In a remarkable start to the school year, students and teachers at Xavier College in Ba Town (Fiji) launched a waste management project at their first school assembly in February. Inspired by the Jubilee Year and Pope Francis' call to praise God's work in creation by "taking concrete and responsible steps to protect it,"the project is part of a larger long-term plan towards waste reduction, recycling, and sourcing renewable energy through local and sustainable resources.
What initially started as a small idea has evolved quickly into a formal proposal by the school for the multi-phase project. The project begins with a waste assessment and analysis led by an anti-litter team of selected students. The team will study the school community's littering habits and identify key areas to help improve student awareness of the impacts of littering while recommending practices that can lessen the amount of rubbish.
There is a need to raise awareness in the school, and educational sessions on separating rubbish and recycling are being facilitated with staff and students. Classrooms have also recently been equipped with new bins to help with proper disposal. Through this initiative, Xavier College has taken the opportunity to develop its students' entrepreneurial skills by helping them reuse recycled materials to create useful items that can help decorate homes, gardens, and the school.
Xavier College aims to reduce its waste by 20% through the considerable reduction of single-use plastics, introducing a recycling program, and initiating renewable energy plans for bio-gas production, solar panel use, and a composting program to help students practice the skill of recycling biodegradable products (e.g., fruits, vegetables, and leaves) to cultivate rich soil. Collaboration is a key part of the project, and a neighbouring village is willing to supply pig manure when the bio-gas component is ready to be implemented. Over the next few years, the school will also work towards installing solar panels, utilising the sunshine and heat that the western province of Viti Levu is famous for.
School Manager and Columban Companion, Mrs Margie Muller, emphasises the Columban values of social justice and biodiversity, which have profoundly influenced this initiative. She shared that the inspiration behind the project started with the annual Season of Creation celebrations, where students participated in local clean-ups and a regional competition hosted by the Columban Mission Office (Melbourne), showcasing the creativity and voices of children for creation.
Xavier College hopes to set an example for other schools around the country by demonstrating the resilience of their communities and families who have experienced ongoing floods, power cuts, and water shortages since Cyclone Winston devastated the Western Province of Viti Levu in 2016. The spirit of hope and renewal in this Jubilee year of the Church has energised students and teachers alike to begin this joint effort towards cleaner and more sustainable practices that benefit the local environment and people.
What started as a small idea from Season of Creation activities has become an interconnected and comprehensive project. While the planning and execution require significant effort and teamwork, Xavier College remains committed to leading the way for a cleaner future for their school and surrounding communities. Understanding the need for consistency and collaboration over the next few years, staff and students aim to contribute meaningfully and sustainably to cleaning and preserving their local environment while inspiring others to do the same.
Adi Mariana Waqa is the Partnership Coordinator at the Columban Mission Centre in Essendon.
Related links
- Read more from the current e-Kaulotu - March 2025
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