"Put your rubbish in the bin!", is something I can still hear my parents and teachers telling me. Therefore, it wouldn't even cross my mind to throw plastic or other kinds of rubbish on the floor. Through my travels in different countries of the world I have noticed that this 'motto' doesn't have the same strength or effect everywhere. Sudan, unfortunately, is one of them. Yesterday I went to the Jebel Aulia Dam, a lovely place where lots of Khartoum residents tend to spend their free weekends. It struck me straight away that the majority of the trees were decorated with differently coloured plastic bags. I first hoped it would be some kind of art-project, but I had to conclude that the whole natural area was covered with plastic. It was difficult for me to hide my feeling of disbelief and amazement. My fellow-passengers agreed that the place would even look so much nicer if the great amounts of plastic bags wouldn't be there. I couldn't agree more, since I really liked the setting of the recreational grounds.
"The problem is", the driver said while he thoughtlessly threw his empty bottle out of his car window,
"that they don't hire cleaners to clean this place every evening". I guess, he apparently believes more in the concept of 'cure', than of 'prevention'.
