The children’s book “Les déchets” (Waste): Introducing Children to Sorting and Waste Management will officially go on sale starting December 6, 2025. The book launch and official release will take place the same day at the Urban Library of Kinshasa, also known as the Francophone Médiathèque of Funa, in the Limete district, in Kinshasa.
Written by Cherubin Mupene Nkieri, National President of the NGO Geste Qui Compte, this book teaches children the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. Three children — Nlandu, Mabama, and Malaika — representing young kids from Kinshasa, ask all kinds of questions to their uncle, Tonton Mupene, an environmentalist.
For the author, it is essential to speak to children about their environment so that they grow up caring for the planet. “It’s our way of preparing the next generation for our country and our continent,” says Cherubin Mupene.
This book comes at a time when the city of Kinshasa is facing a serious sanitation problem. Due to the lack of an effective waste management policy, the city is slowly being overwhelmed by piles of garbage. Trash collectors often empty trash into gutters or rivers — a practice the author strongly condemns. He hopes children will come to understand the dangers of poor waste management and become advocates for a cleaner environment.
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