By: Mohamed Sahr
In a way of keeping hygienic environment and a litter-free city, Tobmax Foundation for Humanity and Leadership embarked on Operation Clean Kenema and Awareness Raising Campaign in Kenema the Eastern Region.
Sahr Bayoh, Financial Officer for Tobmax Foundation for Humanity and Leadership said through the core mandate of the foundation by giving back to society in diverse ways, they realized to take this as an opportunity to embark on cleaning major streets and places in Kenema; adding that being a right-minded youth-led institution that forged towards creating an enabling environment where they strive to impact society as a whole, they figured out to maintain a hygienic city. “We will start off with the cleaning exercise at the Kenema City Council, all the way to the City Plaza, Heroes Square, the Ckock Tower, Central Bank, Maxwell Khobe Street and end at the Government Hospital,” Bayoh started.
He revealed that the cleaning exercise would be a yearly process as deemed by the Foundation through the little resources they gathered for the enhancement of a sanitized city and litter-free environment. Bayoh furthered that Kenema City Council played a tremendous role in making the exercise a success by providing vehicle and other cleaning equipment. He urged Sierra Leoneans to be law-abiding and be patriotic.
Mohamed Ngevao, Environmental and Social Officer at the Kenema City Council felt proud about Tobmax Foundation for Humanity and Leadership for staging such a timely cleaning exercise in the midst of prominent streets in Kenema. He said the cleaning exercise would tend to reduce diseases, creating sanity in the community and provide a very clean air for the Kenema people people. “To me, this is the right thing in the right direction and I hope that it will continue in order to keeping Kenema as a sanitized city,” Mr. Ngevao noted.
He said the council provided vehicle, tools and security personnel in carrying out the exercise as well providing Environmental Quality Control throughout the course. He felt extremely impressed about such outstanding exercise led by young men born and bred in Kenema. Ngevao encouraged “Kenematonians” to maintain clean environment and frowned against politicizing the entire process.
Mohamed Saidu Jalloh, member of Tobmax Foundation for Humanity and Leadership said as a foundation that is rooted of paying back to Holy Trinity Secondary School and Kenema in particular, they thought it nice to make Kenema a greener city. He emphasized that even though there would be challenges going forward, but they would ensure to sustain the exercise through collaborative efforts from partners especially the Kenema City Council.
Jalloh felt good for making such a successful cleaning; noting that they targeted the heart of the city in order to ensure a healthy and clean environment. “I feel good for cleaning Kenema City because I am an indigene of Kenema,” Jolloh said.
He furthered that this is a collective responsibility of every Kenema people to maintain a clean and healthy environment.
Mohamed Foyoh, member of TOBMAX said overtime they realized most of the important places in Kenema are stocked with indiscriminate disposals and plastics with no private entity coming up to clean. He said TOBMAX took this responsible to clean the city in order to make sure that the health of the people of Kenema is saved. He called on collective supports from both private and government institutions in footing such event.