Children Lobby for a Cleaner Environment
Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) has great potential to become a sought-out tourism destination, but the garbage and debris scattered across the landscape threatens to destroy its chances according to a public opinion survey conducted by USAID. Over one-third of respondents mentioned tourism as the economic sector with the highest potential. At the same time, the littered environment was cited as one of the top three obstacles to the growth of tourism.
In response to the survey’s findings, USAID initiated the “Clean is Beautiful” public awareness campaign.
“Cleaning up the environment is not just the responsibility of the powers that be. The task belongs to all of us—from the smallest child on up to senior citizens. We all have a duty to act responsibly to preserve the natural beauty of BiH,” said Vladimir Milin, a USAID project officer who helped oversee the campaign.
USAID recognized that the most effective way to change a society’s habits and mindset is to start with its youngest citizens. As a result, the project funded a program implemented by the Center for Environmentaly Responsible Development (COOR) in four primary schools in Banja Luka, Sanski Most, Bugojno, and Sarajevo.
The program included a set of workshops focused on recycling, waste management and other environmental issues. Based on what they had learned, children prepared essays, drawings and paintings. Their works were displayed in “ecology corners” along their school hallways and later in public displays organized in all four towns. During the displays, children, dressed in “Put the Right Thing in the Right Place” T-shirts, and distributed campaign leaflets to citizens.
“Truly, ‘clean is beautiful’—but clean is also essential for the health and wealth of Bosnia-Herzegovina,” remarked Jane Nandy, USAID/BiH Mission Director.
 |
| USAID Mission Director Jane Nandy looks on as schoolchildren show their support for a cleaner environment. |
Back to Top ^ |
