An English language teacher has been leading the charge in cleaning up selected areas of Votualevu, Nadi. “The clean-up campaign is part of a community service project, which is also a part of our curriculum. I had the opportunity to be the coordinator of this project in 2023,” said Rajvindar Dhesi. He is a teacher at Colours English School, an institute for Japanese students based in Votualevu. The project is the vision of head teacher Tessa Santos Eastgate. This project allows students to use the English skills they’ve learned in class to help the community and build relationships. What started as part of the curriculum led us to realize that littering is a significant issue in Votualevu that requires serious attention,’ Mr Dhesi said. The school took the initiative to go a step further by converting old drums into trash bins and placing them around the Shop N Save Supermarket and in selected areas of Votualevu. “We have made 12 trash bins, four last year, and eight this year in February. This project was led by a student, and she facilitated it,” said Mr Dhesi. Initially, the school provided garbage bags, but later decided to write sponsorship letters to local businesses. “We were fortunate to receive a donation from the director of My Looks Aluminum, Mr Kavitesh Nand and that money was used in buying the garbage bags,” he said. “Please throw your trash in the litter bins and most importantly, please put them on the roadside on rubbish collection day.” Some people tend to put their garbage bags three to four days before the truck comes to collect garbage bags and as a result, it is ripped open by stray dogs. The community service projects are conducted every Tuesday and Thursday from 3.30 to 4.30pm. “On Tuesdays, we only focus on clean-up campaigns, and on Thursdays, we assist businesses and communities near our school,” he said. Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president Lawrence Kumar praised the initiative, noting that it was encouraging to see a group of students take this project on through the curriculum. He is hopeful that it will inspire others to instill civic pride in the community. Feedback: waisean@fijisun.com.fj