More than 100 UniFiji staff and students to clean Lomolomo Beach

More than 100 staff and students of the University of Fiji are set to clean up Lomolomo Beach.

The University’s Director for Human Resources, Ashneel Kumar Singh says the initiative took more than a month’s planning and is an output on community engagement contained in their Strategic Plan for 2022 - 2026.

Singh says recognizing the critical importance of environmental stewardship and sustainability is the pinnacle of combating issues of climate change.

He says this initiative aligns with the Sub-Strategic Plan of the Human Resources Department, which emphasizes Community Engagement, Environmental and Social Responsibility.

The Director for HR says pollution has far-reaching effects on the environment, contributing significantly to climate change.

He says the accumulation of waste, especially plastic, not only harms wildlife but also disrupts ecosystems, leading to long-term environmental damage.

Singh says by organizing such initiatives at the grassroots level, the University of Fiji aims to create a ripple effect that will inspire broader community actions and contribute to global efforts in combating climate change.

The staff and students will be divided into four different categories and will be designated certain areas to clean.

The University of Fiji’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Shaista Shameem says that the initiative to clean up the well-used beach came from the Human Resources Department of the University and once the message had gone out, the University staff and students responded to the appeal in big numbers, willing to give up part of their Saturday to participate in this community engagement.

She says members of the public which included the staff of the University using the beach had often complained about the mess on the foreshore.

The Vice Chancellor says it was not clear which department of the government was responsible for keeping the beaches clean but the clean-up was well overdue.

The University is supported by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change along with important sponsors such as Jack’s of Fiji, Coca-Cola, Digicel, Subrails, Al-Hamd, Sugar Taxis, Universal Office Supplies, Bondwell, Lautoka City Council, GEM IT Solutions, Home & Living, Office Supplies and Rentals, Wasteclear West (Fiji) Pte Limited and Unique Colours.

Professor Shameem says the University had decided to take the initiative and had informed the local people living close to the breach about the plan and asked them to join.

The University hopes to make such clean-ups a regular event in the future as part of the University’s community and corporate social responsibility activity.