfully implemented in Bo, Makeni and Kenema cities in Sierra Leone. These cities are now amongst the cleanest in the country.
