By Edward Makuzva
THE Zimbabwe United Nations Association (ZUNA) is embarking on a 6 month project on clean up campaigns which educate communities on the importance of waste management in order to reduce disasters from land pollution.
Speaking at the Clean-up Campaign in Dzivarasekwa Extension, recently, ZUNA National Youth Vice President Shereen Nhodza said the 6 months project was mainly targeting Dzivarasekwa Extension, but ZUNA is planning to expand the project to different communities, educating and raising awareness about Disaster Risk Reduction.
Nhodza added the area does not have a certificate of compliance; hence there is no refuse collection by the City Council.
She said lack of resources to monitor and manage the environment.
“Council own its own cannot do everything. Vendors are all over so we have litter. Council on its own cannot afford to do what is enough so as part of the community, we are complementing the work being done by council. We should go and clean our environment as we cannot be well-dressed and live in a dirty place,” she told the volunteers drawn from Dzivarasekwa residents. Joining the effort were Zimbabwe government authorities and environmentalists,” said Nhodza.
Scores of people concerned by the indiscriminate disposal of garbage at the rural center spent three hours picking up litter, sweeping the road curbs and clearing an informal dumpsite created by residents on the outskirts of the location.
Women swept the dirt roads and picked rubbish while the men, armed themselves with shovels and rakes and braved the smelly dumpsite.
In Dzivarasekwa Extension there is a lot of littering and illegal waste dumping.
“Unmanaged waste or landfills which have exceeded their life span are also within the area, hence there was need to educate the residents and most importantly the youths on the importance of being responsible citizens who do not only wait for the responsible authorities to do the job, but people who are accountable to their environment”, Nhodza explained.
The day was commemorated under the theme “Cleaning the Environment and Sustainable Cities.”