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 Bajza, September 25, 2009 - Secondary schoolchildren of Malesia e Madhe district discussed on the future development possibilities of their district with UNDP Hotspot Project team in a tailored debate at Bajza international railway station, recently free from chemicals and open to new development projects.
Selected pupils from secondary schools of Koplik’s “Abdyl Bajraktari” and Bajza’s “Preng Gjonaj” toured the railway station and learned more about the history of Bajza hotspot during an outdoor activity organized by the UNDP Hotspot Programme.
The children explained that they had followed the Bajza clean-up process from the local and national media. They were wearing T-shirts with the catchy message “Your Planet needs you”, distributed for the occasion. The pupils and the Project Team discussed on the children’s contribution in achieving high environmental standards. UNDP Hotspots Project Manage stressed that Bajza hotspots rehabilitation was important to attract new investment and improve the quality of life of the local inhabitants. The UNDP Hotspots Project “Strengthening capacities in the Western Balkans countries to address environmental problems through remediation of high priority hot spots” is part of a regional programme and covers nine hotspots in the Western Balkans region. The Project is financed by the Government of the Netherlands. A contracted company from UK specialized in industrial services, has repackaged and temporary stored the chemical waste. The containers with chemical waste left Bajza on September 11th 2009 and are expected to be transported to the UK, where their content will be analyzed and then destroyed in specialized incinerators. “We are also using a Green Package prepared by the Regional Environmental Center, as part of our Curricula. The pupils are very keen to learn about environmental issues”, said Naile Sufaj, biology teacher who accompanied the pupils. The clean-up of Albania’s only international railway station in Bajza, was a major achievement of the Project. Two other related activities are going to be implemented soon: The first aims to increase the capacity of the local authorities on the management of waste in a safe and environmentally friendly manner and the second is to modernize the school laboratories to enhance the scientific and environmental culture in Bajza school system. Overall, 525 schoolchildren of elementary and secondary schools and 240 students attending high school will benefit from the second initiative.
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Albania