The Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC) has announced a $100,000 package to support school children to learn more about sanitation and the need to protect the environment.
The Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, who made the announcement, indicated that Zoomlion was also sensitising school children more through its Zoomkids.
“The whole idea of Zoomkids is to catch the kids young and educate them on good sanitation practices and hygiene,” he explained.
Dr Agyepong made the announcement at the launch of Waste Water Education organised by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) yesterday in Accra.
According to him, through Zoomkids, the waste management company inculcates the culture of sanitation and hygiene into children.
He said since its inception in 2008, Zoomlion Foundation can boast of about 526 Zoomkids in various schools in the country.
In 2016, he said, Zoomkids organised a quiz competition where a young girl emerged as the winner and was sponsored to Dubai to continue her education.
“The 2022 winner will be sent to Hungary for further studies,” he disclosed.
Dr. SiawAgyepong gave a firm assurance that Zoomlion would also continue to sponsor schools that have Zoomkids with facilities to aid them in learning as well.
The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs Cecilia AbenaDapaah, cautioned farmers against farming on the banks of water bodies in the country and urged them to put an end to such practice.
She said stopping such a practice would contribute to prevention of pollution of water bodies.
She emphasised that, the fight against illegal mining (popularly known as galamsey) was a collective commitment, hence urged Ghanaians to support the government on that front.
“We should all help fight against the few selfish people who want to destroy our water bodies and lands,” she charged.
The galamsey war, she asserted, cannot be won without the support of Ghanaians, stressing that, it was crucial that “we start inculcating good sanitation practices and protection of our water bodies and environment into our children.”
This, she pointed out, will sink deep into the minds of children to consciously and always protect the environment.
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Pureco Group, MrBalint Horvath, stated that it was important for such programmes to be organised to protect Ghana’s environment.
He lamented the damage galamsey was causing to Ghana’s environment and water bodies.
“Pureco Group seeks to let children know the importance of sanitation and hygiene through games. We want to bring a new way or alternative way of teaching in Ghanaian classrooms on sanitation and hygiene,” he added.
Mr Balint Horvath indicated that his outfit was in collaboration with Zoomlion to organise other projects aimed at helping the country to safeguard its environment.