In Rwanda, school-children are taking small yet significant steps to reduce the country’s harmful air pollution. And that’s largely due to the ingenuity of Egide Kalisa.

Egide doesn’t mince words when it comes to the toxic danger of air pollution – he wants us to know it is the leading cause of premature death and claims seven million lives every year.  

As an environmental scientist and professor of environmental health in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Western University, Egide has carried out studies around the world – in his home country of Rwanda, in several other African nations, and in New Zealand, Japan, the U.K. and Canada.  

His published research focuses on individuals’ exposure to emerging air pollutants in indoor and outdoor environments, understanding how much pollution people breathe and how to reduce those exposures. It shows that classrooms in Rwanda have concentrations of pollutants higher than the pollution created by vehicles on Canada’s busiest highway, the 401. And he’s warning that newer phenomena like the vast increase in wildfires are intensifying the problem.  

But Egide is also an optimist: “It's not too late to do something about air pollution,” he says.

His hope lies in the belief that the key to a cleaner, healthier global future depends on taking decisive action.

Take his work in Rwanda.  

Egide found that air pollution throughout the country came from two main sources – wood fires used for cooking and, on an even larger scale, transportation vehicles. And of those vehicles, the idling cars of parents dropping off and waiting to pick up students caused a notable amount of pollution that got into the classrooms. He emphasizes that while air pollution is harmful to everyone, it has a particularly negative impact on children.  

“They spend eight hours a day in the schools. They are still growing, their lungs are still developing. Air pollution can harm every cell in their bodies and it can affect their cognitive ability and academic performance. Clean air in schools is critical.”

Building on his research, Egide launched a program called HumekaNeza—which translates to Breathe Easy in Kinyarwanda, one of Rwanda’s official languages.

The pilot program, operating in Kigali City and rural districts of Rwanda, provides students with sensors to measure pollution at school and at home. Led by Egide, the initiative includes workshops on air pollution and a colour-coded flag system at schools to indicate air quality. And there is the anti-idling program, where students encourage their parents to turn their cars off when picking them up and dropping them off.  

The program has, without question, connected with the students.  

“I've been receiving calls from parents asking why I encouraged their child to turn off the light or the car. That means the children are getting the message and passing it along. We know we’re making an impact.”

In fact, he sees children as vital to environmental advocacy long into the future.  

“Kids are our future scientists and policymakers. If they really understand at this age, it will carry on into their adult lives. That’s why I say it’s not too late to make a difference.”