By Hannah Yankson
The Sierra Freetown Lions Club has completed sanitisation exercise on the beaches of Freetown.
The move is to promote awareness in environmental sustainability and cleanliness along the beaches so as to attract tourists in a healthy environment.
President of the Sierra Freetown Lions Club, Alfred Kamanda said: “We are delighted to have organised this beach cleaning exercise, which is an important step towards preserving our environment. Our aim is to promote sustainable development and raise awareness about the dangers of environmental pollution.”
The Lions Clubs International, a Chartered Club of the Lions Clubs International and also a service organisation established by a Chicago Insurance broker Melvin Jones in 1917 to foster a spirit of “generous consideration” among people of the world and to promote good governance, good citizenship, and an active interest in civic, social, commercial and moral welfare.
Melvin Jones said: “Our organisation is uniting its services around five global causes which include environment protection, vision, Diabetes prevention/treatment, fight against hunger and childhood Cancer”.
The cleaning exercise was part of the effort by Lions in Sierra Leone to protect the environment, featuring members of the Sierra Freetown Lions Club, volunteers, and members of the public who came together to clean up the beaches and their surroundings.
The event was also part of the Lions Clubs International’s efforts to raise awareness about the importance of keeping the environment clean and healthy for a healthy living.
The Lions Club members and volunteers collected a significant amount of waste, including plastic bottles, food packs and other debris that had been washed up on the beaches.
The clean-up exercise was an eye-opener for many participants who were shocked to see the amount of litter and waste on the beaches.
The exercise also included educational sessions, where participants were taught about the negative impact of plastic waste on the environment and the need for individuals and communities to take responsibility for keeping our environment clean.
The Sierra Freetown Lions Club has pledged to continue organising similar events in the future and to work with other organisations to promote sustainable development and environmental conservation.
The success of the beach cleaning exercise was commended by a representative of the Tourist Board, who praised the Sierra Freetown Lions Club for its efforts towards environmental conservation.
As of January 2020, Lions Clubs International has over 46,000 clubs and more than 1.4 million members (including the youth wing Leo) in more than 200 countries and geographic areas around the world.
