GREEN-UG | TESO COLLEGE | PLASTICS | LEARNING AIDS 

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues as the rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them. 

Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, and directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods, food production capabilities, as well as social well-being. 

To save the community of Teso from that challenge, students of Teso College Aloet (TCA) have taken a keen interest in finding a solution to addressing plastic pollution. 

Teso College students showing a fishing basket made out of polythene bags

Environmental club takes the lead

Students, under the umbrella of their environmental club, have turned plastic materials into learning materials. 

“We have been able to make musical instruments out of empty plastic bottles of soda that people dump on the roadsides and streets,” Stanley Kasuzi, a Senior Two student, said. 

Kasuzi, who held a sample of a bow harp, locally known as an Adungu, made out of an empty one-liter soda bottle, said they learned the art of making musical instruments after joining the environment club. 

Students weeding their young forest of pine trees

Whenever there is a party at school, the learners pick up empty bottles and keep them for making other learning materials, such as wind vanes, musical instruments, and fishing baskets. 

“We always watch these students come to our trading center to collect empty bottles,” said Solomon Otim, a resident of Dakabela. 

Deathtrap 

According to National Geographic, plastics kill millions of animals every year, from birds to fish, and other marine organisms. 

Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by plastic. 

Efforts by the environmental club of TCA to champion the collection of plastics at school and in the community are the only way the world can get rid of these deadly plastics. 

TCA, which is 70 years old, is one of the beneficiaries of the Green School project. 

The project is being implemented by Vision Group, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with financing from the Embassy of Sweden. 

Club achievements 

Apart from plastics, the club has focused on improving the green cover that has become bare over the years. Last year, the school planted 12 acres of pine trees that the students now look after. 

The young forest is replacing the mature forest. Kenneth Ekalo, the school farm manager, said his work has been made easier by the club members, who have dedicated time to weeding the forest. 

Students standing next to an energy-saving stove they made

“In our young forest, we use a method called zero tillage, where we do spot weeding to avoid exposing the young trees to sunlight,” Ekalo said. 

For the past four months in Teso, the region suffered a dry spell that has been blamed on charcoal burning. 

“We no longer have reliable rains because our environment has been highly degraded." "Efforts by school environmental clubs to restore the environment are in the right direction, so more and more institutions should join,” Shabella Agodo, the chief executive officer of Green Teso Initiative, said. 

She joined Climate Hub International to plant 10,000 trees in Teso to boost existing efforts, such as those of TCA.

Ekalo said they resolved to plant pine trees because they can withstand termites. 

“We are impressed that the learners have embraced the club, where they participate in the activities willingly,” said Ben Obu, the patron of the club. 

Obu, who has spent twelve years at TCA, noted that the club is over 30 years old and that students who have gone through TCA have taken the issue of preserving the environment in their villages seriously. 

“I also started my nursery bed of eucalyptus trees, mangoes, citrus, and lemon that I was able to sell and get the money that supported me at school,” said Collins Bogere, a Senior Three student, who hails from Majansi in Busia district. 

Bogere explained that he has more seedlings that are ready for sale. 

“I would not have ventured into tree planting if it were not for the knowledge I got from our environment club,” Bogere said. 

Vincent Fred Ssennono, a lead researcher at the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, said over 90% of households use wood fuel for cooking. 

Ssennono urged the National Environment Management Authority to devise means to reduce the depletion of forests in the country. 

Energy-saving stoves 

The club has also ventured into making energy-saving stoves that the school has adopted. The learners have also taken that knowledge to their homes, where they make energy-saving stoves for their parents. 

“Through our club, we discovered that energy-saving stoves are one way of mitigating environmental degradation,” said Francis Ochan, a club member. 

Jennifer Angwaro, a teacher, said the learners have learned the skill of tree propagation. 

She is impressed that besides the class knowledge, students will complete the education cycle when they are equipped with knowledge that can enable them to survive in their villages. 

“Our students manage our forests without being pushed or doing the work as a punishment,” she said. 

Jonathan Okiror, the head of the school kitchen garden, said: “We are about to transplant our tomatoes from the nursery bed to the garden.”