The Fairtrade Initiative Saarland and the all-day community school in Neunkirchen came to the primary school in Kirkel-Neuhäusel with the Bana bus and information about fair trade
For the fifth year now, a bright yellow Bana bus from the Fairtrade Ganztagsgemeinschaftsschule Neunkirchen (GGSNK) is travelling to selected schools in Saarland with speakers and teachers from the school and Wynnie Mbindyo from the Fairtrade Initiative Saarland, chauffeured by driver Mario Bartone.
The project "The Bana bus is coming: Is(s) gudd - the fair banana" was launched in 2020 by the Fairtrade Initiative Saarland. The GGSNK is a cooperation partner. The bus is supervised by three teachers and six pupils. It is also used for school trips. Mbindyo originally accompanied the bus in Munich, Hamburg and Saarbrücken before it found its home in Neunkirchen.
After the Von der Leyen-Gymnasium in Blieskastel, the Kirkel-Neuhäusel primary school is the second school at which the bus will make a stop. After the summer holidays, the bus will be at the "Schule an den Linden" community school in Limbach. This will be the third school for the educational project funded by Fairtrade Saarpfalz-Kreis in 2025. "Fair conditions for producers in the countries of the global South are already a topic in primary schools and daycare centres. As a Fairtrade district, it is important to us to arouse interest among children and young people and to create opportunities for them to actively participate thanks to the support in daycare centres and schools," explained District Administrator Frank John.
Three hands-on stations were set up under the covered schoolyard with questions and answers about fair trade using the example of the banana. The individual stations were supervised by Wynnie Mbindyo and the pupils, who imparted a wealth of knowledge to the primary school children with information about the countries of origin, cultivation, labour and delivery conditions. Headmistress Tanja Lamy sees this as a promising concept. She emphasised how committed and confident the pupils from the community school were in explaining fair trade to the primary school children, who clearly demonstrated their enthusiasm and expertise. Taking a seat on the bus was a highlight. Last but not least, everyone was able to enjoy a fair trade banana.
"The visit of the Bana bus to our primary school is another piece in the mosaic that shows Kirkel as an active Fairtrade community. For us, Fairtrade is not just a logo and a good intention, but is practised in many places. This can also be seen in the commitment of our fair trade steering group, which coordinates all activities relating to fair trade. As part of the global North, Kirkel is aware of and accepts its responsibility for the people and living conditions in the global South," emphasised the Mayor of Kirkel, Dominik Hochlenert.
The suggestion to use the bus in the Fairtrade community of Kirkel came from the "Fairtrade in the community" working group in Kirkel. Walter Nägle, Fairtrade representative for the municipality, says: "You learn to think about the world and people and not lose sight of the rest of the world."