Nepal Jesuit Social Institute initiated a movement called “Save Our Planet” which gave young enthusiast from different schools a platform to serve their community by protecting and maintaining a healthy environment and also developing themselves as mindful youths. A group of executive board members which is commonly known as Eco-club, are formed in each school and then they conduct eco-friendly program such as Cleanliness campaign, Plantation of trees, Recycling/reuse, Fund raising, Media, and Documentation respectively. NJSI also had an exposure program to Tarumitra in which they were guided about environmental issues and activities related to conservation of environment outside the country.
To empower the students to participate and take up meaningful environment activities and projects, NJSI is continuously working with these school. Follow-ups are being done to enhance the communication on those environmental projects. On 23rd August 2019, Eco-club follow-up was done at Shree Mahalaxmi Secondary School, Lalitpur with 40 students. Essay competition and drawing completion were organized in order to know the kind of significance students have towards environment after the establishment of eco-club and the exposure program. Similarly, on 27th August follow-up was done at Azad Secondary School, Banepa and on 28th August at Shree Bhagwati Secondary School, Kavre with 41 and 64 students respectively.
Students were quite cooperative and sincere toward their responsibility in protecting the environment. They had some plantation and cleanliness program throughout the year. The participants from Tarumitra exposure program also helped the school and other students with more ideas on cultural values and activities related to the environment. Shree Mahalaxmi Secondary School’s student had an amazing and innovative activity of plantation in which they planted flower pots inside and outside the school. Every class had bottle pots which made the classroom look beautiful and welcoming.
This initiative has surely left some impact on people and NJSI believes that Save Our Planet (SOP) will provide a wonderful opportunity to help generate awareness, build attitudes and enable students to take up activities in the real world, in a way that the constraints of the classroom and curriculum won’t allow.