Measures to educate the population regarding the danger of pollution by burning waste and stubble

Project facts

Project promoter:
Ideas Among People Association(RO)
Project Number:
RO-ACTIVECITIZENS-0277
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€19,056
Other Project Partners
National Society Red Cross - Teleorman Branch(RO)
Teleorman Environmental Protection Agency(RO)
Programme:

Description

Association identified the problems in rural, poor area from an economic point of view, with an aging population, not involved in civic activities and reluctant to change. The level of education is low and the unemployment rate is high. The problems identified are the following: the daily burning of household waste in their own yards by the locals, burning a very large amount of tires on a certain day of the year (in February), a day when the locals celebrate a religious holiday - burning of stubble annually, between August and October. These actions are very polluting and affect the whole community. The main activities of the project are: organizing conferences where adults will be informed about pollution; fundraising campaigns for the purchase of composting stations; non-formal education activities for young people; activities to inform the population about pollution by distributing flyers, posters, calendars. The chosen beneficiaries are: adults selected according to the existence of the habit of burning waste from Fantanele; children from Fantanele and from the neighboring localities: Suhaia and Zimnicea. Ms. Biology teacher Jordan, a member of the project team, is the main link between the organization and the children. The partner of the Teleorman Environmental Protection Agency is the one who validates the entire action through the authority and competence in the field. The partner Investigatoria Press SRL will ensure the transparency of the project, disseminating information to the general public about the project activities. Teleorman Red Cross partner will be able to provide information on health risks of pollution. The implementation of this project would help educate the population on respect for the environment and the community, with long term effects, ultimately leading to better air quality, eliminating the risk of disease and leading to a better quality of life.

Summary of project results

Within the project, the following problems were identified: the burning of waste by the locals in their own yards and the burning of stubble in Fantanele, Suhaia and Zimnicea. The project included non-formal educational activities with children and actions to inform adults about the risks of pollution.

The activities with the children consisted of drawing and painting workshops, online photography exhibition, drawings on the asphalt, dances, planting saplings, theater play. The results obtained of these activities are the cognitive development, the development of imagination and creativity, the acquisition of new knowledge, the increase of awareness and knowledge of the surrounding world, the improvement of children''s communication skills. The activities in which flyers, calendars, newspapers and posters were distributed result in a better informed population regarding the risks of pollution through the burning of waste and the danger of stubble burning.

The project achieved its proposed objectives: awareness of the negative impact of waste burning on the quality of the environment among 200 adult beneficiaries and the development of ethical, civic behavior and environmental protection skills among 100 children and young people. The impact of the project on the community was positive, offering the beneficiaries the opportunity to develop the necessary skills to become informed and active citizens, thus contributing to the progress of the community they belong to. The changes brought by the project in the targeted communities consist in the reduction of waste burning activities. In certain areas, these activities have stopped completely. The information about the project was disseminated with the help of social media and through press releases, each time the financiers were mentioned, just like in all the speeches we gave throughout the project.

Information on the projects funded by the EEA and Norway Grants is provided by the Programme and Fund Operators in the Beneficiary States, who are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of this information.