“The main purpose of the project is to make students at the disability centre understand the importance of replenishing the environment by using natural compost instead of chemicals to richen the soil for agricultural purposes.”

These were the words of the Fiji National University’s student environment ambassador of disability services, Kavita Singh at the soft launch of the Disability Students’ Environment Champions Club Sustainability Project at the Nasinu Campus last week.

The Environment Champions club formed by the students from the disability centre created a mulching area where fallen leaves found around the disability centre can be collected and turned into compost.

The compost will be used by the students of the disability centre as organic manure for their gardens in which they have proposed to plant miniature guava trees.

“The gardens will be more of a creative secondary stage, where the miniature guava plants will start to bear fruit and the disabled students from the university can benefit from this project,” said Singh.

Singh added that the project would educate the students at the disability centre on the importance of preserving the natural environment where plants are replanted or grown around the compound of the disability centre.

“It will also promote the sustainable and natural environment where students with disabilities can appreciate nature as it is.”

Singh highlighted that the project is in accordance to SDG Goal 12 – to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, which are key to sustaining the livelihoods of current and future generations.

“This will be one of the first sustainable projects for the disability centre and will give students with disabilities an opportunity to have a sustainable environment where they can contribute to preserving natural resources.”

The garden and compost project are aligned with the university’s strategic plan and UN sustainability goals; Goal 3 – good health and well-being, goal 11 – sustainable cities and communities, goal 12 – responsible consumption and production, and goal 15 – life on land.