SEVERAL secondary schools copped awards for their outstanding work in a school-based pilot solid waste management programme that followed the three ‘R’s’, which entailed reduction, reuse and recycling.An appreciation ceremony to mark the successful performances of participating schools was held yesterday at the Georgetown Club.
Beterverwagting Community High School rose to the occasion taking the top spot while other schools which received certificates and awards included Annandale Secondary, La Bonne Intention (LBI) Secondary, Covent Garden, Plaisance Secondary, Christ Church, East Ruimveldt and Friendship Secondary.
Guyana Lottery Company General Manager Tracy Lewis presented the certificates, cash vouchers and trophies. The lottery company will be sponsoring the next solid waste programme for schools in 2016.
The 15 participating schools were selected by the Education Ministry. The main objective of the project was to empower each school to effectively manage the solid waste they produced. Participating schools were also encouraged to extend their solid waste management activities into their respective communities.
ACTION PLAN
Each school was charged with developing an action plan where they brainstormed ideas to identify waste problems. The goals were to provide opportunities to minimise waste discharged from schools along with practicing proper waste disposal. Once the approach would have proven successful, it would be promoted by the ministry to be adopted countrywide.
The project was sponsored by Guyenterprise in collaboration with the Education Ministry, Ministry of Communities and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Project Manager Oliver Insanally said every school is a winner that participated but the schools which received awards were able to complete their solid waste projects in addition to points rewarded based on progression and sustainability.
“Each school picked several projects to work on and those projects that dealt mainly with the concept of separating waste and reusing waste and promoting proper solid waste management. Another key area was the appearance of the school compounds and the absence of littering,” Insanally noted.
Senior Education Officer in the Education Ministry, Gerald Jewram said that garbage always has a negative impact on society and Guyenterprise chose an opportune time to partner with the ministry to involve schools and students in learning to manage waste.
He said the message is about the three ‘R’s’ which entail reduction, reuse and recycling, representing actions that will enable better management of waste produced.