Six primary and pre-primary schools in Windhoek that took part in a recycling competition were awarded cash prizes for their best recycling initiatives.

The award ceremony took place at Otjomuise Primary School.

The school recycling competition programme is an effort by the City of Windhoek to raise awareness and encourage behavioural and attitude change among the learners.

The programme targeted 45 schools in low-income and informal areas.

The programme further strives towards promoting the city's awareness initiative through the concept "Catch them young."

"The main project objective is to reduce waste volumes and harmful environmental impacts and thus expand the share of recycled waste in the circular economy in Windhoek. Aligned to the project objectives of waste education and awareness within the city, this extraordinary event

The schools were invited to showcase three items made of 90% waste material in three categories: fashion, arts and furniture, and engineering and technology science.

Three winners were chosen from both the primary and pre-primary schools.

Moses Van Der Byl Primary School and Maria Kindergarten scooped the first prize of N$7,000 each.

The designs included fashion clothing, waste trucks, and musical instruments, all made from waste materials.

The Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Namibia, Gosia Lachut, said, "I am therefore particularly pleased to see that the EU-funded project has also supported the pre-primary and primary school recycling competition. Through this competition, I am informed that the learners have demonstrated that they understand these principles and have taken action to make a difference. They have turned recycling into art and crafted ingenious projects from waste material."

The initiative is implemented through cooperation between the City of Windhoek and the Sister City of Bremen in Germany through the project "Improving Solid Waste Management in Windhoek".