Koko Bora Bahizire, who has been a troop scouter for the First Port Natal sea scouts since 2013, said that he is passionate about working with the youth in assisting them with becoming good and responsible citizens as well as educating them on plastic pollution which he believes is a major problem in communities.
“The reason why plastic pollution is a major issue is because our communities are not well informed and educated about plastic pollution and its dangers. When we have a lot of plastics gathered in different areas around our communities, it brings a negative impact to our environment including the wildlife, local food production and water. If our ground is filled with plastics then how can we have good local production?” Bhazire said.
Bahazire said that people are using the river water to drink, cook, swim and to bathe in. He said that the rivers are contaminated with plastic pollution that can be dangerous to human health. “People are consuming the toxic foods such as fish and they do not realise how damaging it is to one’s body,” he said.
Bahizire said that society is living in a world where communities believe that recycling is only a duty for the eThekwini Municipality and government. “We live in a community where people still litter and throw plastic on the streets and they think why do we pay the people if we don’t litter. They feel as if the municipal workers will lose their jobs if there is no litter, meaning there will be no work for them,” he said.
Bahizire said that there will be an increase of awareness and behavioral change, if more youth are educated on pollution. “They can promote a change of mentality in becoming the #stopplasticpollution ambassadors in their communities,” Bahizire said. Bahizire said that First Port Natal sea scouts welcomes people from the age of five to join the organisation to make a positive impact in the communities. “Those who join can expect to enjoy challenging activities and make a positive impact on their communities with the belief that they can and are changing the the world in order to leave it in a much better place than how they found it. 88 percent of our young people said that scouting helps them improve their key skills, including social skills, team work ability, leadership ability and 92 percent of our young people said scouting helped them build good relationships, and long- lasting friendships,” he said.
Those who wish to join can email Koko Bora Bahizire at addingtonscout@gmail.com
