Littering continues to be a prevalent issue in various areas, starting from our homes and neighborhood hot spots to buses, cars, streets, and town centers. This pervasive disregard for cleanliness has become a common practice in daily life, where waste is carelessly discarded, contradicting the initially neat and organized environments we attempt to maintain, particularly during festivities and gatherings.
Addressing this issue calls for education beginning at home, reinforcing clean living habits such as tidying up first thing in the morning and again in the evening after school. There is a need to restore the tradition of parental guidance at home.
At present, some may find it acceptable to see trash lying around, stepping over it without giving it a second thought. During a school engagement in a local village, students initially reported that their environment was clean. However, after a short exercise where they were asked to collect waste around the village, they returned with bags full of garbage, exposing the reality of their living conditions.
This awareness exercise underlines a significant challenge currently faced: prioritizing waste management over cleanliness. Community, religious, and governmental efforts must unite in addressing this issue.
Simply observing and advising someone disposing of trash improperly can be a powerful tool for behavioral change. If the message is communicated correctly, individuals are likely to recognize the importance of responsible waste management and adjust their actions accordingly.
In Fiji, communal efforts towards cleaning streets and villages are vital. Everyone needs to be open-minded, observant, proactive in taking steps towards cleanliness, and committed to sustainable practices like recycling.
Who opposes cleanliness? Who prefers the sight and odor of waste? Let’s support a clean and indigenous way of life by promoting trash collection, recycling, and transforming waste into valuable resources.
Consider the ABCs of life — eating, drinking, breathing, peace, friendship, conversation — and add waste management to that list. This reflects true cleanliness. Stay blessed.