DILI, 08 june 2022 (TATOLI)—The United States Development Agency (USAID) is providing more support for the total of 5,000 biodegradable bags to Santa Madalena de Canossa schools as a measure of mitigation and adaptation to combat climate change.
The bags are useful for the “Green School” program, which is implemented by the Secretariat of State for Environment (SEA).
“The United States through the USAID Tourism for All Project helps Timor-Leste in implementing National Tourism Policy. Today, USAID provided 5,000 reusable canvas bags to help facilitate the ban on single-use plastic bags to the Canossa School community,” said USAID Mission Director Zema Semunegus at Canossa Haslaran School this wednesday.
The national tourism policy includes the five are five P’s, Priority, Prosperity, Protection, Partnership, and People, while the partnership with the Canossian School focuses on the third P-Protection.
This effort was inspired by the Government of Timor-Leste’s Zero Plastics Policy. It also engages SEA to raise awareness about the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling, since Timor-Leste’s natural environment suffers from an enormous amount of plastic waste. Clogged drains from single-use plastic are one of the root causes of the Easter floods.
Government Plastic Zero Plastic’s policy addresses the plastic waste challenge in Timor-Leste, this initiative aims to educate young people about the risks using single-use plastics can pose to their lives and future.
SEA State Secretariat Demetrio Amaral said the initiative also brought together good practices from ASEAN countries on successful Green School models to help educate students and parents on how to reduce, reuse and recycle single-use plastics.
“This initiative also supports the Government of Timor-Leste in implementing a zero plastic policy,” he said.
The expected outcome is to promote collaboration and partnership with all environmental stakeholders to discuss and share key elements for the implementation of the Green School Program in Timor-Leste.
“This small step will help encourage and motivate other schools to follow in his footsteps. We are grateful to Canossa School for being committed to participating in the Escola Verde Program,” he said.
It is estimated that more than 2,000 kilograms of plastic waste are generated in schools throughout Timor-Leste every day, due to the lack of awareness from students about the impact of plastic that can damage the environment and pose risks to human health.
The General Director of the Sta Madalena de Canossa School, Elvina Martins Brito, appreciates the support from USAID and SEA that helps them reduce waste in schools.
“This bag is very useful. We can provide information to them not to use plastic if they want to shop, they can also share this information with their families,” he explained.
He said that currently, the school has more than 4000 students ranging from Kindergarten Schools, Elementary Schools, High Schools, and Universities.
For this reason, the school took the initiative to add learning materials about the environment to increase students’ awareness of the importance of the environment for humans.
Journalist: Cidália Fatima
Editor: Armandina Moniz
Translation: José Belarmino De Sá
