Haramaya University 2014 prospective graduates along with the local community launched a campaign on December 25, 2021to clean up Lake Haramaya.
More than 1,000 people including Haramaya University prospective graduating class, Haramaya City Administration Safety Net program staff, and other residents have participated in the campaign.
Amir Abdurahman, a student union president at Haramaya University Institute of Technology, said that students union in collaboration with the office of the vice president of Haramaya University Community Service and Enterprise Development directorate has organized the operation to clean up the waste on Lake Haramaya.
Student Amir recommended that the local community should provide the necessary care and protection as Lake Haramaya has come back to existence after being lost for many years. If the lake is given attention and kept clean, it can be used as a source of income for the local community and as a tourist attraction.
As he further said, students are taking part in the clean-up campaign as the lake is the property of the entire community and the responsibility of cleaning up the lake is the responsibility of all.
According to Muhammed Mussa, Environmental Protection Coordinator and Organizing Committee member “The main objective of the today campaign is to remove garbage in and around the lake and innovatively change attitudes and behavior about environmentally unsound activities that continue to harm Lake Haramaya. It also helps to raise awareness and make people more responsible for environmental pollution specifically waste management”.
Muhammed Mussa explained an environmental protection works that have been conducting “Director for Community Development Work has been conducting various awareness programs to aware the local communities, trekkers, visitors, teachers and students by organizing monthly cleanup campaign, workshops, celebrating World Environment Day with school Eco clubs, and through HU FM 91.5 radio programs that focuses on environmental Protection – An Afaan Oromo language-based program targeting the local communities have been produced and broadcasted through as a part of an awareness creation program”.
Mr. Taju Ahmed, Haramaya town Administration Food Security Program Coordinator, said that Haramaya town Environmental Protection and Climate Change Office in collaboration with Haramaya University launched a clean-up campaign on the lake. According to Taju, Haramaya town is working with Haramaya University to take care of the lake.
By: Aweke Ayalneh
Photograph: Fuad Ahmed