As Uganda marked its 63rd Independence Anniversary, St. Thereza Girls’ Vocational Secondary School in Rushoroza, Kabale District, chose to celebrate the occasion through action, by cleaning litter in Kabale Municipality as a demonstration of patriotism and environmental responsibility.
According to the school’s Head Teacher, Sister Sophia Natuhwera, the initiative aimed to reawaken citizens’ commitment to caring for “Mother Earth” and combating environmental pollution.
She noted that the activity was part of the school’s holistic approach to nurturing responsible and environmentally conscious citizens.
The clean-up exercise covered several areas in Kabale Municipality’s Southern Division, including Rushoroza, Kitumba Trading Centre, Mwanjari Weekly Market, and Mwanjari Business Centre, which hosts several automobile garages known for heavy waste generation.
Sister Natuhwera urged Ugandans to adopt sustainable practices such as planting trees and flowers to preserve the ecosystem, adding that the school had already implemented tree-planting and landscaping activities as part of its environmental education program.
Southern Division LC3 Chairperson, Mackline Kamusiime Batware, who joined the students in the exercise, commended the school for translating patriotism into practical community service.
She said such efforts help sensitize residents who carelessly dispose of waste without considering the environmental consequences.
Kamusiime also criticized individuals who store garbage at home and later dump it by the roadside or in drainage channels at night, stressing that the practice violates municipal by-laws.
She revealed that stricter enforcement and fines are being introduced to deter environmental offenders.
The initiative aligns with global efforts to combat climate change through community-based environmental stewardship. Within the Catholic Church, late Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’ continues to inspire institutions like St. Thereza to promote ecological awareness as a moral and spiritual responsibility, reminding believers that caring for the planet is a divine duty.
By linking patriotism with environmental protection, the school’s Independence Day initiative underscored a growing call for collective action in safeguarding Uganda’s environment for future generations.
