06 Jun 2016

Environmental care should not be about collecting litter to dispose it but rather making something useful out of the same rubbish.

The Member of Parliament for Gabane-Mmankgodi Maj. Gen. Pius Mokgware said this on June 4 in Mmankgodi during a clean-up campaign by Carbon Environmental Awareness Society in collaboration with Radio Botswana environmental reporter/presenter Benni Tatolo, Limkokwing Environmental Club and Thobega Junior Secondary School environmental club.

He said there were many opportunities presented by the litter often thrown away and ended up in landfills.

For instance, he said papers could be converted to make many useful things such as pens while cans can be used to make candle holders and toys.

This he said provide an economic opportunity that the community and school’s environmental clubs can take advantage of. Major Gen Mokgware therefore encouraged Thobega JSS Environmental Club students to change their attitudes towards litter.

“We sometimes turn to be little bit lazy in thinking, we want to see things happening, let us believe in ourselves and take advantage of all the rubbish we see” he added.

He encouraged the students’ to research more about what they can do about the litter than they pick around their community.

He further encouraged them to grow the day in to an annual event where they would showcase products made out of litter.

Head of department at Thobega JSS and the Schools Environmental Club ex-Officio Member Ms Boitshepho Kgwalabathe said the project was initiated by teachers who were concerned about the environment.

She said the teachers found it necessary to impart environmental care education to the students hence the school’s environmental club.

Ms Kgwalabatlhe decried that the public has developed a bad habit of throwing litters recklessly without regarding the impact of their actions. Therefore she said they aim to impart knowledge on environmental conservation at an early age.

For his part, Radio Botswana Presenter, Mr Benni Tatolo said there is need to raise environmental awareness to conserve the environment.

He said the litter that loiters around the shows how incautious people are with regard to caring for their surroundings. ENDS