Our environment needs care
PAUL ARUHO
Many Ugandans don’t know how important caring about the environment is. Nobody seems to mind about the ecosystems of our country, putting our lives at a risk. A visit to any town in Uganda today reveals an aspect of waste management problem. Heaps of uncontrolled garbage, roadside litter with refuse, streams blocked with junk, disposal sites constitute a health hazard to residential areas.
I was walking with a Rwandese friend in Kampala of recent who asked me why Ugandans don’t mind about the environment. In Rwanda it is a policy that you cannot enter through its boarders with a plastic bag. He said our great grand children would blame us for not protecting the environment for them.
According to United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) waste management is the collection, transportation, processing or disposal of waste materials, usually produced by human activity, in an effort to reduce their effect on human health.
Plastic bags have become a menace all over and no body is telling us how dangerous they are. Our leaders have concentrated on other issues leaving the environment at the mercies of God. The plastic bags, which are so thin, are simply thrown away after one trip from the shops. They have become a familiar eyesore in both urban and countryside areas. These bags block gutters and drains, choke animals and marine wildlife and pollute the soil as they gradually breakdown.
All over the country, there has been increased generation of volumes of garbage and the effective of their management is declining. Waste is either indiscriminately thrown away at various dumping sites on the periphery of urban centres or at a number of so called temporary sites-typically empty lots scattered throughout the country.
These open landfills often have serious environmental impacts that extend beyond the boundaries putting nearby water sources and serving as breed grounds for disease-bearing rodents and insects.
Waste management in our towns is an essential public service, which benefits all residents. It represents one of the major challenges in all towns in the country, which requires a lot of attention from authorities.
It beats my understanding somebody to be called an international investor who has set up a factory of polythene bags.
The situation in respect of waste management in Uganda is particular severe. The public sector is unable to deliver services effectively and illegal dumping of domestic and industrial waste is a common practice. There is need to strengthen the capacity for solid waste management in Uganda through the management programmes such as waste minimisation, recycling and reuse and ensuring environmental sound proposals.
Government’s intervention is needed so fast in dealing with the manufacture of plastic bags. There is need to formulate policies outlining ways to conserve the environment by reducing the quantities of discarded plastic carrier bags, through discouraging the use of thinner, easily breakable plastic bags and promoting stronger, thicker bags.
Many times I get disturbed seeing people leaving supermarkets with black plastic bags. These supermarkets do not put an extra cost for the bag. There is need to separate the cost of the plastic bag from the cost of goods sold. This may be could force our people to carry shopping bags.
Lessons to learn from
Some countries have become strict in protecting the environment. Strong and strict measures are put in place to make sure that the environment is kept clean for the generations to come.
In 2002, Ireland imposed a 15 Euro cent or surcharge on plastic bags provided by stores and shops. It is estimated that this has reduced the use of plastic bags by 90%. The revenue raised goes to an Environmental Fund, which plans to spend 35m Euros on recycling centres. The introduction of so-called Plas Tax Scheme has been backed up by public awareness campaigns.
Rwanda banned plastic less than 100 microns thick and backed this up with public awareness campaign. Reports from there say that the black polythene bag has disappeared in Kigali.
In 2003 South Africa banned plastic bags thinner than 30 microns and introduced a plastic levy some of which goes to plastic bag recycling company. It has witnessed a decrease in bag litter, a reduction in the manufacture of plastic bags with some layoffs and growth in alternatives such as canvass bags.
The government need to start with workshops where major stakeholders and interested parties could came together to discuss what has come to be known as the "Plastics Menace." These workshops could initiate a discussion amongst the government, private sector, and general public on how the problem of plastic bag pollution can be remedied.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
A silent teacher had nothing to celebrate
PAUL ARUHO
Welikhe Tom is a secondary school teacher in Mbale. He finished his teaching course seven years ago and ever since he has been teaching in a government school but not on pay roll. He just gets his meagre allowance of 100,000/- from the school, which is also irregular.
As the world marked Labour Day on May 1, like any other Ugandan who lives on hand to mouth, he has nothing to show as a fruit of his labour.
“Many times I ask myself whether I am a worker or not. I completely have nothing to show for the last seven years I have been teaching,” he said.
Last year in November the ministry of Education and Sports interviewed teachers in different disciplines. Tom was among the hundreds of teachers who thronged the Mbale education offices to be interviewed. He is bitter with this.
“I want these people to prove to us that they were not wooing us for votes. Okay we gave them let them do their part. They called us for interviews, up to now we have never heard of them,” he said.
