By Lodu William Odiya
Embracing peace and unity among the Youth, Markaz Al Salam, an organization operating in Juba in collaboration with the youth union and other partners has launched cleaning campaign in the Gudele Residential Area to improve garbage threat along roadsides.
Speaking to this outlet, Vicky Imoyo, project officer for Markas Salam said the cleaning campaign was organized in completion of International Youth Day celebration which was celebrated on 12th this month.
“I definitely believe that it’s not only an organization that came up with that. You know this is all by the completion of the National Youth Day, and you know it was 12th, of this month, meaning the entire month is all for the celebration of International Youth Day” she explained.
The campaign brought together different organizations, including Shabab Ni Shabab, Markaz al Salam, YWCA, and YMCA, in addition to partners like the donors over the weekend.
“We had also Norwegian People’s Aid, and also Youth association, we thought of making the cleaning activity because we want to show people that this country is for everyone” Imoya added.
According to Imoya, the hygiene of the country is everyone’s role, emphasizing that when someone falls sick, it’s not only one person’s sickness but for the entire country.
“It is just showing the government or the people that we, the youth and everyone in this country have a role to play” she said.
She emphasized the organizations picked Gudele two roadside because it’s a big market compared to compare also the other markets in Gudele.
“It is actually having that’s where the dirtiest town that side” Imoya stated.
“Before we did the cleaning there, the management is really very poor. If you look at the market, people sell things in the rubbish, selling near garbage” she added.
She underscored the need for polythene bags in order to ease the collection of the garbage along the roads.
“Today it was a hard time for this people who are using trucks, there are really down. I think the rubbish was in a polythene bags” she stated.
Juba, the capital of South Sudan, is grappling with a waste management crisis that has profound implications for the health, environment, and quality of life of its residents.
The city’s rapid growth and urbanisation have outpaced its waste management infrastructure, leaving one- to two-thirds of solid waste uncollected.
Improper disposal methods, such as open burning and illegal dumping along roads, rivers, and in uncontrolled landfills are common.