Children from 16 schools this morning raised their environmental concerns with Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs, George Pullicino, at an event organised at the Mosta Community Hall by BirdLife Malta and Bank of Valletta as part of the Dinja Wahda education program.

As one of 30 educational Dinja Wahda activities, primary schoolchildren from 23 schools submitted letters on alternative energy and climate change, the sea, waste management, the countryside and national parks, and the protection of wild animals. Letters from 16 schools were chosen to be read to Minister Pullicino.

“Through Dinja Wahda children are not only becoming aware of environmental issues but they are also learning what action they can take to protect the environment,” said Nicolette Falzon, Dinja Wahda Manager.

Concerned about the use of oil and coal, 10 year old Daryl John Seracino attending Fgura Primary School B wrote, “To make this oil and coal it takes a lot of years and now as we have used a great deal of it this product is finishing. The people should be more aware of the benefits of alternative energy and should be pushed to use them.”

Addressing the children gathered, Mr Alan Cassar, Executive Head Sales and Product Development at Bank of Valletta expressed his satisfaction that BOV is participating in this educational initiative for the third consecutive year. He said that he is highly impressed with the growing interest in environmental issues among school children. The high level of school children participating in the Dinja Wahda project augurs well. Mr Cassar ended his intervention by giving children an overview of the Bank’s Community Programme, as well as highlighting the Bank’s involvement in the BOV Adventure Park, inaugurated a few months ago for the benefit of Maltese families.

A panel of judges chose a letter written by Luigi Sammut, from Kullegg Santa Tereza Primarja, as the winning letter. In her/his letter Luigi said, “There needs to be more enforcement from the government so that waste separation is done by all Maltese. The better Maltese people understand the need to separate waste, the cleaner Malta will be.”

Minister Pullicino replied saying “In the last 2 years 22,000 tons of recyclable waste has been collected – thank you for helping us to address this but there is a lot left to do.”

Photograph shows Luigi Sammut, from Kullegg Santa Tereza Primarja and Francesca Mizzi from St.Margaret College – Photo by Alison Fenech/BirdLife Malta.

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