Labour Day is a creation of labour movements and dedicated to the social, economic achievements of workers. It is also referred to as May Day, the first day in the Month of May in remembrance of the Haymarket tragedy that occurred in Illinois, USA on May 1, 1886.
Workers were in a protest meeting, the police attempted to disperse them, then unknown person threw a bomb killing several of them.
Welikhe Tom does not see the reason to celebrate to be recognised as a worker.
“This is the day where one should look behind and say; yes this is the result of my labour. But for me when I turn back I see completely nothing, just darkness,” Welikhe said as his face turned more serious.
Tom said that it has remained a routine, the day being characterised by parades and speeches from government officials. He said he is tired of the same speeches that do not change people’s lives but instead worsens them.
Tom has a family of two children. He says that he is a bit luck to have married a working wife.
“I am among the lucky few because I my wife works. But even if, there are many challenges one gets as the head of the family. He said that his children know that their mother is the one who buys everything at home. “You can imagine even my children know that daddy is ever broke.”
Tom says that he has a workload like any other teacher in the school paid by government. He handles overcrowded classrooms going up to 80 pupils. He dreams of the day the government will employ him.
There is a lot of exploitation of teachers employed on temporary basis by their employers. They have no special consideration as teachers who depend on that particular school. When a decision is taken it cuts across the whole staff. These are teachers that have remained faithful, not joining private institutions waiting to be employed by government.
Teachers on temporal arrangement in government schools depend on the mercies of head teachers. He/she has a right to sack at any time because they know there are many out there, the unemployed waiting.
Tom wants the ministry of education and sports to come down and see what these teachers are doing in its schools. He even wants trade unions to intervene.
He says that Labour Day must remain a day to pay tribute to the contributions, workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well being of Ugandans and more especially the silent ones.
PAUL ARUHO
Welikhe Tom is a secondary school teacher in Mbale. He finished his teaching course seven years ago and ever since he has been teaching in a government school but not on pay roll. He just gets his meagre allowance of 100,000/- from the school, which is also irregular.
As the world marked Labour Day on May 1, like any other Ugandan who lives on hand to mouth, he has nothing to show as a fruit of his labour.
“Many times I ask myself whether I am a worker or not. I completely have nothing to show for the last seven years I have been teaching,” he said.
Last year in November the ministry of Education and Sports interviewed teachers in different disciplines. Tom was among the hundreds of teachers who thronged the Mbale education offices to be interviewed. He is bitter with this.
“I want these people to prove to us that they were not wooing us for votes. Okay we gave them let them do their part. They called us for interviews, up to now we have never heard of them,” he said.
Labour Day is a creation of labour movements and dedicated to the social, economic achievements of workers. It is also referred to as May Day, the first day in the Month of May in remembrance of the Haymarket tragedy that occurred in Illinois, USA on May 1, 1886.
Workers were in a protest meeting, the police attempted to disperse them, then unknown person threw a bomb killing several of them.
Welikhe Tom does not see the reason to celebrate to be recognised as a worker.
“This is the day where one should look behind and say; yes this is the result of my labour. But for me when I turn back I see completely nothing, just darkness,” Welikhe said as his face turned more serious.
Tom said that it has remained a routine, the day being characterised by parades and speeches from government officials. He said he is tired of the same speeches that do not change people’s lives but instead worsens them.
Tom has a family of two children. He says that he is a bit luck to have married a working wife.
“I am among the lucky few because I my wife works. But even if, there are many challenges one gets as the head of the family. He said that his children know that their mother is the one who buys everything at home. “You can imagine even my children know that daddy is ever broke.”
Tom says that he has a workload like any other teacher in the school paid by government. He handles overcrowded classrooms going up to 80 pupils. He dreams of the day the government will employ him.
There is a lot of exploitation of teachers employed on temporary basis by their employers. They have no special consideration as teachers who depend on that particular school. When a decision is taken it cuts across the whole staff. These are teachers that have remained faithful, not joining private institutions waiting to be employed by government.
Teachers on temporal arrangement in government schools depend on the mercies of head teachers. He/she has a right to sack at any time because they know there are many out there, the unemployed waiting.
Tom wants the ministry of education and sports to come down and see what these teachers are doing in its schools. He even wants trade unions to intervene.
He says that Labour Day must remain a day to pay tribute to the contributions, workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well being of Ugandans and more especially the silent ones.
