Wednesday at Naweni. It’s the water, and apparently a lot more.

August 13, 2008 — ecology, Fiji, gc4p, global classrooms for peace, ocean environment, teaching, volunteering, working moms

“Imagine you are a sea creature caught in plastic,” I begin as I pass out rubber bands. I’m doing one of our lessons on ocean ecology.

I can say it’s authentically “hands on”. The rubber band goes literally along the back of each student’s hand, hooking the thumb and pinky fingers. Then they try, without using their other hand, to get the thing off.

As their hands tire and start to cramp, they feel what it’s like trying to swim, eat, and survive while caught in plastic, or debris.

As we finish the lesson, a new one begins on dumping, seepage, and storm-drain runoff getting into the water supply, and eventually the sea.

Starting with a clear bottle of water on display, I read a story, “All the Way to the Ocean” which depicts various people unwittingly contributing to water pollution.

Each student has been given a small capped film canister containing one pollutant described in our book. Upon hearing his/her part in the story, each child brings up his/her canister, uncaps it, and pours the contents into the clear water on display.

We all frown in disgust as the water becomes fouled with our mock waste products (colored water actually) of motor oil, manure, pesticides, soaps, and the like.

We even have little bits of wrappers, fishing line, and trash. 

“Would you swim in this water?” I query.

“NO MADAM!” they answer in unison.

“Would you drink this water?”

“NO MADAM!”

In Savusavu, there has been a problem with pollutants getting into the water supply.

There have recently been typhoid cases.

There have recently been deaths.

I learn the typhoid has been linked directly with the local water in our area. 

 

Specifically, the water at the school.

 

 

 

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