Little Things That Matter

Nairobi may be clean in the CBD and in a few porsche estates but generally it is not anywhere close to being a sustainable city. Litter and waste materials are thrown almost everywhere in public spaces and streets. Efforts are being made on a daily basis to correct this, but the rate at which these efforts are made is way less than the rate at which waste is produced and discarded, making it only practical if we, Nairobians, begin to show concern for the waste we produce. More often than not, I tend to assume that we simply do not care, but maybe, it could be that most of us do not know how to keep our environment clean, and we need to be reminded constantly of what to do.

1. If you are a highly motivated person, you could volunteer your energy and ideas. Your dedication will be inspiring :) !!!

Sometimes back I read an article about The Ugly Indian (TUI), a movement of anonymous but self-motivated individuals who have taken it upon themselves to clean the streets of India without pointing blame fingers. These guys literary transform any ugly and dirty looking public space into something magical. They do not act self-righteous in any way, engage in moralizing conversations, or lay blames on the government for failing their part. They only identify a spot that needs to be fixed, come up with low cost but highly replicable ideas of fixing it, and then fix it.

Maybe we need the same kind of energy in Nairobi because I believe it goes a long way to inspire many people to do the same. We need people who do not hide behind social media making noise, but will be out there on the streets being the change they want to see. This is where you can come in if you are a highly motivated individual. There are numerous organizations where you can pour out that energy. Mazingira Safi Initiative (MSI) is just but an example. These organizations exist so you can meet like-minded individuals and put your energy and ideas to a more effective and impactful use.

Before we can begin to think of these highly motivated individuals who would freely volunteer to clear an illegal dumpsite, like the one in Guthurai Roundabout, without minding the mock of passers-by, there are many of us whose only source of motivation is money. We need to be paid first to show up in a community cleaning exercise or to mobilize people to fix a problem. Don't worry!! There's also a part you can contribute.

2. Be an ambassador where you are.

Unless you tell them constantly, children and also grown ups may not know

Many people are unaware of the unwritten rules. They do not see the problem the way you do. Therefore, be an ambassador. Take this as a commission to provide guidance to those who do not see the magnitude of this problem the way you do. I like what one individual volunteer of MSI once said,

“We need to be bold when you see someone litter. Gather confidence and tell them to pick it up".

This is practically what I mean, but of course you need to be nice and polite, not to stir up any emotions. 

Being an ambassador could also mean making noise on social media and sharing with your networks environmentally resourceful content that they can benefit and learn from. It could further mean educating your kids and small siblings, teaching them to be responsible at home, in school, and in any other public spaces.

3. DO NOT LITTER

Remember this article I wrote sometime back, Think before you toss? Well, I tend to be inclined to the perception that we bring upon ourselves, not entirely, the many problems that we face. Every socioeconomic challenge linked to poor waste and litter management can be blamed on us when we liter. So, try as much as possible to throw away waste in a dustbin. You can hold on to dry solid waste (because it’s dry) until you are able to get rid of it in the right manner. You can also have a paper bag, not necessarily plastic, to keep wet waste such as fruit peels, until you are able to dispose it off in a dustbin. Remember dumping is dumb. Not only is dumping aesthetically unpleasing, it often attracts more dumping as the pile of rubbish grows and then becomes a hazard.

4. Support recycling efforts

There is cash in trash. Ever heard of that saying? Apparently, it is true. There are companies reaping millions from recycling waste. I am not saying you get in the business of waste recycling, but maybe you could be wondering, what is my in role in this? How do I support recycling? Well, you could start thinking along the lines of waste segregation. Those clearly labeled litter bins in town for separating waste, don’t mix up waste in them. Put the right one in the right bin. A lot of the waste we produce, approximately up to 80%, can be transformed into something else for us to use rather than being left a menace to the environment.

5. Lastly, don’t quit, don’t settle!!! 

Humans have a way of starting well but not finishing well. Very few finish well, many give up on the way. I have been to a number of cleanups, and it is demoralizing when after you sweep an entire street, a local resident fails to appreciate your effort and decides to litter right where you have swept. It will therefore take resilience and that is what will take you back to that same street the next time to clean it up, maybe set up dustbins, and teach people what to do and what not to do. 

While Nairobians try to do all these on one hand, the government and other well abled institutions, on the other hand, are hopefully playing their part in putting systems in place that will see a lasting solution, because all these efforts have to be synergistic.

NAIROBI CITY, GIVE GOVERNOR KIDERO A BREAK!!!

Yes, give Dr. Kidero a break! I am an ardent reader of newspapers. I like to know what’s happening. Unfortunately, every two weeks, my sacred reading time has to be rudely interrupted by someone complaining about the state of the Nairobi County. The first thing they always write about is how dirty Nairobi is. That just drives me up the wall and you know why? Kidero doesn’t dirtify Nairobi. You, Nairobi residents, do. Except those who come for the Mazingira Safi Initiative clean-ups.

Nairobi is a sight for sore eyes and do you know what is worse than that, an educated woman or man, throwing a plastic bottle, fruit or God knows what else out of the window of the matatu or worse off, a Range rover. Kenya boasts of educated barons. How many universities do we have per square kilometre again? And yet with all that knowledge, with over 300,000 graduates a year, we still have a dirty Nairobi!

Those who write in to complain about how dirty Nairobi is, what steps have they taken to make it less dirty? What is the probability that he/she has litters? Or that he/she has seen someone dispose something indecently and walked by telling him/her nothing? What is the probability that his/her children, nephews or cousins litter or the probability that when he/she goes for visiting day in school, they leave their spot full of trash? Let me tell you, it is about 97%.

I am tired of reading complaints in the dailies. Anyone can complain, from a 2 year old to a 100 year old. But, who is giving solutions? Let me break it down for you nice and slow. It is NOT KIDERO’S WORK TO KEEP NAIROBI CLEAN AND NEITHER IS IT THE NAIROBI COUNTY COUNCIL! IT IS YOUR WORK!!

There is only so much the government can do. There are bins in the CBD. How many people use them? Do you litter in your house? Even if NCC had 1000 lorries, with this senseless, despicable activity of littering, Nairobi would be dirty anyway. How can the NCC move from one place to another sweeping yet they are not the ones who litter? Why are you giving them responsibility of something you can change? If day in and day out they sweep the CBD, when will they ever get to sweep outside CBD? Why should they even be sweeping in the first place? It’s your trash! Put it in a bin! Therefore, before you think of complaining about how dirty Nairobi is, ask yourself if you are part of the problem or part of the solution. What are you doing to make Nairobi better? What value is your education adding to the country? Are you a complainer or a problem solver?

Littering is the simplest form of environmental degradation. There is no difference between one who is cutting down a tree and you who is littering. It is also a social evil practised by human beings, who are the most knowledgeable of all the creatures in, over and under the planet, earth and the heavens. Clearly, education does not eliminate foolishness.

Therefore, next time you see someone litter, tell them to BIN their trash. If there is no bin around, tell them to carry their trash until they find one even if it is until they get to their house. Don’t litter yourself and teach children to do the same. After writing an article or a Facebook post to complain, end the post with a solution.

Nairobi is not for Dr. Kidero to keep clean. It is for you and me. Stop littering today then like Mazingira Safi Initiative on Facebook and @MsafiInitiative on twitter then, challenge your friend, neighbour and stranger to stop littering. Inspire them to tell the next person and the next. Littering is horrible. After that, sponsor a bin or adopt a highway, contributing resources to Mazingira Safi Initiative to keep streets clean and then become one of our volunteers in our monthly cleanups. After sometime, you should be able to see a change! Share this article as a first step of creating change.