The sight of these carelessly disposed pieces of diapers used to wrap round a baby’s bottom and between its legs to absorb and retain urine and feaces is rampant across the country. While there is no question about how disposable diapers have become a ubiquitous item in our contemporary society, owing it to their convenience, the impact of these materials on the environment is great and oftenly unrealized.

Studies show that disposable diapers take up to 500 years to degrade, introducing pathogens into the environment which eventually find their way into water sources, consequently causing water pollution. Inspired to make the environment conducive for all, Bwalo La Ana Active Youth Community Organization (BLAYACO) through its member volunteer Chrispin Khuleya, organized a short exercise by gathering diapers , at one of the notorious spots where diapers are carelessly disposed at Ngabu in Chikhwawa district.

Chrispin notes that the amount of diapers carelessly disposed signifies that a substantial number of people with babies do not know how to dispose these materials properly. It is therefore paramount that not only awareness campaigns on how to dispose diapers be conducted, but conventional sites where these materials can be disposed also be constructed to help people avoid disposing diapers carelessly as well as demand that diaper manufacturing companies include instruction manuals to aid their users in proper disposal of diapers.