#ItsUp2Us – Want to clean up the Klein Windhoek river, drive out the illegal squatters
Not to be outdone by any other business in tourism, the Gondwana Collection started their contribution to the national Clean Up campaign on Thursday with a sweep of the Klein Windhoek river.
“We are thankful to our President and extremely happy to be part of this Clean Up campaign. Our country and her beautiful landscapes are our biggest asset and we must look after it as custodians for future generations”, Gondwana’s Managing Director, Gys Joubert said when he addressed the staff. “We believe that this campaign is more than a Clean Up once a year, it is about a culture change on waste and even water and energy use. It is about our beautiful environment in general. We passionately believe that you can not look your children in their eyes and tell them that you love them, if you take something for yourself today that belongs to them in the future. We must all accept that addressing these issues is not only up to the government or municipalities or town councils, no, it is indeed #ItsUp2Us.”
On Africa Day, Friday 25 May, Gondwana spreads its own efforts country-wide, involving the staff at all fifteen their establishments.
The lodges in Gondwana Canyon Park will help to clean up the small settlement of Grünau together with the local primary school, while Kalahari Anib Lodge and Kalahari Farmhouse will take part in the waste collection drive in Stampriet. Namib Desert Lodge and neighbouring lodges will clean the roadside on the way to Sossusvlei. Damara Mopane Lodge will support the efforts of Welwitschia Primary School in Khorixas, while Etosha Safari Lodge and Camp will assist with the clean-up action in Outjo. Hakusembe River Lodge will collect garbage in the surroundings together with the villagers of nearby Sikondo, and Chobe River Camp will join the action at the Ngoma border post.
Supporting their goal of zero tolerance for littering, Gondwana launched the #ItsUp2Us campaign at the beginning of this year. Together with Rent-A-Drum, they want to ensure that only biodegradable waste ends up at landfill sites. At the same time the campaign is intended to raise and increase environmental awareness among all Namibians.
Gondwana said it will carry its Clean Up Namibia message further, using their presence at the Namibia Tourism Expo in Windhoek from 30 May to 02 June, to reach thousands more people. For this purpose, #ItsUp2Us-branded garbage bins have been placed all over the Windhoek show grounds where the expo will be held.
