Involve children in waste segregation – SHEP Coordinator

The Eastern Regional Coordi­nator of School Health Educa­tion Programme (SHEP) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Godfried Caeser has stressed the need to teach children about waste segregation.

According to him, children’s involvement is waste segregation would not only earn the children income but helps the cause to keep the environment clean.

Mr Ceaser said this in an exclusive interview with The Spectator, after the inauguration of school health clubs formed in some selected schools in the Koforidua Municipal­ity.

The clubs, purposed to be agents and ambassadors of waste segre­gation included RIIS Presbyterian Model Schools A, B and C, Koforidua Presbyterian Basic Schools A, B, E, and F, Koforidua Freeman Method­ist Basic School A, and Adweso D/A Basic School.

Stakeholders involved in the initiative include Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Eastern Regional Environ­mental Protection Agency, Eastern Regional Environmental Health Department, Ghana Health Service, Ensign Global College, Kpone, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the University of Envi­ronment and Sustainable Develop­ment.

Explaining the involvement of school children in the fight against filth, Mr Caesar said a lot of waste were generated in the junior and se­nior high schools, adding that these waste was normally mixed up and dumped at sites in the schools and later burnt or left to rot.

Such practices, he indicated, rather pollutes the environment as its invites flies and other harm­ful insects,bringing about various diseases like cholera, among others, hence the need to teach pupils and children to reduce pollution and its impact on climate change.

Zoomlion presented dustbins, gloves, Veronica buckets and nose masks among others to the schools to help them in the waste segrega­tion.

Mr Caeser stated that waste segregation was very fundamental in realising the Sustainable Develop­ment Goals (SDGs).

“Considering the SDGs on 6 on clean water and sanitation, Goal 13 on Climate Action, 14 on Life Below Water, and 15 on Life on Land, there was the need to engage in waste segregation to enable the country to reach the goals. Practicing waste segregation is important to achieve the goals by preventing pollution of the environment and water bodies.”

For his part, the Eastern Region­al Environmental Health Officer, Mr Prince Kissi stated that waste management has become critical to dealing with management of school waste.

He added that the practice has always been group dumping, adding, the health problems associated with it was enormous, and revealed that waste management was not handled well in schools.

For her part, the Eastern Regional Coordinator of Zoomlion, Patricia Shardey said waste segregate was beneficial and pledged her outfit’s support for the laudable project.

 From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua