Students pledges cleaner, greener Padang

Students pledges cleaner, greener Padang

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, The Jakarta Post, Padang

In a bid to make the West Sumatra capital city of Padang a clean
and green city, junior high school student Febri Ani Syofyan has
two programs in mind -- planting a million trees and collecting a
million plastic bags.

The SMPN 10 junior high school student suggested the programs
in a letter addressed to city Sanitary and Park Office head
Afrizal Khaidir, standing in for Padang Mayor Fauzi Bahar at a recent
contest organized by the USAID Environmental Service Program in
Padang. About 170 students took part.

"Just imagine, if the programs were to be implemented in every
junior and high school in Padang ... the government could save a
lot of funds from its budget, and we students would be more aware
of the importance of trees for the future of the Earth," Febri
said.

The letter won first prize in the Letter to the Mayor Contest
for high school students in line with the Padang-Clean and Green
City campaign.

In the million-tree program, Febri said, students were
required to bring seedlings to school to nurture as part of their
biology lessons. Each student then reported the progress of their
seedlings and presented this as a project to the class. At the
end of the semester, students would be graded on their work and
the trees would be ready to plant.

In the million plastic bags program, students must bring a
plastic bag every day to school and pick up trash they see on the
way. The bins are then emptied into the school's garbage system.

"The collected garbage will be sorted. The recyclable trash
will be used for materials in arts class, while organic waste
would be processed into a compost mixture in biology class,"
Febri said.

She had promised in her letter to use part of the Rp 2 million
(US$200.00) prize money to visit Bali and learn garbage
management from an expert, Professor I Gusti Nyoman.

"I will also form a student cleanliness awareness group in
school upon my return," she said.

Responding to Febri's letter, Afrizal Khaidir promised to
implement her ideas in a program by the Padang municipality.

"Public participation, especially among the younger
generation, is needed to make Padang a clean and healthy city.
Many of the ideas formulated by students through the contest are
innovative and can be put to practice," he said.

Padang city produces at least 400 tons of household waste each
day. More garbage is thrown into rivers and winds up in estuaries
and on the coastline.

"The municipality is only able to collect Rp 2 billion in
garbage tax each year, which is not enough to manage garbage and
regreen the city. We are looking forward to the public's
participation, including students," Afrizal said.

A regular winner of the environmental Adipura Award since
1985, Padang City is now vying for the Southeast Asia Clean City
title.

However, public awareness about the importance of cleanliness
was still low, Afrizal said.

"To remind residents of the need for cleanliness, the
municipality will issue a regulation in February next year to
fine residents for littering," Afrizal said.

UNAID Sumatra public outreach and communication specialist
Syafrizaldi said students and schools had the means to make the
program come true.

"The students are full of creativity and we can count on them
to manage the environment in the future. But they have to be
encouraged to respect the environment," he said.

In the second semester of 2006, USAID will organize a school
cleanliness contest, a tree planting activity and a recycled
material parade. In the parade, each junior high school
represented will parade with objects created from recyclable
waste found on Padang beach.

"We will provide assistance in the activities involving
students next year, like by assisting Febri to realize her goal
to form a student cleanliness awareness group," Syafrizaldi said.