New Delhi: The Coca-Cola Foundation and The American India Foundation (AIF) in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) recently came celebrated the success of Phase III of the ‘Support My School Mission Recycling (SMSMR)’ Program. The knowledge exchange event was a testament to the power of collective action and reiterated the commitment to environmental stewardship.
Support My School Mission Recycling program started in 2018 and covered 25 states and UTs to date intending to create awareness amongst 3 million children and 63,527 teachers of 15,223 government schools towards recycling and reuse of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) and plastic waste. Through this program, a remarkable transformation in behaviour has been witnessed among all stakeholders involved. Moreover, this program has also played a pivotal role in nurturing leadership skills among students. Phase I and Phase II of the program was implemented from December 2017 to August 2021 across India and Phase III was implemented for a period of 1 year beginning January 2022 until June 2023.
By actively involving children in the initiative, the project aims to foster a new generation of environmentally conscious citizens and sought to create a sustainable and lasting impact on both the young participants and the wider community they belong to. The objective of this event, therefore, is to demonstrate the power of synergies and collective action, provide a platform for student ‘changemakers’ to showcase models they have created by applying their learning to address day-to-day community-level problems they had to face, release the new SMS MR 2.0 content and present awards to “changemakers.”
Mathew Joseph, Country Director, American India Foundation said, “Plastic pollution can alter natural habitats and processes, reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, impacting millions. SMSMR is preparingthe future generation of environment warriors, whochampion this change to protect the planet we call home.The Phase III of SMSMR aimed to empower school children as responsible citizens while also extending its reach to teachers, parents, and community members. The project emphasizes delivering crucial messages and actionable steps to raise awareness about the pressing hazards associated with inadequate waste management. To achieve impact at scale, AIF,leveraged its rich partnerships withstate governments,specifically with the education departments, across the project reach of 25 states and UTs.”
“The SMSMR Program demonstrates the power of collective action in nurturing a generation of environmentally conscious citizens. We are proud to be part of this initiative that not only raises awareness about recycling and responsible waste management but also empowers students to become changemakers in their communities. By instilling these values in our youth, we are investing in a sustainable future for all,” said Saadia Madsbjerg, President of The Coca-Cola Foundation. “The project has had wide participation and support from government officials and the community. We are proud that we have been able to play a small but valuable role in supporting the Swachh Bharat Mission.”
Piush Goyal, Co-Chairman – CII Regional Committee said,“We are delighted to support American India Foundation and The Coca-Cola Foundation on the launch of ‘Support My School Mission Recycling (SMSMR) Program’ report. The program focused on engaging the younger generation to make them the most powerful agents of change.”
The knowledge-sharing event also included an award ceremony to recognize the remarkable accomplishments of the young champions who took part in the “Recycling for SMSMR Mission.” The award ceremony witnessed the exceptional dedication and contributions of these young sustainability champions and changemakers.
