11 Nov 2019

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) staff on Friday spent some time with Mokolodi Primary School pupils to sensitise them on the need to care for the environment. 

Apart from environment sensitisation education, the department also donated rubbish bins to the school as part of their community service day. 

Speaking at the event, finance and development manager in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Conservation and Tourism, Ms Dineo Diwanga said the event was a way of transforming the community into one of shared responsibilities and shared opportunities. She said rubbish bins donated to the school allowed for segregation of waste, which would expose pupils to waste management. Ms Diwanga said waste posed a threat to public health and the environment if not stored, collected and disposed off properly. 

She highlighted that waste could be used to create an economic activity if waste segregation could be tapped into. “The perception of waste as an unwanted material with no intrinsic value has dominated attitudes towards its disposal,” she regretted. 

Ms Diwanga said proper education of the public, provision of more trash bins and collection of waste could help to prevent exposing communities, particularly children, and students to diseases. 

The ministry’s Safety Health and Environment committee chairperson Mr Mothusiemang Kakadumane said the decision to donate to Mokolodi Primary School followed a thorough assessment and need to impart environment conservation to students. 

He stated that the committee was targeting schools, which do not have environmental clubs and Mokolodi primary happened to be one of those. 

He said they have realised that imparting environmental conservation education on young children was a long term strategy of caring for the environment. 

Mokolodi Primary School, head Ms Cecilia Mogotlhwane said the donation would  contribute towards students’ awareness in taking care of the environment. Although the school is close to Gaborone, she said it lagged behind as donors often bypass it, hence she commended the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. 

Ministry of Basic Education principal education officer in the Mogoditshane Sub-region Mr Keineele Pogiso said the donation would bear much desired fruits as learners would grow with environmental care education. 

Ms Pogiso said the education would also help learners to co-exist with wildlife knowing its value to their livelihoods. ends