Miss Tourism Bunyoro calls for environmental protection
She said it is the role of every citizen to protect and conserve the environment through proper disposal of waste, including plastic, and planting more trees.
By Our Reporter
Masindi: The reigning Miss Tourism Bunyoro first runner-up, Whitney Kasemiire, has called upon the public to embrace environmental greening through cleaning the environment and planting more trees.
The call was made over the weekend during the cleaning of Kafu stopover, which is in line with their project ‘’Let the Pearl Shine Project in Bunyoro, paving the way for greening tourism.’’
Kafu stopover is a pivotal site along the main road leading to Uganda’s largest Murchison Falls National Park.
Kasemiire said it is the role of every citizen to protect and conserve the environment through proper disposal of waste, including plastic, and planting more trees.
‘’If at least each one of you can plant a tree, whether celebrating a birthday, a life of beloved ones, a baptism, or a confirmation, because in a year all these events happen, and if at all we plant a tree at any of those events, there would be many trees planted at the end of the year,’’ she said.
She also asserted that in order to have a green environment, we should keep it clean, adding that the campaign will improve revenue collection by creating a safe and clean environment for both local and international tourists.
‘’In order for us to have a green environment, we should keep it clean. The reason we did this is because it’s within the line of our event, green tourism,’’ she said, adding that green tourism does not only involve human beings but also animals because we coexist with some of these animals.
Kasemiire asserted that this campaign will improve revenue collection because Uganda, being the Pearl of Africa, attracts many tourists, noting that the more we keep the environment clean, the more tourists visit the country, thus increasing revenue.
Jane Murungi, the Miss Tourism Bunyoro 2022/23, also urged the public to conserve the environment, desist from littering, and recycle plastics as one of the ways to protect the environment.
‘’When you talk about greening the environment, it also comes with conservation, cleaning the environment clean, reusing plastics, and when you litter, you can easily get diseases,’’ she added.
Murungi also noted that an unclean environment discourages international tourists from visiting the country or tourist sites, thus losing revenue, stressing that environmental destruction also affects the climate.
She also noted that a littered environment is dangerous to health and also affects wild species like rats, squarrels, and others, stressing that it also has a negative impact on the tourism sector.
Juliet Angeyo, the Miss Tourism Northern 2nd runner-up, told ugreports.co.ug that the campaign will be implemented in the 12 regions of the country, and after Bunyoro, they are heading to Kigezi, and they will soon be in Northern Uganda.
She added that the campaign aims at sensitizing the public about proper waste disposal, asserting that a dirty environment is not safe for humans to live in and that it can cause diseases.
Angeyo also echoed that an unclean environment discourages international tourists from visiting the country, thus impacting revenue collection.
About the project
In an endeavor to promote environmental awareness and cleanliness, Miss Tourism Uganda has initiated the ‘’Let the Pearl Shine’’ project, which aims to sensitize communities across all 12 regions of Uganda about the importance of maintaining a clean and green environment.
The implementation of the project kicked off over the weekend at Kafu stopover in Masindi district.
Recognizing the site’s significance as a prime stop for both locals and tourists purchasing food, the project sought to address the pressing need for maintaining cleanliness in these key areas.
The ‘’Let the Pearl Shine’’ project not only underscores the importance of environmental preservation but also aligns with the broader theme of ‘’greening tourism.’’
By choosing strategic locations such as Kafu stopovers, local markets, boreholes, schools, and trading centers, among others, the initiative aims to create a ripple effect, inspiring both locals and tourists to contribute to the cleanliness and sustainability of the regions they visit.
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