Save the children and Ekopak implemented project "Schools as green zones"
At the beginning of this year, the organization Save the Children launched the project "Schools as green zones - increasing readiness for climate change in the education sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina" with the aim of developing awareness in local communities about the importance of improving waste management, monitoring air pollution as well as dealing with the negative impact of climate change.
The project was realized in partnership with Ekopak, which is the first authorized operator for packaging waste management in Bosnia and Herzegovina and implemented in partnership with two primary schools in the Sarajevo Canton: Elementary School "Mirsad Prnjavorac" from Vogošća and Elementary School "Stari Ilijaš" from Ilijaš.
In schools, interactive trainings were organized for school students on the topic of packaging waste management with a special emphasis on children's participation while encouraging imagination and the development of their critical thinking. Schools were also given donations of eco bins - sets of bins for separate collection of packaging waste and in the near future equipment for measuring the level of air pollution will be delivered and installed.
On this occasion, today the final manifestation was organized in the elementary school "Stari Ilijaš", where a mini-campaign created by the students was presented, with the aim of encouraging discussion about climate change and environmental protection in their communities.
Dragan Livčanin, project coordinator of the "Save the children" organization, said that the wider local community will also benefit from this project, in addition to students and teachers.
"Teachers and students had the opportunity to learn through various workshops and trainings how to reduce climate change, i.e. how to reduce society's impact on it. One of the topics was waste recycling, where they had workshops on how to separate waste in terms of paper, plastic and other waste. They now have waste sorting bins in the school and they collect the waste and they work to reduce the waste that ends up in landfills and can be recycled. In addition, we got them sensors for measuring air pollution where they will be able to see every day how polluted the air is in and around the school so that they can possibly wear masks and ventilate the space. The goal is to generally work to reduce air pollution. With the bins and sensors, the wider local community will benefit as well, where they will be able to bring waste and see the level of air pollution," said Livčanin.
Rijad Tikveša, the educator of the ECO team of "Stari Ilijaš" Elementary School, points out that the creativity of students is an inspiration to everyone.
"Our goal was to introduce the students at the beginning of what global environmental problems are, what is happening and what can happen in our country, how we suffer from climate change, what are the problems of improperly disposed waste. After each workshop, the children had the task of identifying such problems in their local community. We were pleasantly surprised by the details they recognized and presented to us in a modern way. They themselves came up with a campaign to ride bikes against climate change, they came up with various slogans, they made an excellent video about waste recycling that is really worth watching. Indeed, their creativity is an inspiration for us too, and we should listen to them," Tikveša pointed out.
By symbolic riding on bicycles, scooters and wheelbarrows, the students pointed out the problem of pollution in their city as well as current climate change.