The South East Education Division says it is important to impart knowledge of waste management to young people in order to raise a generation that will be cautious in protecting the environment.
The remarks were made on Saturday as ten secondary schools from Zomba Urban education district gathered at Zomba Catholic Secondary School to showcase some of the innovations and initiatives they are doing in waste management.
Speaking during the event, School Health and Nutrition Project Coordinator, Memory Modi, said the peer to peer meeting was organised as a way of letting the students learn from each other and come up with ways of how they can promote waste management in their schools as well as surrounding communities.
“At first the students were just taught how to throw away waste in bins. However, this time around they have been drilled on how to sort the waste and make products from it that can be reused,” explained Modi.
Deputy Headmaster for Zomba Secondary School, Paul Ntoliro, said as the country is working towards achieving Malawi2063, it is also crucial to instill environmental management skills in young people as climate change affects every person regardless of their background.
“Students need to be informed that no matter how important a person is in society, if waste is not managed in his surroundings including his home or workplace, that person is regarded as irresponsible,” stressed Ntoliro.
Darren Kaluma, a Form Two student at Zomba Catholic Secondary School, said the Waste Management Club at his school has helped them to be ambassadors of fighting pollution.
“I decided to join the club because I saw that in Malawi people were suffering from preventable diseases which come as result of lack of information on waste management,” he said.
Another student from Sadzi Community Day Secondary School, Vanessa Blazio said the Waste Management Club has also taught them entrepreneurship skills which will come handy in future.
“Not all of us are going to get jobs once we finish school. I am happy that the club has been teaching us that recycling waste can be a source of income too,” explained Blazio.
During the meeting, students mounted different pavilions which showcased things made from recycled waste such as charcoal, manure, mops and doormats, among other.
