21 June 2024, Savai’i Samoa – More than one hundred secondary school students from Savai’i, Samoa gathered at the Don Bosco Hall, in Salelologa to learn different ways to protect and manage the environment and natural resources from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme’s (SPREP) Inaugural Information Day 2024. This event is part of the SPREP Day which was on the 16 June 2024 and is the first time the event is held outside of the SPREP Main Campus at Vailima.

The gathering provided an opportunity for students to be informed about the work of the Secretariat, the information and resource materials available at SPPREP to assist with students’ assignments and research, and more importantly to increase interest in the environment area as a career and identifying ways in which they can be environmental leaders and stewards. 

The students were from Don Bosco College, Vaiola College, Amoa College, Tuasivi College and Palauli College. 

The Inaugural Information Day was organised into different stations on the thematic priority areas and services of the Secretariat, on Waste Management and Pollution Control (WMPC), Island and Ocean Ecosystems (IOE), Environmental Monitoring and Governance (EMG) and Climate Change Resilience (CCR) Programmes, as well as the Finance and Administration Department, Human Resources Department, Legal, Internal Audit, Communications and Outreach, Strategic Planning and Project Coordination, and Information Technology and Information and Knowledge Management.

SPREP Information and Knowledge Management Manager, Ms Miraneta Williams Hazelman, said it is a privilege for SPREP to be able to host students of the big island and share valuable knowledge with them.

“This is a first for the Secretariat and definitely not the last. We are here to support your learning about the environment, not only for Samoa but for the Pacific region,” she said.

The activities of the day included practical demonstrations by the students such as on waste audits, which included sorting and weighing different types of wastes. SPREP staff and experts from the Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries (J-PRISM) discussed with students certain properties to identify when segregating waste. 

Ms Athena Tariu, student of Tuasivi College identified the Waste Station as a highlight for her during the Information Day.

“This activity helped us learn about all the different waste types, metal, plastic, organic and such. Most of the time we identify waste as anything that needs to be disposed of, but sorting can ensure that we dispose of each waste group appropriately,” she said.

 There were opportunities for the students to engage in dialogue with SPREP staff and learn from the experts.

Palauli College teacher, Mr Asiata Junior Posala, thanked the Secretariat for the learning opportunity given to both students and teachers through the SPREP Inaugural Information Day 2024. 

He said: “We learned a lot of important information today, not just students but also teachers. Most of this information we do not have access to, so it is crucial to have these days, not only for learning but also for our students to engage one on one with experts.”

He further emphasised, “It is also significant to remind the students of these important issues now because they will be our future leaders, they will be making the important decisions on protecting and managing our environment and natural resources”.

The Information Day concluded with the handover of source kits, guidebooks, posters and resources from the Secretariat to the secondary schools for use in classroom learning. 

SPREP’s mandate is to promote cooperation in the Pacific region and provide assistance in order to protect and improve its environment and to ensure sustainable development for present and future generations. It is guided by the vision: “A resilient Pacific environment, sustaining our livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures”.