Voluntary Youth for Environment: ” Cleaning our homes, one way to protect our environment”

This 26th October 2013, Voluntary Youth for Environment have organized community development work at Mutanga Campus. The main objective was to sensitize students about the importance of protecting the environment through cleaning the Campus surrounding areas.-By Yves -Didier Irakoze

Youth participating dynamically in community development work activities at Mutanga Campus.©Iwacu

According to Onésime Ndayisenga, Chairman of Voluntary Youth for Environment association, the activities of cleaning the areas through community development work at the University of Burundi (Mutanga Campus) were one of the ways to urge people to clean their living places for environment protection. “The choice of Mutanga Campus at the University of Burundi is very meaningful as the youth are the light of the country i.e. the future leaders of the nation. Young people especially students at the university should initially be aware of the importance of development work activities in the community for durable and sustainable good and healthy environment.” points out Ndayisenga.
The activities were organized by members of Voluntary Youth for Environment who invited Scout members belonging to Saint Olave and Saint Raphaël Groups, as well as those from “Centre Visionnaire de Buterere” and students from Mutanga Campus. Ariane Ntamubano shares Ndayizeye’s view saying that the activities have been launched in order to tackle the issue of insalubrities in Mutanga Campus. She also states that the aim is to cultivate the students’ leadership spirit and awareness about the ecosystem in the society.
“It was also an occasion to invite youth to focus on how they must care about a sustainable management of natural resources and renewable energies,” declares Ntamubano. She also quotes Baden Powell who said that: “Leave this world a little better than you found it”Then it’s up to the youth to protect their environment and be conscious that this Earth is their own; they have a must to protect it and follow the example of other countries that have already reached a big step.

Burundi University students praise the initiative

According to Esperance Niyonkuru, students in the Faculty of Economy were happy to notice there are some youth who are committed to protecting the environment and see others from several associations participate in Mutanga Campus activities while they don’t belong to the community. She highlights that every youth wherever they are, should be involved in environment protection very much because it their concern as tomorrow’s Burundi leaders. Ndayizeye calls upon the government to take care of the environment and administrative authorities to give good examples of protecting our nature. Niyonkuru also asks the youth to be more dynamic to fight for healthy environment.