Don Bosco Elementary School hosts workshop on protecting the environment

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Elementary School in Kigali, Rwanda, recently hosted the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to raise awareness about the benefits of non-motorized transportation. The GGGI team conducted a workshop to encourage students to adopt any mode of transportation that does not require the use of a motor vehicle.

During the workshop, GGGI members explained the environmental impact of motorized transportation and encouraged students to consider using bicycles. They also provided tips on how to stay safe when biking or walking on the road. Students were eager to learn more about how to make a difference in their community.

Other Salesian students in Kigali have had a focus on their environmental impact and have been engaging in activities to help the planet. In April, the Don Bosco Gatenga Green Club participated in clean-up work to protect the environment. Students collected plastic and other non-biodegradable waste that degrade natural resources, including the water and soil. Most of this waste is thrown into the water channel by people upstream, and it ends up spreading downstream where it contributes to environmental damage. The students used their spare time to volunteer for this effort.

In addition, youth who train at the Don Bosco soccer field at the Scholasticat Kabgayi Oratory participated in a community volunteer effort to protect the environment. One Salesian coach said, “We always push every child at our center to understand their responsibility in environmental issues. Today, we learned about differentiating rotting and composting waste and storing it differently. We learned how non-biodegradable waste could damage soil and plants.”

After bravely overcoming the trauma of the 1994 genocide, Rwandans looking to transform their country have made remarkable progress. Still, much remains to be done. Close to 39% of Rwandans live in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rwanda is a rural, agrarian country with about 35% of the population engaged in subsistence agriculture with some mineral and agro-processing. Many of the country’s orphaned children are the tragic result of a violent civil war. Half of all children drop out of primary school and 2.2 million people — 22% of the population — face critical food shortages.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Rwanda – Raising students’ awareness of non-motorized transportation

Salesians of Don Bosco AGL Province

Salesians of Don Bosco AGL Province Facebook

Salesian Missions – Rwanda

RWANDA: Students protect the environment

UNICEF – Rwanda