Greening the Concrete Jungle—Our Lady of Dolours High School, Marine Lines


19th September 2011

The students of Our Lady of Dolours High School, Marine Lines, face a unique set of challenges in their Green School Campaign. The school is situated on a busy road right opposite a noisy railway station, space is limited, and greenery is almost non-existent.

But none of these concerns is likely to stand in the way of the school’s bright and eager eco-club! At the very beginning of the session, the students pointed out that garbage is a major problem in their surroundings and that they are determined to do something about it. After we discussed the waste situation in Mumbai and the process of conducting a waste audit, the students divided themselves into groups and took responsibility for the various tasks in the waste audit. They also took charge of getting their teachers and schoolmates involved in the exercise.

What impressed us most was that the several children expressed their desire to take the lead in environmental activities in their neighbourhoods. They were also up to the challenge of finding a way to compost their wet waste in their limited campus space. And as we left the school after the session, we ran into a group of eco-club members lined up outside the Principal’s office, waiting to ask her for help in getting the Green Schools Campaign started in their campus.

It definitely looks as if the students of this school will soon come up with some unexpected Green innovations! We can’t wait to see what they do next!

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