Children express own worries on the environment

When Chryseida May Grillo sees plastic bags in the sea while swimming she recovers them and throws them in a bin, the 11-year-old said in a letter to Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino.

The girl, who attends Our Lady Immaculate School in Hamrun, was one of several students from 20 schools who raised their concerns about the environment with Mr Pullicino.

The children were taking part in an event at the Mosta community hall organised by Birdlife and Bank of Valletta as part of Dinja Wahda, a voluntary educational programme implemented by primary schools.

"The children were enthusiastic and clearly excited about having Minister Pullicino listen and respond to their concerns in person," said Nicolette Falzon, Dinja Wahda schools coordinator.

"We want to empower the children by showing them that their concerns matter and that they too can make a difference." A letter by Milena Borg, who attends the Birkirkara primary school, was chosen as the best letter by a panel of judges.

"We are very careful not to waste electricity and water. We now switch on the water heater only an hour before we use it. We use energy-saving bulbs and we do not leave electrical appliances on if we are not using them," she wrote.

"If everyone does these little simple things our country will be a better place to live in and everyone will be happier and healthier," the minister replied.