Last week, The Open Voice team went to ES Technique de Gisenyi to discuss with students why a clean environment is as important as their personal hygiene.

Olivier Niyonzima

Many people preach hygiene but do the opposite. It is ashaming when students fail to clean tables, desks and chairs they want to use. It is not surprising that some get cough, flu or bacterial infections because of hygiene insensitivity.

Emlyn Twizere

Our duty as students is not only about attending class but also being cautious about our environment. For example I cannot deposit sanitary pads or chewing gum wherever I want yet there are places that were designated for that.

Henry Mbabazi

We all have a role to play in society. One of those responsibilities is keeping my surroundings clean. Of course personal hygiene comes first because it boosts confidence but that means nothing if my environment is dirty. But a clean surrounding needs the cooperation of everyone.

Jean  Claude Uzarama

Hygiene should go beyond bathing and washing clothes to keeping the school compound clean because killer diseases like Ebola are sparked off by filthy environments. Proper hygiene would go far in reducing the money we spend on treatments.

Obed Twiringiyimana

Being smart is paramount and it’s easy to achieve. All one needs is to make it part of them. You can start by cleaning simple things like windows, desks, basins and uniforms. You can then graduate to bigger things like the school compound.

Timothy Habimana

Although most people don’t mind about how clean the environment they live in is, I think we should change our mindset. We all know that bushes harbour mosquitoes which cause malaria. So why should we wait to be told to fix that? It is even hard to read from a dirty place.

If you have a comment or want the Education Times Open Voice team to    visit your school, please send an email to education@newtimes.co.rw