Africa-Press – Gambia. The National Environment Agency (NEA) Tuesday handed over assorted cleansing materials to 24 schools under its “Catch Them Young” Environmental Outreach Program.
The donated materials which were given out by NEA’s Environmental Education and Communication Unit (EE&C) were meant to promote cleanliness and instil environmental responsibility in schoolchildren.
The presentation ceremony, held at the NEA headquarters in Kanifing, was organized in collaboration with the West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project, funded by the World Bank, which focuses on restoring and protecting the Kotu Stream and its surroundings from flooding and pollution.
In his opening remarks, Sheikh Alkinky Sanyang, Senior Program Officer at the NEA’s EE&C Unit, said the initiative aims to nurture a generation of environmentally conscious citizens through practical school-based activities. “The Catch Them Young strategy is about building responsibility early. We want our schools to be clean, green, and models of environmental care,” he said. He announced that each participating school will receive five trash bins, five wheelbarrows, and five rakes to support daily cleaning and greening efforts.
Representing the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), Deputy Permanent Secretary Adama Jobe hailed the partnership as “a timely and practical step” that complements the ministry’s environmental education programs. “Waste management remains a serious challenge in many schools. This support will go a long way in improving hygiene and shaping positive attitudes among students,” she said.
Also speaking, Senior Education Officer Ansumana Nying, who represented the Director of Region One Education, described the gesture as a significant boost to the ministry’s ongoing efforts to integrate environmental learning into school life. “Environment is everyone’s business,” he said. “These tools will help schools manage waste better and strengthen what teachers are already doing in classrooms to promote environmental awareness.”
Lamin Camara, Director of Intersectoral Services at NEA, emphasized that tackling environmental issues requires collective responsibility. “The flooding around the Kotu Stream is largely caused by human activity. With these materials, we are encouraging schools to manage waste properly and protect their surroundings,” he stated.
The WACA Project supports The Gambia’s broader efforts to strengthen resilience against flooding and coastal degradation while promoting sustainable urban growth.
The event ended with NEA’s commitment to distribute the labeled materials to all 24 schools next week to kickstart the new phase of the Catch Them Young initiative.
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