Men have the key to happy marriages
PAUL ARUHO
You all agree with me that things have changed and affected our lifestyle. Marriages are the ones that have been affected so much because it is an institution where everyone wants to be happy.
In his new book, The Secrets Of Happily Married Men, Scott Haltzman says that men’s good behaviours lead to happy marriage. So men play a big role in making a happy marriage.
The assumption has a lot more pleasant, and the payoffs are far greater, to live with a woman who is satisfied, secure and feeling loved.
Haltzman says that guys should always make marriage their job. He says that if a man is to accept that marriage is his job, he needs a job description. Love, honour and respect your wife, be sexually and emotionally faithful, support her ambitions; be fun-loving and adoring her as you were during courtship.
He continues to say that guys should know their wives. He says that research has revealed that most men don’t know their wives. Guys are advised to collect data about their wives, know them in every situation where she reveals herself. It could be when she is with friends, in a restaurant, at home or any other place. This will enable you to discover who she is and not who she says she is.
Men are urged to always be at home for the family. Haltzman says that men evolve as prowlers and hunters, not home-tenders. But to make marriage work you have got to spend good time around the cave. To build a strong marriage you have to be there in person, ‘Mr Regular’ so to speak. Men need to be honest why they often leave home returning to feed, sleep and lie with their mate. Being at home will enable you to avoid conflict, loss of control and other things that could let you spouse to say, ‘if he was around’.
If men are sufficiently present at home, the payoff is directly and bountiful. There will be love, friendship support, peace of mind, fun and intimacy.
Conflicts should be expected and they are inevitable, but they are controlled. A man can stop the amounting tensions in a conflict. Haltzman says that guys should not do what they are inclined to do (to fight to death) but to use various higher cerebral strategies.
There is need to learn how to listen. Not everybody is a good listener and listening does not come naturally to males who are more inclined to act, but it can be learned. When talking to your spouse, you need to stand still and look directly at her. Use verbal nods to show that you are listening. If it is important, seek clarification.
Also you need to aim at pleasing her. In most cases men are masters in relationship building. Treat your wife as well as you could. Greet her regularly; seek to know what she needs and how you can help. Do favours, anticipate desires and entertain and offer gift as appropriate.
Basing on the above and other small things that matter, men can make their marriage better and free of conflicts
PAUL ARUHO
You all agree with me that things have changed and affected our lifestyle. Marriages are the ones that have been affected so much because it is an institution where everyone wants to be happy.
In his new book, The Secrets Of Happily Married Men, Scott Haltzman says that men’s good behaviours lead to happy marriage. So men play a big role in making a happy marriage.
The assumption has a lot more pleasant, and the payoffs are far greater, to live with a woman who is satisfied, secure and feeling loved.
Haltzman says that guys should always make marriage their job. He says that if a man is to accept that marriage is his job, he needs a job description. Love, honour and respect your wife, be sexually and emotionally faithful, support her ambitions; be fun-loving and adoring her as you were during courtship.
He continues to say that guys should know their wives. He says that research has revealed that most men don’t know their wives. Guys are advised to collect data about their wives, know them in every situation where she reveals herself. It could be when she is with friends, in a restaurant, at home or any other place. This will enable you to discover who she is and not who she says she is.
Men are urged to always be at home for the family. Haltzman says that men evolve as prowlers and hunters, not home-tenders. But to make marriage work you have got to spend good time around the cave. To build a strong marriage you have to be there in person, ‘Mr Regular’ so to speak. Men need to be honest why they often leave home returning to feed, sleep and lie with their mate. Being at home will enable you to avoid conflict, loss of control and other things that could let you spouse to say, ‘if he was around’.
If men are sufficiently present at home, the payoff is directly and bountiful. There will be love, friendship support, peace of mind, fun and intimacy.
Conflicts should be expected and they are inevitable, but they are controlled. A man can stop the amounting tensions in a conflict. Haltzman says that guys should not do what they are inclined to do (to fight to death) but to use various higher cerebral strategies.
There is need to learn how to listen. Not everybody is a good listener and listening does not come naturally to males who are more inclined to act, but it can be learned. When talking to your spouse, you need to stand still and look directly at her. Use verbal nods to show that you are listening. If it is important, seek clarification.
Also you need to aim at pleasing her. In most cases men are masters in relationship building. Treat your wife as well as you could. Greet her regularly; seek to know what she needs and how you can help. Do favours, anticipate desires and entertain and offer gift as appropriate.
Basing on the above and other small things that matter, men can make their marriage better and free of conflicts
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