Do you often wonder how the world would be with no vehicles, no plastic bottles or bags, no processed foods packed in garbage cans? Growing up in the slums, we would always wake up to the deadly stench of garbage, not to mention the ‘flying toilets’ whenever we played at the common grounds. Perhaps, living in the surroundings of garbage and mtaro (dirty sewers) awakened the environmentalist in me. Or maybe it was the deep cuts that I got when I stumbled upon broken glass while playing. But listening to Whitney Houston’s ‘Greatest Love of All’ growing up gave me hope, a sense of responsibility and purpose worth fighting for.
“I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way…”Greatest Love of All – Whitney Houston
It is unfortunately common for people to buy plastic bottled water from supermarkets and later on discard the bottle in unauthorized public spaces. Do they ever consider where their rubbish ends up? The same happens with sweet wrappers, fruit peels, just to mention a few. People are quick to attend to matters related to the stomach but do not care about the end result.
Landlords and landladies should be at the front-line of waste management and combating environmental degradation by providing a well established litter collection systems in their estates. As individuals, we should be equally responsible and stop discarding litter outside the window of a house or a moving vehicle doesn’t solve the problem. Respect and compassion for nature and our environment should be an expression of our patriotism and an example to future generations. What do the your children or the neighborhood children emulate from you?
Advocating for environmental health is key to saving future generations. What legacy do you want to leave your children and their children? I want to create a small Laudato Si garden and pass it and the principles behind it to my children. By doing, I would be confidently cultivating seeds of responsibility in future generations.
I visited Kigali a while back and without a doubt, it was the cleanest city I have ever visited. Every Saturday of the last month, residents gather themselves and plan projects that will boost their environmental health as well as economic growth. This is the spirit of Laudato Si that promotes togetherness for our common home.
Participating in the Laudato Si Animators’ training, deepened my understanding on matters that concern the environment. I am eternally grateful – my purpose in life grew stronger and my circle of network broadened.
It is said that every cloud has a silver lining. The future generation is the silver lining in the cloud of our current environment crisis. Every child has a little spark in them that only needs to be ignited. Let us nurture them to be better ambassadors for creation.
As the season of creation approaches, let us renew our relationship with God and creation and take better care of our common home; take time to reflect on God’s purpose for us upon the earth; pray with creation and pray with our neighbors.
Learn more about the Season of Creation here.
