11 January 2010
Plastic water bottles litter the streets. Photo: Karyn Beattie/Tearfund
The litter-strewn streets of the Sudanese city of Juba are looking smarter after Tearfund staff got involved in a community-wide clear-up.
Another bag gets filled. Photo: Karyn Beattie/Tearfund
Defying soaring temperatures, they joined with residents and other aid workers in a UN-organised anti-rubbish campaign to boost the quality of the local environment.
Plastic water bottles and plastic bags made up the bulk of the discarded material that was bagged up although some unusual items were discovered, including a fabric car seat cover.
Following the clear-up, the commissioner of Juba County announced a ban on plastic bags and to keep the momentum going, anti-litter messages are being taken into local schools.
Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan, is one of the world’s fastest growing cities, with a population currently estimated at around 250,000.
Tearfund staff with some of the bags of rubbish they collected. Photo: Karyn Beattie/Tearfund