By Siphesihle Dlamini
In a heartwarming display of community spirit and environmental stewardship, the MTN Bushfire team blazed a trail of positive change during the Mahlanya, Lobamba Lomdzala Green Your Fire Day.
This was a cornerstone event in their second MTN Bushfire Volunteer Week initiative held on Friday, July 26, 2024. The Mahlanya, Lobamba Lomdzala Green Your Fire Day was not just a one-time cleanup effort,
but a commitment to establishing a long-term waste management and recycling solution for the Mahlanya area, nestled in the Lobamba Lomdzala constituency.
Through the #GreenYourFire call to action, launched in 2016, MTN Bushfire has actively and consistently committed to encouraging and normalising an environmentally sustainable lifestyle for all.
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This initiative was one of the activities implemented for MTN Bushfire Volunteer Week, a new MTN Bushfire initiative introduced to encourage active service in the spirit of the festival’s Bring Your Fire call to action to enact positive social and environmental change.
The Mahlanya, Lobamba Lomdzala Green Your Fire Day was supported through strategic partnerships and generous contributions,
including sponsorship from the the Malandela’s Legacy Fund and a private family in Lobamba Lomdzala which preferred to remain anonymous.
Led by the Mahlanya community leaders and members from the Umphakatsi of Lobamba Lomdzala, including the Mahlanya Community Business and Market Committees,
the Mahlanya Green Your Fire Day involved a litter clean-up campaign, the provision of waste disposal infrastructure and systems,
as well as an Environmental Education Session at House On Fire with several key Green development partners, including the United Nations in Eswatini, USAID, Young Heroes, and BoMake Rural Projects.
After the community identified their needs in preliminary discussions, MTN Bushfire committed to facilitating a sustainable waste disposal system.
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A new two-bin system has now been installed, one for recyclable waste and the other for general landfill.
Eight two-bin stations were provided in total, with contributions from Macsteel Eswatini, which provided the steel frame mountings for bins to be permanently installed; Rhodes Food Group, which provided the bins;
Plascon Paint, which donated paint, and the Malkerns Town Board, which arranged for skips and the collection of waste.
Previously, the MTN Bushfire team participated in an initiative to renovate the Malindza Refugee Camp in partnership with MTN Y’ello Care, World Vision, and the Government of Eswatini.
The team has committed to the refurbishment of the Mental Health Office, the pre-school grounds, and the provision of a bi-monthly Creative Arts Programme for the Malindza Refugee Camp.
Two murals were painted in the newly renovated Mental Health Office with the themes of freedom, peace, hope, dignity, and equality.
The lead partner for the paint supplies was Plascon Eswatini, with artwork supported by ArtHub.
MTN Bushfire Volunteer Week is aimed at encouraging and supporting individuals and communities that take ownership and responsibility for creating the society they would like to live in,
becoming the change-makers who provide long-term community sustainability.
MTN Bushfire invites all ‘Fire Starters’ to spark the spirit of volunteerism in their communities, and bring their fire for a legacy of sustained positive impact in the communities they live in.
