By Spy Uganda
A section of Tooro youth through their organization of African Young Environment Activist (AFRIYEA) earlier this week launched a campaign to free their treasured town from plastics and polythene bags last year in September.
AFRIYEA is a youth-led organization aiming at using different ways to motivate and inspire the young generation to pioneer in conserving the environment. Its sole purpose is to promote environment-friendly activities such as environmental sports, urban farming, clean energy saving stoves, monthly city cleaning activities, plastic recycling, and tree planting among others.
The organization’s campaign has been appreciated by all the stakeholders in the town. Among the dignitaries that have joined this move include the Bishop of Rwenzori Diocese, Chairman LCV Kabarole district, the City Mayor, and youth-led organizations like Everybody’s kitchen, ACODEV, RwenzoriAid, Kabarole Discovery tours, AADI enterprise, and many others that was initiated by the youth.
This campaign was initiated following the increase of too many plastics and polythene bags on both the streets and riverbanks of Mpanga which the youth thought could end up turning the town from being a green town into a plastic
“We live in a plastic age where we’re surrounded by plastic products that are easy to get and easy to throw away. Be it food packets, toys, storage packing, furniture or electronic items, plastics are so widely used that imagining our lives without them is impossible,” said Isaiah Mwesige CEO AFRIYEA.
”We are seeing heaps of fibres from sewage outfalls, fragments from the breakup of larger plastics, such as packaging items and bottles, sanitary pads, balloons, elastic bands and carrier bags lying different areas of Fort-portal city and river Mpanga clogging it,” said Comfy Kiwanuka from Everybody’s Kitchen.
Following the success in their previous campaign, the youth are now focusing on the forthcoming ”APRIL CLEANING” campaign which is aimed at a larger number of participants so that they can increase on their capacity of collecting as many plastics as possible to ensure they keep the beautiful Tourism City and River Mpanga the longest river in Rwenzori region free from plastics and polyethylene.
All this is aimed towards achieving an eco-friendly tourism city which is free from pollution with fresh and welcoming air to the potential tourists.
