Entebbe schools campaign against polythene bags
Mar 16, 2008
ENTEBBE Municipality schools are in a campaign to end the use of polythene bags in their municipality. The campaign is spearheaded by Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities Cooperation (LVRLAC) through the Lake Victoria Women Network (LWN), is set to ensure the use of non-biodegradable polythene bag
By Gladys Kalibbala
ENTEBBE Municipality schools are in a campaign to end the use of polythene bags in their municipality. The campaign is spearheaded by Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities Cooperation (LVRLAC) through the Lake Victoria Women Network (LWN), is set to ensure the use of non-biodegradable polythene bags is prohibited in Entebbe Municipality.
During the launch of the Entebbe Primary School Zero Tolerance Campaign for Plastics at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) recently, it was noted that school children could help a lot in dissemination of environment conservation information hence the need to start with them.
The launch attracted heads of schools from Entebbe Municipality, LVRLAC officials, LWN officials, UWEC officials and people from Kenya and Tanzania.
The officials from LVRLAC said the ban on polythene, would mainly affect, children, women and the local community who greatly depend on kaveera for local packaging.
“Once these children are sensitised about the dangers of polythene bags, they will no longer accept them as a means of carrying their books to school,†said the director of LVRLAC, George Wasonga.
He advised teachers to educate their pupils about the dangers of degradation of the environment and measures to take in order to reverse it.
The deputy mayor of Entebbe, Peninah Kasaijja, called for the restoration of handwork in school which she lamented had been forgotten.
She advised head teachers to introduce local materials in their schools which can easily be purchased for handwork. “This will reduce the use of polythene in our society especially if education authorities guide children to make their own bags.
This will in a way help their parents who cannot afford costs of imported school bags,†she suggested.
She urged women’s organisations in the municipality to embrace this campaign in Entebbe where they will automatically benefit financially. Kasaijja lamented on the way women in rural areas were impoverished after the introduction of kaveera in our community.
“These women used to make basket, mats and many other items from local materials which they would sell out and receive money for their home use,†said Kasaijja.
She said improvision with alternatives of kaveera is a must if the campaign of zero tolerance for plastics in Entebbe is to succeed.
The group concluded that the council passes a by-law on the use of all types of kaveera. All the selected nine schools should sent circulars to parents informing them of the ban of kaveera in their premises.
The same group came up with a number of reasons as to why they should say no to the use of polythene in Entebbe. Among them was that plastics litter and pollute the environment because they do not break down or rot completely (non-bio-degradable).
It was also noted that plastics contain deadly chemicals that, if burnt can cause cancer.
It was noted that many schools disposed off the kaveera in their compounds by burning it together with other garbage.
“We have a local incinerator at Kigungu Primary School where we separate other rubbish from kaveera before burning it,†said the headmistress of the school.
The Municipal education officer, Deo Sekyole, called for good environment conservation practices and good working relationship between teachers and parents for the campaign to succeed. “We need to take parents on board, especially women who shop for their families,†he said.
The nine primary schools involved in the campaign are Lake Victoria, Kiwafu, Namate Primary, Entebbe Education Centre, Kigungu, St.Theresa, Entebbe Christian Academy, St. Joseph Katabi and Entebbe Junior Primary School.
ENTEBBE Municipality schools are in a campaign to end the use of polythene bags in their municipality. The campaign is spearheaded by Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities Cooperation (LVRLAC) through the Lake Victoria Women Network (LWN), is set to ensure the use of non-biodegradable polythene bags is prohibited in Entebbe Municipality.
During the launch of the Entebbe Primary School Zero Tolerance Campaign for Plastics at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) recently, it was noted that school children could help a lot in dissemination of environment conservation information hence the need to start with them.
The launch attracted heads of schools from Entebbe Municipality, LVRLAC officials, LWN officials, UWEC officials and people from Kenya and Tanzania.
The officials from LVRLAC said the ban on polythene, would mainly affect, children, women and the local community who greatly depend on kaveera for local packaging.
“Once these children are sensitised about the dangers of polythene bags, they will no longer accept them as a means of carrying their books to school,†said the director of LVRLAC, George Wasonga.
He advised teachers to educate their pupils about the dangers of degradation of the environment and measures to take in order to reverse it.
The deputy mayor of Entebbe, Peninah Kasaijja, called for the restoration of handwork in school which she lamented had been forgotten.
She advised head teachers to introduce local materials in their schools which can easily be purchased for handwork. “This will reduce the use of polythene in our society especially if education authorities guide children to make their own bags.
This will in a way help their parents who cannot afford costs of imported school bags,†she suggested.
She urged women’s organisations in the municipality to embrace this campaign in Entebbe where they will automatically benefit financially. Kasaijja lamented on the way women in rural areas were impoverished after the introduction of kaveera in our community.
“These women used to make basket, mats and many other items from local materials which they would sell out and receive money for their home use,†said Kasaijja.
She said improvision with alternatives of kaveera is a must if the campaign of zero tolerance for plastics in Entebbe is to succeed.
The group concluded that the council passes a by-law on the use of all types of kaveera. All the selected nine schools should sent circulars to parents informing them of the ban of kaveera in their premises.
The same group came up with a number of reasons as to why they should say no to the use of polythene in Entebbe. Among them was that plastics litter and pollute the environment because they do not break down or rot completely (non-bio-degradable).
It was also noted that plastics contain deadly chemicals that, if burnt can cause cancer.
It was noted that many schools disposed off the kaveera in their compounds by burning it together with other garbage.
“We have a local incinerator at Kigungu Primary School where we separate other rubbish from kaveera before burning it,†said the headmistress of the school.
The Municipal education officer, Deo Sekyole, called for good environment conservation practices and good working relationship between teachers and parents for the campaign to succeed. “We need to take parents on board, especially women who shop for their families,†he said.
The nine primary schools involved in the campaign are Lake Victoria, Kiwafu, Namate Primary, Entebbe Education Centre, Kigungu, St.Theresa, Entebbe Christian Academy, St. Joseph Katabi and Entebbe Junior Primary School.