BUJUMBURA November 21st (ABP) – Burundians and some young people are urged to change their minds today and take action to protect the environment, according to Miss Annie Darlène Ndorimana, a judge by education.

She was speaking on Tuesday November 19 in Bujumbura on the theme “Entrepreneurship and environmental protection” during the global week dedicated to entrepreneurship. “If we do not take care of the environment today, tomorrow the environment will take care of us, it will turn against us. We must protect the environment today. It’s no longer a choice, it’s an obligation,” said Miss Ndorimana. If this is not done, we will undertake but we will not take profit because we will have destroyed our environment. We will not have good health to enjoy our profits.

Miss Ndorimana is a young girl who created the job for herself and 18 other young women while protecting the environment. They collect plastic bags and bottles that they transform into art and fashion items. They make small furniture made of plastic bottles.

The bags are used for decoration on sandals, backpacks, handbags and small paintings. She says the business is profitable and she is proud to have created the job for herself and for her team. “It changes our daily life because it gives us autonomy, independence. We have a voice in society because we have income. We do that by protecting the environment,” she said.

According to her, some people are sensitized. They bring her bottles and plastic bags to recycle them. Others no longer burn the plastic bags by lighting the cooking fire at home.

Nevertheless, the main challenges Miss Ndorimana faces remain related to awareness, how to make others understand the harmful impact of the plastic bags and how to consume the ecological products while the chemicals are already there. But as long as the vision is still there, we face challenges and move forward, she said.