Kamil Attains Zayed Sustainability Prize Under Global High Schools Category
Ba-based Kamil Muslim College is the first school in Fiji to attain the Zayed Sustainability Prize, under the Global High Schools category since its inception in 2008.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize is the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pioneering global award in sustainability.
The awards were held on Monday in Dubai.
It recognises achievements of people who are driving innovative and impactful solutions across Health, Food, Energy, Water and Global High Schools.
Kamil was among 46 other schools in the Asia and Pacific region that were part of the Global High Schools category.
The college’s students, Year 12 science students, Nawaila Nafisha Ali and Aqeelah Laylaa Ali were part of the world competition along with the school’s Mathematics and Physics teacher, Rinal Prasad who is also Zayed Sustainability Prize Committee chairman.
The team presented its project addressing the effects of climate change that affected their community and the world by providing 100 per cent solar energy to the school, collecting rainwater from a rain harvesting system, generating biogas energy for cooking in the school’s canteen base and also serving food to students who couldn’t afford lunch.
College principal, Shabinah Ali said the vision of the college was education and cultural diversity
for an empowered and sustainable future for all.
Ms Ali said the college had been
striving to meet 17 Sustainable Development Goals as an institution to become an exemplary school
in Fiji, trying to combat climate change.
She said the team also integrated sustainability principles in ecofriendly projects throughout the school.
“The school aims to have a full time solar power supply which will automatically fill spring water from the boreholes in the tank and provide water to the integrated fish farm,” Ms Ali said.
“The school plans to have a bio-digester to reduce waste and produce biogas for cooking at school and provide free health care services and health checkup for students and teachers twice a year to reduce the burden of diseases.”
The project will reduce the burden of paying electricity bills. The college paysaround $12,000 per year for electricity bills and about $1200 for water.
“This project is going to sustainably solve this problem and compensate for 40 per cent diesel generators used by Energy Fiji Limited,” she said.
“Sustainable solutions that this project deploys are going to help the school generate renewable energy for free, will allow full time spring water for the school and the fish farm ponds, free biogas for cooking at school, clean and purified water for drinking and will enable the school to have a sustainable center which can form a hub.”
The team arrives in the country today.
Nadi-based school Sangam Sadhu Kuppuswamy Memorial College (SSKMC) was one of the top three finalists alongside Bohol Wisdom School from the Philippines.