“This will pave the way for a cleaner and greener Zimbabwe, where every child can thrive in a healthy and sustainable environment. Special congratulations to Rufaro High School, John Tallach High School and Ruya High School. You stand as the top three in the secondary category and your achievements serve as an inspiration to all.

“In the primary category, our champions are St Paul’s Primary School, Madyangove Primary School and Hurungwe Primary School. Your dedication and commitment to environmental action are truly commendable,” the First Lady said.

The competition, she said, was not just about individual winners, but had also awakened many, hence the need to set more ambitious goals, collaborate, share expertise and empower others to join the movement.

“Together, let us push the boundaries of what we can achieve and build a legacy of environmental stewardship. Ladies and gentlemen, today we celebrate not just the winners of this competition but also the promise they represent. Let us take immense pride in the schools we honour today. They have set a powerful tone demonstrating that cleanliness is not just a chore, but an act of love for ourselves and our planet. I urge all schools to draw inspiration from these champions to nurture their environmental clubs and to join the fight for a healthier world,” she said.

Amai Mnangagwa challenged the corporate world, as drivers of the economy, to take a cue from Eversharp.

“Let us rewrite the narrative where environmental action isn’t just compliance but a catalyst for progress. Together, let us push the boundaries of what’s possible, propel our development agenda and build a nation where environmental stewardship is not just an aspiration, but also a reality. Remember, a clean, safe and healthy environment is not a privilege; it is a right,” she said.

During her interactive session with the learners, the mother of the nation asked whether drug abuse was prevalent in schools and some of the learners said “No”, while others said “Yes”.

“In the schools that I have visited, I am told that some schoolchildren are not coming to school anymore because they are addicted to drugs. Listen children: You are the leaders of tomorrow. We look up to you to look after us as your parents. As an individual, you should have good ambitions for your life. Don’t forget tomorrow you are going to be a parent.

“What type of parent are you going to be? Peer pressure in schools, bullying in schools. I am saying no to that, stop that at once,” she said.

She invited schoolchildren to discuss the dangers of having sexual relationships while still in school.

“At your age, that is inappropriate?” she said.

The learners concurred with Amai Mnangagwa that it is not good to get into sexual relationships before the right time.

She urged the learners to focus on their education, remain in school and stay away from drugs.

Then Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu (who was moved to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce later on the same day) said he felt honoured to recognise the incredible achievements of learners in the second edition of the Clean Schools Competition.

“The Clean Schools Competition aims to instil sustainable waste behaviour through a comprehensive whole school approach,” he said.

This approach, the minister said, empowers learners to champion proper waste management within their schools and ultimately, their communities.

“By promoting cleanliness, fostering responsibility for their surroundings, and encouraging recycling initiatives, we are laying the groundwork for a sustainable future.

“The breakdown of the useful waste streams comprises 32 percent compostable biodegradable, 25 percent paper, 18 percent plastics, six percent textiles, seven percent metals, two percent rubber and two percent glass, which are all recyclable,” he said.

Minister Ndlovu said he firmly believes that instilling a culture of treating post-consumer materials as resources would not only contribute to cleanliness but also afford learners new livelihood pathways,” he said.

Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Cde Ezra Chadzamira said his province felt honoured by the success of Rufaro High School.

“Your Excellency, we warmly welcome you to Masvingo province. This is an important programme for all learners as it aims to cultivate a culture of environmental consciousness within schools, thereby encouraging students to become active participants in waste management and sustainability practices.

“It also seeks to raise awareness about environmental issues and best practices among students, teachers, schools and communities. It encourages students to develop and implement creative approaches to waste management within their schools, thus fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

“Your Excellency, a total of 435 schools participated in the competition and 40 schools being from Masvingo province. Twenty schools reached the national level,” he said.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo paid tribute to Dr Mnangagwa for her commitment to environmental protection and conservation.

“Thank you Amai for being the patron of the environment, advocating clean spaces and zero waste management, an initiative that you have taken together with other global First Ladies through the signing of the Global Zero Waste Goodwill Declaration to implement sustainable waste management practices, on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2023.

“Your Excellency, Amai, we are gathered here to implement the zero waste movement campaign, which is your inventiveness and as the whole of Government, we are delighted with your work. Ladies and gentlemen, I want to acknowledge the invaluable partnerships that have made this initiative possible.

“We commend EMA and the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife for their dedication to the Catch Them Young programme, which lays the foundation for environmental awareness and action in our schools.

“Ladies and gentlemen, as you stand here today, let the inspiring efforts of the Clean Schools Competition resonate within you. It’s not just about awards and recognition, it is also about the powerful challenge issued to each one of us to become responsible stewards of our environment. The passion and dedication of our participating environmental clubs are a true testament to their commitment,” he said.

EMA director-general Mr Aaron Chigona said the zeal in the participation witnessed this year was humbling as it underscored the growing commitment to environmental stewardship among learners and youths.

“As the agency, we have a long-standing tradition of fostering environmental awareness through our Catch Them Young programme since its formation in 2009.

“Over the years, we have actively engaged our environmental school clubs as they pass various competitions, including debates, quizzes, conservation projects and in the past two years, the Clean Schools Competition. This competition came into being as a means to amplify the national clean-up programme.

“To that effect, l want to thank Eversharp so much for promptly coming on board to co-fund this competition with us and for remaining a true all-weather friend in advocating cleaner schools through cultivating responsible behaviour among learners,” he said.

Corporates and partners like Eversharp, Mr Chigona said, were critical in making his agency’s work impactful through resource pooling for effective implementation of programmes.

“We continue envisaging a scenario where more partners can come on board to strengthen the engagement of the young generation for the sole reason that when you educate a child, you educate a village and also shape the future.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the adage confirms that to educate a child is to turn walls into doors. To that end, let’s catch them young for them to explore opportunities that can take our nation forward as we forge to create the future we want in a clean, safe and healthy environment,” he said.

Eversharp representatives expressed gratitude as the competition is growing in leaps and bounds.

“We hope that the programme will continue to grow and in the process bring about positive behavioural change and innovation among our schoolchildren. They say if you want to touch the next generation, begin with the children today. We are the custodians of the natural environment in which we live, which we will pass on to our children and future generations,” he said.

Learners gave insights into what they were being taught.

Tinotenda Kagura, the vice secretary of Rufaro High School Environmental Management Club said: “We recycle scrap metal. When we enter the community doing clean-up campaigns and awareness campaigns, we collect waste and bring it here for reuse and recycling. We take metals and separate those that are malleable from those that aren’t.

“We melt the malleable ones. We are using them to make hoes and axes, which we then sell to the communities,” he said confidently.

Colleta Chimusaro also spoke about what they are doing to preserve the environment and turn waste into money.

“We have a cage that we use for waste separation. As a boarding school, we produce a lot of litter. We have a motto that goes: “There is money in waste”. As a club, our motive is to reduce litter. We take disused maheu containers, which we use to make pavers.

“The cans we collect are used to make aluminium pots. We sell some of them to the recycling centre in Masvingo. Our club is critical because we are reducing litter in many areas. We thank our mother, the First Lady, for promoting litter recycling as she made us understand that there is money in litter,” she said. – Sunday Mail