Eko-heroes of Help challenge for a cleaner environment

As part of the project “Enhancing awareness and recycling for employment” implemented by Help in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia with the support of the PREVENT Waste Alliance of the German Government, we marked the beginning of 2022 with eco-heroes of the challenge “Be Eco-Hero”

Representative of the Help organisation and project coordinator in Serbia, Predrag Erdoglija, presented the Grammar School “Bora Stankovic” from Vranje, students Lara Radivojevic, Jana Stojiljkovic and Nina Georgijev, with a tablet, headphones, and power-bank, on Friday, 25 February 2022

With the application „TFP – The Fortunate Planet“during December 2021 and January 2022, Lara, Jana and Nina, just like their peers in Sarajevo, Aida, Harun and Benjamin, collected the highest number of points in the app to contribute to environmental protection and raise awareness on recycling.  They were the most active in marking waste disposal locations thus digitalising the system for responsible management of municipal and other waste, marking the largest number in scores.

„We are recycling daily and talk about how the environment is important to us. We mostly recycle paper and glass. With the help of the app (TPF – The Fortunate Planet) we marked the locations of the containers and bins, so that waste would not end up on the rivers in places where it should not be”, said Lara, a first-grade student at the Grammar School and the winner of the first prize for the highest number of collected points.

Geography professor and passionate environmental activist, Dragan Antic, emphasized the importance of early education on ecology from an early age, a kindergarten basically:

„Children should be as familiar with nature as possible to acquire basic knowledge about the need to protect the environment in which we live. The sooner the education starts, the better the awareness later will be”.

Antic adds that all the students were diligent, but that Lara was exceptional going to every part of the city and that she deserves all the praise for her work and activism, emphasising:

“The action itself is good, we have located containers for plastics, paper, glass, and municipal waste. But the problem will remain if all that separated waste ends up in one track, and in one pile”.

The coordinator of the Help project in Serbia, Predrag Erdoglija, thanked the members of the school eco-team and the principal for the successful cooperation and called on everyone to continue using the app (TFP – The Fortunate Planet) so that we can further upgrade activities and contribute to lasting solutions in waste management in Serbia and the region.

“I hope that you will continue to use the application, not only because of the awards but to contribute to the preservation of the environment.

New challenges await us, with the same app all users, regardless of age will be able to participate and contribute to reducing waste, increasing proper disposal, and recycling, at the same time competing for the equally valuable prizes to be awarded in April”, said Erdoglija.

The goals of Help and the fortunate planet challenge “Be Eco-hero” are efficient waste management, contribution to environmental protection and raising awareness on the importance of recycling.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the awards went into the hands of the “Aleksa Santic” Elementary students from Sarajevo, Aida Dzafic, Harun Dzafic and Benjamin Jasar, who also received a tablet, headphones and a power bank as a reward for their commitment to improving the environment.

The leader of the school eco-team and biology teacher, Sabina Karovic, emphasised:

“By participating in the challenge with the help of this digital app, students develop numerous competencies, such as digital communication, problem-solving, responsible participation in a democratic society, responsibility towards health, but also business and entrepreneurship. Most importantly, a responsible attitude on the environment, because together we contribute to raising awareness on the importance of reducing waste and its proper disposal and recycling”.

Project “Enhancing awareness and employment through recycling” is financed by the PREVENT Waste Alliance, the German Government initiative, and implemented by the organisation Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe in partnership with the Rodiek-Nehlsen Group in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. The goal of the project is to raise awareness on the importance of recycling, proper waste disposal and waste reduction, with employment opportunities for the vulnerable population groups.