Our environment needs to be protected. Planting a million trees won’t help save our planet until we don’t protect our environment from pollution. It is more of a moral obligation for human beings to protect the environment from pollution that leads to environmental degradation. It’s our responsibility to take care of the environment and make this planet a beautiful and safe place to live. You don’t really need to do an extra effort or put a lot of money to go green. Simple changes in daily lifestyle can make a whole lot of difference to reduce your carbon footprint on the environment. Throwing dust inside the garbage, recycling papers and plastics, conserving water, saving energy, are just a few to name.
Oakridge, being one of the top international schools in Hyderabad, always aims to inculcate and nurture the habit of undertaking new challenges, initiating activities and working collaboratively with perseverance and commitment to engage and find answers to issues of global importance. The school has always motivated its students to work on the current global issues and find solutions to it at its best. Previously, the students from the Interact Club of Oakridge International School commenced an inter-school recycling drive which witnessed over 550 students donating large amounts of dry waste materials for the good cause.
On the 13th of August 2018, students of Grade 11 IBDP from Oakridge International School participated in a clean-up drive conducted by the FutureSake Dialogue that focused on clearing out waste from Manikonda Lake, Gachibowli. FutureSake is a modern sustainability program that aims to motivate the forthcoming generation of students who will be equipped to tackle some of the most challenging global issues that come with the consequences of urbanization. FutureSake gave us an opportunity to address the growing concern of a polluted lake first hand and left us with an unforgettable experience.
The event embarked with an interaction with change makers such as Mr. Afroz Shah, Ms. Kalpana Ramesh, and the Zonal Commissioner of GHMC West Zone, Ms. Hari Chandana. The communication and interaction with them really made students aware of the World around and enabled them to believe that change starts with one. They partook in a safety briefing and discussion, followed by the clean-up supported by GHMC volunteers as well.
Cleaning the lake proved to be a challenge as students had to ensure that they were extremely careful of the surroundings. Afterwards, to further establish knowledge, there was a discussion regarding the future of lakes, where students further engaged with each other and the change-makers to collaborate and exchange ideas that may prove beneficial to the community. The discussion was followed by an interaction with the stakeholders of the lake, namely Mr. Neeraj and Mr. Sanjay, both of whom are Lanco Hills residents and are directly impacted by the polluted lake. The discussion offered more insight into the importance of working together to create a sustainable environment in the long run.