Chronicle Editor
Natasha Sipindiye and Amanda Mlevu, Sunday News Reporters
MORE than 200 students from the Zimbabwe College of Professional Studies took part in Friday’s clean-up campaign with college authorities lauded for inculcating values of being responsible citizens in students by embracing national programmes that benefit the community.
The college held a clean-up campaign from 4th Avenue along Herbert Chitepo St to Leopold Takawira Avenue in Bulawayo with teachers and other members of staff joining their students. They joined other entities nationally in line with President Mnangagwa’s instructive declaration that every first Friday of a new month should be a clean-up campaign day.
Speaking to the Sunday News, the college principal, Ms Liana Mujachi said they have tried to normalise the “catch them young” phrase driven by the desire to see students appreciating and taking an active role in national programmes.
She said that way, students grow up to be responsible citizens and in view of the clean-up campaign, they learn not to just litter around but that the state of environment that they live in was their responsibility.
“We are excited to be doing the clean-up campaign with our students. We want to teach them to be responsible citizens, and not to litter around. I am glad that they have been co-operating since we started the campaign,” she said.
The Bulawayo City Council contributed tools for the clean-up campaign including brooms and plastic bags.
The students, however, faced challenges along the Herbert Chitepo and 6th Avenue commuter pick-up area where touts and taxi drivers were not co-operating. Nonetheless, one of the students, Aquino Dube expressed her excitement and gratitude to the school saying knowing the challenges associated with a dirty environment motivated her and others to partake in the clean-up campaign.
“This part of the city is very dirty so as Zimbabwe College we thought it was part of our responsibility to clean it as part of the national clean-up campaign. It is also our way to give back to the community,” said Dube.
Another student, Nonhlanhla Ncube, said as students they were happy to be part of something productive that was going to be of help to the community.
“We just want to inspire other people that cleanliness is next to godliness. We want people to grasp that we are all responsible for the environment that we live in and once people appreciate that they will be able to be motivated to do better,” she said.
Other community members also assisted the students in the clean-up by picking up papers and applauded the college for a great initiative that they said should be emulated by other education institutions in the city for the betterment of Bulawayo’s environments.
“This is a great initiative. Students should be taught the importance of cleanliness. These kids are responsible and the college is doing a great job in mentoring them.
“We have had problems with learners from around some schools who are only good at drinking alcohol and engaging in violence, they should pluck a leaf from Zimbabwe College,” said a resident Mr David Dube who joined in the clean-up saying he was motivated by the college students.
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