In an attempt to keep the environment clean and safe the Kensington Factreton Residents and Ratepayers Association (KFRRA) will be approaching surrounding Kensington schools to involve children to participate in their ‘Clean Up’ campaign. KenFac Ratepayers illegal dumping subcomittee chairperson Leslie Swartz said the initiative strives to keep the environment clean through education. Swartz believes that targeting the youth through education of the dangers of waste dumping will assist them to inherit clean habits.

“We hope to reduce illegal waste dumping by 15% and with continuous education and clean up campaigns there will be a difference in illegal waste dumping,” said Swartz.

The association in conjunction with the City of Cape Town are working together to bring public awareness programme to educate the youth through drama skits and tours of waste dump sites.

“The education department makes available a department called the public awareness that comes to schools and that is what we were trying to do. We want to bring this issue across to adults and children to create a bigger impact,” said Swartz.

The initiative was sparked when the association visited spaza shops, schools and open fields and saw children loitering around.

“We saw a lot of litter at shops, outside schools and fields and this made us decide to get the youth involved,” said Swartz.

The association hopes to recruit schools to assist in cleaning up the Kensington area.

The amount of child volunteers is restricted as it cannot exceed adult volunteers. The current initiative is on a voluntary basis but offers an income opportunity for the homeless, unemployed and the destitute on one Saturday once a month. The initiative receives little funding and runs on donations from companies and residences in the area.

Parents are urged to not only to encourage their children to assist but to lead by example.

“If the parents can see the children as the drivers of change and encourage the children to participate the issue of litter can be tackled,” added Swartz. VOC (Nailah Cornelissen)