adminAdio AddieTee Dinika Cool Travel writer
I felt like closing my eyes but couldn’t do that. I had to pick my way as I skipped from rock-to-rock to avoid immersing my Converse tenderfoots in the murky waters flowing in the streets, puddles of dirty water and human excreta from burst pipes which were all over. One would be mistaken for thinking they were at the sewage works.
No this is just one common site in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. Our rivers are fast turning into bad smelling water bodies. Harare, once the sunshine city, is now full of litter. Harare Gardens has become deplorable, one needs a face mask and a sizeable amount of courage to walk through it, let alone take time to relax in it.
The situation has spiralled out of control. Something needs to be done, but by whom? For whom? For what? Much has been said about how lethargic and unconcerned today’s youth are as far as issues which do not concern them on a very personal basis like fast cars, electronic gadgets. But this is the time to prove the haters wrong.
The tourism industry is based on the natural environment, our flora and fauna is what makes us unique as a tourism destination. When one thinks of visiting Zimbabwe, they think of Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, the big five, the 2000 plus bird species. Of course we have good hotels and the jacaranda streets of Harare but the most prized asset we have as a country is our natural resource base.
If the madness and environmental degradation which is taking place is allowed to continue, soon we won’t have a tourism industry to talk about.
One philosopher once remarked that “we do not inherit the resources from our forefathers but rather we borrow it from our children”. We cannot let people without a future decide our future for us. We have to take an active part in conserving our environment and the future of our industry.
It is now time to do something. What can teens do?
- Form environmental clubs at schools and in communities where they discuss issues to do with the environmental conservation
- Engage in clean-up campaigns, de-littering the streets and schools
- Be green ambassadors, preaching the gospel of environmental conservation
- Be movers in creating sustainable gardens and tree planting in the communities
- Lobby for tougher laws on those who litter and degrade the environment
- Engage in edutainment activities to do with tourism and the environment
- Organise debates and songs on tourism and the environment
- Join Zimbabwe youth in tourism and add to the voice in advocating for environmental conservation
- Stop littering now
One need not necessarily be a politician, businessman or activist to bring about positive change in the world. All it needs is one person, YOU, to play your part.
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