Green Festival

Having done a successful environmental training in the two schools on Waste Management, Water Pollution and Culture and the Environment, the organization ended the training with a festival that involved displays of the practical and theoretical understanding of the pupils on the various topics.

The festival was done in Five star primary school with the guests being those from Kanyorosha primary school and Kangemi resource center. These schools are located in Kangemi slum area.

Our main objective is Environmental Education and Awareness Program.

This project was expected to increase the number of children, parents and teachers in the community based conservation initiative through education and equipping the community with skills and empower them.

It was concluded that waste was both good and bad depending on the type, amount and management methods. Moreover due to the high population, it is inevitable to produce waste. However, these wastes should be limited and proper management methods imposed to ensure a clean and healthy environment.

There were various performances lined up for the day. These included poems, skits, songs, drawings, models and a debate. All these performances were meant to send a message about the environment without necessarily involving lecture method.

We began with a debate which was on the topic, “Is waste good or bad?” This debate was of great importance because we needed to find out if the pupils have actually grasped the content on waste management which they had been taught for the past 3 months.

The debate was between Kanyorosha and Five star Primary schools.

The opposes and proposers gave points such as:

Waste such as kitchen refuse can be used to make manure for the crops
Plastic wastes cause blockage of sewage lines, their chemicals have the ability to cause cancers.
Toilet waste can be used to make manure
Bad waste in the rivers lead to death of aquatic life like fish
Plastics can be recycled to make good products like, recycled Tetra packs have been used to construct toilets in Five star and Kanyorosha schools

Having done all the training and analyzed the issues around the community, the following solutions were suggested by the organization:

Due to high pollution within the Mau river, there ought to be a dumpsite within the community where they can comfortably put their rubbish. However due to the project of manure making that Five star is involved in, they could tap into the community’s good waste as a source of their manure.
The Kangemi Resource Centre, with the help of the organization can set up garbage cans within the rentals around the school from where they throw the good waste which is taken by Five star for their manure production
The two schools while trying to have a water collection and hand washing facility, the tank is too small, holding about 10 liters which is too little considering the number of pupils available at each school.
Five star can be connected to a manure production entity for better information and machinery to enable higher manure production ability
Environmental days, which is in the month of June, can be used to do a clean-up within the community.

The festival concluded with the members of the organization urging the pupils and teachers to practice their environmental friendly practices and avoiding the habits that degrade the environment. There was the vote of thanks from the head teachers of each school and we finished with reciting the slogan, ”Environment is Life”.