Youth Leaders in Assam Trained to Combat Plastic Pollution

In a bid to empower the youth against the perils of single-use plastics, the UNEP Tide Turners Plastic Challenge made significant strides in Assam. The WWF-India, alongside UNEP, orchestrated a pivotal Teachers’ Training Program on December 19th, 2023, at Maharishi Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School in Silpukhuri.

This initiative, a global endeavor ongoing since 2019, aims to cultivate leadership qualities among the youth to combat the menace of plastic pollution. WWF-India has taken the helm as the knowledge and implementing partner, customizing and executing the program's intricacies across the country.

The training session witnessed the active participation of teachers from 37 schools in Guwahati. It commenced with a ceremonial lamp lighting by esteemed guests, including Shri Lakhan Lal Meena, CBSE RO for North East region, who lauded WWF's multifaceted efforts. Smt. Manika Goswami, Principal of Maharishi Vidya Mandir Silpukhuri, shared inspiring accounts of the school's prior engagements with WWF programs.

The core of the training revolved around the Tide Turner’s Plastic Challenge, elucidating its three-tiered approach encompassing knowledge acquisition, personal action, and community outreach. Mrs. Archita B. Bhattacharyya, leading the program, engaged teachers through interactive sessions and activities, fostering a sense of ownership and influence over plastic pollution issues.

The program spotlighted success stories like Anusweta Deb, a local Tide Turner Champion from Hailakandi, Assam, whose innovative plastic-bottle life jackets saved lives during floods, igniting motivation among the participants.

As part of the culmination, participants were equipped with TTPC Toolkits, posters, and bookmarks, arming them to propagate the cause further. The event urged schools and individuals aged 11-35 years to register for the Tide Turner Plastic Challenge via the link provided, emphasizing the critical role of youth in combatting plastic pollution.

This training session not only ignited a spirit of change but also fostered a network of enthusiastic educators ready to steer their students towards a plastic-free future, echoing the power of collective action in safeguarding the environment.