Different stakeholders have come together to address litter problem in Maun through the Feed the Bin Movement, a community initiative meant to keep the environment clean and encourage everyone to take responsibility for where waste ends up.
The launch of the initiative that was held last Friday and officiated by Minister of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng was held alongside the commemoration of World Cleanup Day, traditionally observed globally on 20th September. This year’s commemoration of World Cleanup Day was held under the theme: “From Clean Plates to Clean Cities.”
The commemoration commenced with a clean-up involving government departments, businesses, NGOs, Parastatals and community members.
The purpose of the clean-up campaign was to encourage collective responsibility towards maintaining a safe, clean and healthy environment and also to raise awareness on proper waste management practices.
Following the clean-up campaign, Wild Entrust donated 50 refuse bins to support council’s efforts in maintaining the surroundings clean within the district.
The stakeholders in this initiative include Wild Entrust, Hollard Botswana, Chobe Holdings, Kalahari Insurance Brokers (KIB), North West District Council (NWDC), and Botswana National Olympics Committee (BNOC).
Wild Entrust will manage the bins and ensure that waste is collected regularly and that the bins are emptied. The organisation has engaged local company DM Environmental to provide waste collection services. Chobe Impact has contributed P100, 000 towards the Feed the Bin programme.
Speaking during the launch of the programme, Kelebeng said that the Feed the Bin programme complements the President’s National Clean-Up Campaign which encourages communities to take responsibility in keeping the environment clean.
“As much as government would be happy to clean every street, every school, every playing field and every neighbourhood every day, this is an impossible endeavour. It can only be possible with the support of communities,” he said.
He noted that Feed the Bin help translate the President’s national call into everyday behaviour, encouraging people to take responsibility for the waste they generate and for the spaces they share.
“We want people to see a bin and choose to use it. We want people to see litter and feel that they can do something about it. We want people to understand that keeping Maun clean is not somebody else’s responsibility. It is our shared responsibility. The success of Feed the Bin will therefore not be measured only by the number of bins installed, but by the behaviour and sense of responsibility that develops around them,” Kelebeng said
Kelebeng commended Wild Entrust, and their partners Hollard Botswana, Chobe Impact, Kalahari Insurance Brokers for recognising that lasting change begins with awareness, but requires action and participation.
In his remarks, Wild Entrust Community Coexistence Program Coordinator, Montshiwa Montshiwa said Feed the Bin was endorsed in 2026 in support of President Duma Boko’s National Clean-Up Campaign.
“Then came an important next step. Jerome Byron of Kalahari Insurance Brokers approached us about the litter problem in Maun and asked whether there was something more that could be done. We said yes – and that we already had something we believed could grow,” he said.
According to Montshiwa, Byron helped bring KIB, Chobe Holdings and Hollard Botswana together behind the idea, and their support has allowed Wild Entrust to take a programme with a real history and proven educational foundation and give it greater visibility, infrastructure and reach.
Montshiwa highlighted that the 50 Feed the Bin bins being introduced across Maun are important as they make the right behaviour easier. He encouraged members of the community to take the responsibility by utilizing the bins wisely.
“To Hollard Botswana, Chobe Holdings and Kalahari Insurance Brokers: thank you. Your support is not simply buying bins. You are backing the next stage of a movement that has been built over years, has already reached thousands of community members, and is designed to continue long after this morning,” he said.
Chobe Impact Manager, Ibo Madandume said the initiative was aligned with Chobe Holdings Limited’s commitment to environmental responsibility and community development.
“Chobe Impact is proud to contribute P100, 000 towards this important initiative. Clean and well-managed communities are essential to the wellbeing of residents, businesses and visitors. Through this partnership, we are supporting practical solutions to waste management in the district,” said Madandume.
Batawana Paramount Chief, Kgosi Tawana Moremi also highlighted the importance of the Feed the Bin programme, citing that it will help address littering which remains a challenge in Maun.
