Learners from Princess High School have championed air quality and pollution awareness to address environmental health risks in their immediate community.

The campaign, held at the school on October 13, formed part of the Air Aware Initiative hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) Youth Programme.

It aims to equip young people with knowledge about air quality and the health risks associated with air pollution. Karabo Majaena, a learner at the school and SAIIA youth-led champion, said the campaign aimed to educate fellow learners about the dangers of polluted air, including its links to respiratory diseases and potential effects on cognitive development.

“In my community, to reduce air pollution, we need to reduce waste burning more than anything. My main message today is to teach learners to recycle those materials instead of throwing them away.

“Service delivery is also at its lowest in my community. When they throw those recyclable materials, the municipality isn’t here to collect, and that leads to waste burning,” said Karabo.

The campaign included activities and quizzes as well as prizes up for grabs. Project co-ordinator Lehlohonolo Jack said the campaign came after learners from the school and other schools in the City of Johannesburg were invited to attend a training workshop at Wits University, where they received air quality training.

“The West Rand is one of the areas widely affected by air pollution, and we must act on this. By training young people such as learners from Princess High, we are giving them the tools and information to educate and take action in their own immediate communities,” Lehlohonolo said.

The school campaign provided learners with an opportunity to share what they had learnt and encourage their peers to understand the importance of air quality.

Teacher Bongani Zulu said the campaign was informative and important for their learners and community, providing knowledge that could be shared with parents.

“We also had workshops with SAIIA as teachers, which equips us with knowledge that can be added into the existing curriculum,” Bongani said.