Wismar Hill Primary wins ECHO competition

Jun 13, 2012 News

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The Wismar Hill Primary School, of Wismar, Linden, defeated seven other schools in Region Ten to emerge winner of the ECHO Healthy Schools competition. It was awarded with a trophy, at a simple ceremony at the Egbert Benjamin Centre in Linden, where the participating schools had gathered for the presentation.

Mackenzie Primary and Christianburg Primary tied for the second spot, while Regma Primary took the fourth position. The three schools were presented with smaller replicas of the winning trophy.
Among those who graced the event were High Commissioner of Canada David Devine, Royston King, Executive Director of ECHO, Education Representative Carol Benjamin, Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon and Interim Management Committee Chairman Orrin Gordon. Teachers of the participating schools were also present with their charges.
The competition, under the theme, “The need for Clean and Healthy environment within Local Communities”, which involved eight schools in Region Ten, was run for one month.
Judging was done in six categories, and schools were visited on Thursday last, and adjudged points based on the cleanliness of their environment.
Director of ECHO, Royston King, told the gathering of excited students and teachers, that his organization is working to involve local communities in the conservation of local biodiversity and the areas natural resources.
He said that ECHO planted seventy trees in Thomas St Georgetown, two Saturdays ago, and plans to plant 100 trees in Amelia’s Ward, Linden where an environmental awareness park will be developed.
King noted that in 2007, twelve ECHO Clubs were formed in Primary Schools in Georgetown. A few months later  a further twelve schools were set up in Region three. According to the Director there are 50 ECHO Clubs in schools across Guyana.
“Groups of enthusiastic, environmentally concerned and socially committed students aged between 9-11 years are chosen to form an ECHO Club; For each new Club 25-35 students are registered and become members, as well as teachers who become ECHO Club coordinators,” he acknowledged.
King added that the teachers are responsible for the ECHO clubs in their Schools, and manage green activities, such as awareness and education programmes, growing trees, water conservation and purification, and recycling and cleaning up activities.
He underscored the objectives of the ECHO Clubs which are to create awareness  of biodiversity and local environmental issues, among school children, create a ‘clean and green consciousness’  through various innovative methods and to involve ECHO CLUB students in open orientation programmes in schools and public places.
In the first year, the students and their teachers are educated about the objectives of the Club, and training is provided through environmental education programmes(EEPS).
Once an ECHO Club is formed, all members are brought together and briefed about the environment, given an explanation of ECHO Club goals, and a description of the status and future of the natural environment, according to King.
Environmental bins are provided to all the schools in ECHO Clubs, and students are responsible for keeping their classrooms litter free.
Bins are collected regularly and the refuse disposed of properly, while once a week all ECHO Club members clean the school compound.
High Commissioner of Canada, David Devine, lauded the efforts of the students and exhorted them to continue to keep their environment clean.
He posited that the importance of a clean healthy environment cannot be overemphasized, because litter is very bad for our health, as it can be a breeding ground for disease causing insects like mosquitoes, cockroaches and rats.
The smell from accumulated garbage also causes much discomfort and inconvenience to residents, and cleaning up the mess, puts a strain on municipal and central governments budgets, Devine asserted.
Devine encouraged the children, to adapt a different attitude, to be positive and make the change.
“Speak to your friends and relatives about the importance of keeping the environment clean and healthy. Share what you know and encourage them to keep the environment clean. Dispose of garbage in bins and garbage bags; do not use plastic bags and Styrofoam boxes unnecessarily. Tell your parents to go to stores with cloth bags, instead of plastic bags, Lets make Guyana Shine!” he exhorted, and had the students repeat after him, “Lets make Guyana shine!”
Both the IMC Chairman Orrin Gordon and Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon lauded the initiative, and encouraged the children to continue to help keep the environment clean.
Gordon noted that the environment is a very important part of our lives, and that the challenge taken by king was a ‘huge one’. He added that the community is very ‘challenged’ with dust and water pollution.
Most of the water consumed in Linden, comes from the river and surface sources, which means whatever pollution exists on the surface, ends up in the water, Gordon emphasized, while noting that even though the water is treated, there are times when enough of the chemicals needed for purification is not always available in the desired quantities.
“Whatever we do impacts on the quality of water we get,” he declared.
Gordon further stated that he hoped the ECHO Club would be taken to the Secondary level, so that in time students would be able to educate and encourage their parents to keep the environment clean and tidy.
In the next three weeks ECHO is expected to launch over fifty clubs in Regions One, Two, Five and Seven.
Then in August, more than 150 ECHO Club students from different Regions, will meet to evaluate their work and share best practices, Executive Director Royston King told the media.

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