Before winter comes to Lloydminster and covers the highways with snow, Imam Mansoor Azeem and members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community were out cleaning the ditches.
Eleven members of the community filled up six bags of garbage in two hours after cleaning up 3.2 kilometres of highway between Range Road 13 to 15.
The community has taken part in the “Adopt-a-Highway” program for the past five years.
Azeem says it is part of the Muslim faith and moral responsibility to take part in programs and activities which benefits the whole community.
The program is mostly for the youth in the community and teaches them about responsibility to the environment and the community which they will carry on into adulthood.
“As an Imam, I want them to understand their responsibility that we are there to clean up others mess and someone has to stand up. And our community has stood up.”
Azeem says at first the kids were hesitant to touch and collect the garbage but afterwards they felt amazing.
“Now they know that it’s a responsibility and they know that someone has to pick up the garbage so they won’t be doing this. They won’t be throwing garbage outside of their cars on the highway which can result in major accidents and at the same time it scars on the beauty of the highways.”
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community also cleans the streets of Lloydminster during New Year’s.