My School Is Not A Garbage Can, a youth initiative in Benin

On Friday, April 27, 2018, the Benin Youth Parliament for Water (RB/PMJE), launched the project "My School Is Not a Garbage Can" (MENUP) at Godomey College. An initiative supported by CWP Benin as the technical partner and coach of the RB/PMJE.

The MENUP project funded by the International Secretariat for Water (ISW) and the Guinean NGO TINKISSO, is one of the projects that was selected among the three (03) best Francophone youth projects by ISW during the Regional Youth workshop organized in Ouagadougou in December 2017.

The project will teach students about waste management practices and how to improve their living conditions and sensitize the saleswomen around the schools to adopt the right hygienic behavior. This will involve abandoning the use of plastic bags that degrade soil and water in favor of bio-degradable bags. As part of this project, students will be educated to sort waste for recycling. In the same vein, the project will provide each selected school with 16 waste bins to help sort waste. This will contribute to respect for the environment and a healthy living environment.

Two schools are involved in the implementation of the project. They are le Méridien college and Godomey college. Mrs BIOKOU Aurore, representative of CWP Benin, Mr Bernard LAHAMY Director of CEG Godomey, Mr Bertin BOSSOU of the Ministry of the living environment came to support young people at the launchin ceremony. The event was also attended by members of the school children family association, students and saleswomen from the school canteen, the ProseHa/GIZ representative, and representatives of sister environmental youth organizations.

The implementation of the project will be based on the "Zero Waste in Schools" clubs made up of students, which will be set up in the coming days in each of the two schools. The cleanest school competition will be held at the end of the six-month project.