Keep our environment clean for healthy living

By Daniela Mary Kabira

In our country Kenya, there are many garbage pits around our environment. When we walk through the streets of Nairobi city county we all see garbage thrown everywhere. For example, we see plastic bottles, metallic waste, busted sewage pipes vomiting bad smell, we even see old, dirty and torn clothes and shoes strewn everywhere.

When it rains, the water washes this waste into rivers. Our rivers are dirty because of garbage and sewage. People get sick because of drinking dirty water. We should clean our environment to be healthy.

Everyone needs a clean environment. We should clean the rivers. Cleanliness starts at home by cleaning your house and putting garbage in the right place. One of the ways is re-using the waste. Plastic bottles can be used to make flower vases. We should also plant more trees. But if you cut one tree plant two. We should also keep our schools clean. It will be easy to stop covid-19 if we have a clean environment. We should always wear a mask when we go outside. We should not throw masks all over the place after use. We should dispose of them in the dust bin. Let us keep our country Kenya clean. We should also wash our hands with soap and water, if there is no water next to you, use your sanitizer. We should also practice social distancing and stay home. Also follow instructions of the ministry of health. Teachers should teach pupils to keep the environment clean.

The government should enforce a law for people not to throw rubbish everywhere. If they throw rubbish they should be punished.  We should spread this information everywhere so people stop throwing rubbish everywhere. The government should also set a day for people to come to clean up the environment. As a pupil, I want to encourage pupils to also not litter and to make sure their bedroom and their houses are tidy, by putting your dirty clothes in the laundry basket, wiping your shelves, washing your room. Make sure your clothes are folded properly. Even in the morning, always make your bed and open the windows so that your room gets fresh air and make sure your room is neat before you go for breakfast after changing your sleeping clothes. You should start cleanliness at home.

Our honorable President Uhuru Kenyatta, please encourage people to clean up our country and punish those who throw rubbish all over.

We need fresh air and a clean environment. An example, is Nairobi’s Karura Forest. We should put dustbins everywhere. We should also not put posters all over and people should not pee on the walls. This increases the bad smell. If you really need to pee, you should go to the nearest washroom. The government should also build new toilets.

We should keep the toilets clean, by using the toilet bowl properly. Also, when done using the toilet always wash your hands with soap and clean water, if there is no water sanitize your hands.

When coming back home, wash your hands properly before touching anything or eating. When we cook, our hands should be clean. We should do this to stop spreading diseases, like corona virus and cholera.

Cholera is caused by dirty food and other stuff. So, we should be a clean country to stay safe from diseases. We will be healthy. And if you don’t want anyone in your family sick, let’s all keep our environment clean. And let’s protect our families and friends.

Animals and all other living things need a clean environment. Without a clean environment plants will die because of soil pollution, air pollution and water pollution. We will not be able to get money from the cash crops and we will not be able to get food crops. People will starve to death if we continue to pollute the soil, air and water. We will have no wild animals and we will not have money because tourists will not come. If we pollute the rivers we will not get fish. Instead of catching fish we will catch rubbish. All the fish will be dead.

So, let’s stop polluting our country. Air pollution in form of aerosols and forms of gaseous releases affect will block our lungs and the holes on leaves of trees which give us oxygen. The tress will also not absorb carbon dioxide. This will encourage global warming. We will not have enough oxygen even for corona virus patients, who need it to survive. Pollution will encourage more breathing diseases like corona virus, which has been with us since 2019.

Pollution causes undesirable health and economic effects. Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers- groundwater), very often by human activities. Water pollution occurs when chemical particles are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies before treatment to get rid of harmful compounds. So, let’s all clean our environment and keep it clean.

The young and promising environmental journalist, Daniela Mary Kabira is a 10-year-old pupil in Grade 5 at Jonathan Gloag Academy, Nairobi.