A son of the municipality of Toucountouna, my name is Sero Habib. A lawyer by training, I am the Secretary General of the Municipal Youth Council of Toucountouna. The municipality of Toucountouna lies in the northeast of Benin, in Atakora to be precise.

At home, we used to use the leaves of plants to wrap certain foods. We also used baskets made of palm leaves or sorghum stalks to go to the market, but ever since the arrival of plastic bags, everyone in my house uses them every day. 

 As they are less expensive, I have observed plastic waste all over the streets and houses in my community. The presence of this waste, piled up and in our ponds, exposes the inhabitants to various diseases such as lung cancer, cholera, and pneumonia, among others.

 This also causes an increasingly worse degradation of the land.

In order to ensure the health of Toucountouna's inhabitants and to protect the environment, I would like the Toucountouna City Council to establish a road service and to require the population to use garbage bins in public spaces just as in our homes.

The members of my association and I, with the support of local authorities, organize awareness campaigns on the consequences linked to the use of plastic bags. We call for the use of biodegradable plastic bags to be promoted at various levels. The issue of plastic waste management and environmental protection, which today is being ignored by our leaders, will become a danger to future generations if we are not careful.

Together, let's preserve the environment and work for social well-being.

Translation: Andru Shively (VUB)