Nothing quite says unconditional love like a stranger taking time off their hectic schedule to tend to your mess without expecting anything in return. Gaborone “straphangers” were on Sunday treated to the rare altruistic benevolence as strangers dressed in white caps and t-shirts inscribed “WeLoveU” spend the whole morning and afternoon cleaning up the Gaborone Bus Rank and Station to ensure than commuting is a clean, delightful and healthy experience.
The WeLoveU foundation is a non-profit organization which was founded by Chairperson Zahng Gil-Jah in 2001 in Korea, in pursuit of sharing happiness and love. It has over 53 branches in 53 different countries.
The cleanup campaign is one of the numerous initiatives by the foundation to help communities. WeLoveYou also participates in disaster relief programs; blood donation drives and orphan care.
“People’s Love has gone cold, so we need Love that resembles a Mothers Love which is unconditional”, advised one of the members Lame Botshoma. He has a strong belief that a clean environment is a foundation to a happy life.
Determined to make daily commuting an enjoyable experience for public transport passengers and operators, the WeLoveU crew cleaned the insides, outskirts, roads used by public service vehicles and pathways used by pedestrians.
Passersby watched in awe and encouraged the WeLoveU team on as they spread through the location cleaning ditches and trenches, removing all the dirt and rubbish. “I would like to encourage them to continue doing their good work because the environment is clean now. People pass by; we sell our food here, so it’s good for business. I assisted by borrowing them my broom to clean”, said Dorcus Boifang a food vendors at the bus rank.
The bus rank and station was chosen because of it Is where Gaborone’s workforce meet every morning and evening and where tourists using public transport come face to face with the hustle and bustle of the city. A clean environment, promotes a healthy lifestyle and a productive workforce, said Boshoma.
“We hope people can realize that each one is responsible for the environment by also working together, share the milk of human kindness with neighbours friends and strangers. Society should change its self centered mindset and strive to make the world a better place for all”, he said.
A clean environment is associated with safety and ambiance while a dirty environment is associated with repulsion and danger. Dirty areas encourage people to continue littering while clean areas discourage people from littering. A dirty environment breeds diseases, bad presentation and reputation”, he said.
