With numerous environmental challenges facing this West African nation, including climate change–resulting to irregular rainfall which is having a devastating impact on farmers–; coastal erosion, deforestation, desertification, loss of soil fertility and biodiversity, pollution and waste management, sometimes culminating in natural and environmental disasters, a young Gambian environmentalist has blamed the menace on Gambians’ attitudes.
Mr. Lamin Wiki Bojang, a native of Gunjur village in Kombo South, West Coast Region has attributed the ‘entire environmental negligence of Gambians’ to their ‘mindsets’ towards the environment.
He expressed his opinion during an exclusive interview via WhatsApp on May 9, 2021. Bojang said he’s into the ‘provision of clean and healthy environment’ through the setting up of a plastic recycling center in Gunjur as he was trained on waste management.
The Gunjur environmentalist deplores the frequent indiscriminate dumping of waste materials, especially plastic waste in the environment. He stressed that after attending a training on community-resilience and waste management, it was prudent for him to embark on such environmental crusade in a bit to protect the environment in his native settlement by recycling plastic wastes such as old tyres into something useful.
“People cannot separate waste into segments for easy disposals,” said Bojang who also engages in community sensitization on the importance of environmental consciousness, to promote healthy environment, while also making money from his recycling activity.
He noted that sensitizing people about separation of wastes into different trash-bins is daunting, admitting they have meager resources, coupled with lack of proper tools at their disposal; but also changing peoples’ attitudes is also not easy.
He told this medium: “My dream is to see my nation put more care towards the environment; it is not a tidy nation yet. We must concentrate on managing the waste that exists around us; no dumping and no littering should be a culture to ensure healthy a environment in the Gambia.”
Among Lamin Wiki’s plans, as he divulged, are to place trash-bins in every corner of Gunjur as well as continue his sensitization activities across Gunjur and satellite villages so as to enlighten the residents of the Kombo South settlements.
