The Korea Overseas Volunteer Program of KOICA has organized an event for its Green School Project Final Presentation and COVID Response Program on December 21, 2021 at Hotel Kutumba, Lalitpur. With the technical support from Doko Recyclers Pvt. Ltd. Green School Project has been implementing in total seven schools of Kageshwori Municipality and Laliptur Sub Metropolitan City. During the program Doko Recyclers have presented completed activities and plans of the project. Also, handover of total 10,000 units of hand sanitizer and 7700 units hemp masks to the beneficiaries of the Project has been done as a part of COVID Response Program.

The main objective of the project is to educate students about solid waste management and empower them to take action to manage the waste at source, and also help them to build the knowledge and values they will need for a sustainable future. The project will broaden the mind set of students towards recyclable, non-recyclable and organic waste to minimize the waste from their community. Students and their teachers are the force that holds immense potential for bringing about this transformation. The total budget of the project is approximately NPR 30,00,000.

Green Schools Project has supported schools to set up and run a student-led environmental program by equipping them with infrastructures for waste management and formation of Eco Club. Team members of Eco Club will be facilitated to lead campaigns starting from their own classrooms such as segregating waste at source efficiently and disposing responsibly, eliminating plastic bag with cotton bags or their own school bag, helping them to inspire their school and community to go green. It builds their leadership, communication and teamwork skills as well as their confidence, resilience and wellbeing.

During the program Ms. Bindu Pudasaini Simkhada, Deputy Mayor of Kageshwori Municipality appreciated the initiative of KOICA Nepal Office by fostering a concern for environment and its conservation in young minds who will be responsible and enthusiastic to save the world they live in. She hopes that the continuous awareness training will change the mind set of students to develop valuable skills such as recycling and composting to minimize the waste from their community which will eventually lead to decrease the volume of waste which goes to the landfill.

Eco Club Members of Shramik Shanti Schools shared their experience about the awareness training program and how they taught importance of waste segregation and composting to other students. Econ Club Member of Ananda Bhairab Secondary School recited poem about the role of students in preserving environment.

The program was concluded by the closing remarks from Ms. Jinhwa Kim, Deputy Country Director of KOICA Nepal Office. He said he is very optimistic with the schools under this project would contribute towards continuation of the practice of waste segregation at school to reinforce behavioral changes among the students and contribute to a sustainable waste management system in our community.

KOICA Nepal Office is promoting Green ODA on all of its activities and projects from this year. Environment has been identified as one of the prominent sector for upcoming KOICA’s intervention in Nepal.