A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Centre for 21st Century Issues, has emphasised the need to engage age grade children on a better way to manage wastes instead of engaging in activities that will have an adverse effect on the environment as a result of our relaxed attitudes.
Facilitator of the Environmental Bees Club, Mr. Simileoluwa Adewale, while speaking at the rollout of the Club at Sound Wisdom International School in Lagos on Friday, June 2, 2023, said that since the young children are the future, it is pertinent to teach them on how they can equip themselves to make the environment a better place so everyone can thrive in it.
Adewale, who enjoined the kids to deviate from the common ways people dispose their nylon and plastic wastes, also admonished them to keep the environment clean by way of re-using, recycling and up-cycling of nylon and plastic wastes.
“We are also optimistic that the children can live up to the expectation of being good ambassadors of the Environmental Bees Club by enlightening their peers on how best to manage nylon and plastic wastes in their environments.
“We will also continually train them on the concept of environment so as to implement what they are being taught in their various environments.
“The whole essence of the programme is to instil the mindset of how best to take care of our environment in them and, as they grow, they will become more enlightened and cultivate the habit of proper nylon and plastic waste management so that our environment will be better for it.
“We also train them on sustainability and up-cycling of the wastes that emanates from nylon and plastics. As we roll out this club in schools, we are also going to do follow up in ensuring that the kids live up to expectation by reiterating what they have learnt here today and also re-learn in the future,” Adewale stressed.
One of the partners of the Centre for 21st Century Issues, Mrs. Mojirayo Sonekan, also enlightened the children on how to manage the wastes emanating from plastic and nylon and make good use of it.
According to Sonekan, “there are different types of pollution such as air, water, land, radioactive, thermal, light, and sound pollution, but this session is aimed at educating the children on better ways of managing plastic and nylon wastes.”
“We need to look at how to manage our wastes, especially the plastic wastes. We realise that if the wastes were managed very well it will be very useful and we make a lot of things from it. We also notice that wastes that are not properly recycled usually have aftermath on the environment, so it is very important to engage the children on proper ways of managing wastes to prevent pollution,” Sonekan opined.
Ismaila Shittu, from the International Climate Change Development Initiative (ICDDI), is of the opinion that majority of adults nowadays don’t really want to take care of the environment anymore.
He said: “The only thing we could do to salvage the situation is to catch the young ones at early stage for them to know what environment pollution is and what are its impacts of either negative or the positive impact on the environment. So, the earlier you let them know the good and the bad of the environment so they can get ready of the challenges ahead.”
On whether the kids can take up the responsibility of being an ambassador of the club, Shittu said: “With the experience of ICCDI having covered more than 20 schools in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT, unlike recycling, up-cycling is very easy for the kids to understand because it explores their creative side and makes so many things out of used plastics and nylon just as we have done today by making a stool out of used plastics, used foam and plywood.”
Speaking on behalf of the Proprietor of Sound Wisdom International School, Head Mistress of the School, Mrs. Elizabeth Ugbama, was impressed with the introduction of the Environmental Bees Club in the school and positive about the fact that the kids can go out there and become a good ambassador of the club.
“I believe after this programme the kids can still go home and prove to their parents that they have learnt a new thing in form of how to convert waste plastics and nylon into good use by making use of their creative minds in making something out of nothing. They can also teach kids around their various homes on how to be creative having learnt how to use plastics for numerous beautiful things. They can even make a beautiful career out of the practical session they had today,” Ugbama stressed.
Highlight of the event was the practical session anchored by Rukayat Odebiyi of ICDDI who took children of Sound Wisdom International School on the routine of making a stool out of used of plastic wastes to the admiration of the kids and guests present.
By Ajibola Adedoye
