The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance & Administration)-DVCFA, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has today Friday, 3rd March 2017 officially closed the Go Green Week and tasked participating students to ensure that their calls for energy efficiency and environmental conservation continue perpetually. Prof. Nawangwe was speaking to a group of students from all disciplines who throughout the week displayed placards with environmental messages at their halls of residence, colleges and hostels.

The Go Green Week at Makerere University was organised by the Sustainability Program and coordinated by the Planning and Development Department (PDD), in collaboration with the Students Sustainability Action Group. The campaign was supported by the Sustainability Lab-Bangor University, Hub Cymru Africa and the UNDEB-Student Union Bangor.

The Sustainability Program Coordinator Ms. Pamela Matovu thanked the DVCFA, Director PDD-Dr. Florence Nakayiwa and Dean School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences (SFEGS)-Prof. Mnason Tweheyo for gracing the close of the week-long campaign.

“We thank the University for supporting the Go Green Week. Today marks the close of a week-long campaign led by students to raise awareness about climate change and the need to conserve energy and protect the environment” said Ms. Matovu.

She commended the Students Sustainability Action Group for coming up with all the messages on the placards as well as all the energy conservation strategies shared with the Makerere Community. As a way forward, the Sustainability Program will continue working with students and other units to make the energy and environmental conservation message a part of their daily life.

Dr. Florence Nakayiwa commended the students for ushering in a new wave of positive demonstration by students at Makerere University. “It was very pleasing to see students holding placards with positive messages at strategic locations on Campus throughout the week. This is a commendable change and we thank you for channelling positive energy. You are our good will Ambassadors,” she said.

In his remarks, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe thanked the students for their positive messages aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change though their active participation in the Go Green Week.

“Climate Change is a bigger challenge to the younger generation than the older generation. You still have many more years to live and a bigger burden to bear. The forest that I used to walk through to fetch water from the village stream as a young boy is now no more” shared Prof. Nawangwe

He therefore charged the students to take the lead. “Everybody looks up to Makerere and so we must be a good example. The people in the village and general public will believe your message more if they see a green Makerere.” Prof. Nawangwe further urged the Sustainability Program to join existing initiatives by the School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences (SFEGS) as well as share any other concepts and resources they might have, so as to further strengthen their environmental conservation agenda at Makerere.

Concluding the remarks, Prof. Mnason Tweheyo thanked the Sustainability Program and the students for their efforts “we are very happy that other parties are joining the School of Forestry (SFEGS) to disseminate and promote the message of energy conservation” he said.

Prof. Tweheyo also thanked the Estates and Works Department (EWD) represented by Pastor Grace Kityo and Mr. Bavuga Vincent for their efforts to re-green the Main Campus. He however tasked them to always seek the professional input of SFEGS in order to ensure that re-greening projects have the requisite technical backstopping.

To crown the week, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Dr. Florence Nakayiwa, Prof. Mnason Tweheyo and the students posed for a group photograph while holding placards with various environmental messages and thereafter planted a hedge around the freedom square with help from the Estates and Works Department.

Please see Downloads for Go Green Week brief

Article by Public Relations Office