Members of the Rotaract Club of Menengai under the sponsorship and guidance of the Nakuru Rotary Club have embarked on a community project dabbed ‘adopt a river’.
The aim of the project is to help address environmental challenges that are facing various rivers in the country.
Speaking on Saturday when they organised a clean-up exercise of River Ndarugu which is located in Nakuru Town West constituency, the more than 20 youth called on stakeholders to join hands in environmental conservation.
Led by their President Ms Terry Muigai, the youths also called on the county government of Nakuru and the society to ensure rivers are not polluted.
According to Ms Muigai, the Rotaract Club of Menengai under the project ‘adopt a river’ will also be creating awareness about environmental conservation.
“The plastic bottles that we have removed from this river is just an aftermath of what happens upstream and therefore we call on the county government and other stakeholders to join hands as we walk this path towards creating awareness on how to make our environment clean,” said Muigai.
Her sentiments were echoed by the club's Director Ms Daisy Ndiema who said the club has also continued to engage in various activities ranging from education, health to environment.
Ndiema said this is part of their service to the community as Rotaract is an initiative that brings together youths between 18-30 years to develop professional skills, exchange ideas, and serve their communities.
“We also engage in various activities as part of service to the community,” she said.
Job Okello from Nakuru Rotary Club which supports the Rotaract Club of Menengai called on youths to be innovative in finding solutions to the pollution caused by plastic bottles.
According to Mr Okello, if youths can create innovative ways of solid waste management then the menace of plastic bottles will be addressed once and for all.
“We want to encourage people to avoid using single-use bottles. The youths need to come up with innovative ways of recycling these bottles that are causing a menace,” said Okello.
The clean-up exercise was also graced By Nakuru Rotary Club President Ms Elizabeth Ndung’u who commended the club members for taking part in the exercise.
She called on the government to give more priority to matters of environmental conservation.
“Environment is one area that we need to put more focus on and as Rotary we have a project dubbed ‘adopt a river' that will go long way in addressing the challenges of pollution,” said Ms Ndung’u.