“Trash and plastic waste make our community dirty and unhealthy. A clean-up campaign helps to make the area cleaner and safer, it also teaches our community to keep the area clean and stop littering. Collecting and recycling plastic helps to protect the environment”, explain the Rovers of the Goldfields Eagles Rover Crew in Welkom in the Free State.
The Goldfields Eagles Rover Crew recently joined the National UN Plastic Tide Turners Challenge and cleaned up the Nanabolela Secondary School Media Centre because they realised that it’s not healthy for learners to study in an environment that is not clean. “Today it was not only about cleaning up or collecting plastic bottles, it was about teamwork, making our community clean and safe for humans and animals”, says Gumbi. Fellow Rover Relebohile agrees and adds, ““Thank you to everyone who showed up to clean the centre, it feels really good to make a difference in our community”.
In addition to cleaning up the media centre, the Rovers also collected plastic bottles and took them to a recycling company. With the money they received, they helped a family that was struggling. “I’m so happy that our small contribution was able to bring a smile and happiness to a family in need” says Rover Noma.
The Rovers learnt the importance of keeping their environment clean and the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic waste. They also learnt how pollution harms human health, nature and animals. “Teamwork, planning, and community participation make a big difference.”