By Staff Reporter
With the introduction of a mascot named Rubbish Ronnie, the non-profit, membership-driven Recycle Namibia Forum (RNF) has launched its new educational campaign.
Rubbish Ronnie debuted on October 28, 2022, with the intention of teaching kids the 7 R’s and to Rethink Tomorrow via song and dance. The long-running Schools Recycling Competition, in which over 50 schools annually participated, has been replaced by this initiative.
During the launch, guest speaker, Dr. Selma Lendelvo, highlighted the importance of creating environmental awareness amongst the youth today, given that they are to be the leaders tomorrow.
“We have to change with the times and look at a project that can reach more youngsters nationally, and start getting the point home that we need to rethink the future by evaluating how we manage garbage,” said Gloudi de Beer, a former chairperson of the RNF. Our hope is that today will serve as the impetus for the country to begin viewing garbage as a resource rather than a burden. This will provide us with the opportunity to gradually but steadily build focused waste management efforts that may contribute to social and economic advancement both now and in the future.
The Rubbish Ronnie project has been made possible by Pick n Pay Namibia which donated a portion of each shopping bag sold country-wide to the RNF (before the introduction of the levy) for the purpose of launching a new youth education programme.
When BrandX, an affiliate of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group, in Windhoek, conceptualized the initiative, it was obvious that it would be Proudly Namibian to the greatest extent feasible. As a result, the mascot was created in Windhoek, and popular local musician DJ Castro joined forces with the project by writing the upbeat Rubbish Ronnie song. Local musicians created the soundtrack, and Cimbebasia Primary School students joined the effort to shoot the dance routine alongside Rubbish Ronnie and DJ Castro.
Through his nearly six-year-old charity drive, Let’s Unite, DJ Castro demonstrated his dedication to supporting young education. “My relationship with children evolved as a result of our assistance with stationery, uniforms, etc. for kids from various schools. I always enjoy lending a hand because I have faith in the next generation.
“The objective is to spread knowledge on the 7 R’s – Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Regift and Recycling – by singing and dancing to the Rubbish Ronnie song and encouraging schools to submit their videos to the RNF,” says Anita Witt, Coordinator of the RNF. The conversation from Rubbish Ronnie will be changed to fit the conditions in each community. Schools will be given the opportunity to design their own board games that reflect the problems and solutions that they see in their own communities. These events will leave the schools with a memorable, enjoyable legacy.
Although the project is still in its early stages, the Rubbish Ronnie team is looking into efficient ways to spread Rubbish Ronnie’s message throughout Namibia in 2023.
