Climate change and the challenge of flooding are serious issues affecting the world today.
Most of the negative impacts of climate disorders and weather changes stem from the activities of man, which is a test of how much care man gives in protecting his environment.
It is for this reason that Oando Foundation has partnered with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation(NCF) and the African Clean-up Initiative (ACI) to bring environmental education to the grass roots.
Consequently Oando Foundation, along with NCF and ACI engages pupils of Dele Ajomale School, Kusoro, Olokun and Ire Akari school, all located at Ilasamaja for a clean-up exercise at Ilasamaja community on June 24, in Lagos.
The ‘Clean Our World’ project, is an initiative of the Oando Foundation, funded by Sumitomo Chemicals, Japan, with the NCF as an implementing partner.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Abidemi Balogun, Lead, Environmental Education, NCF, says the exercise is in continuation of the Clean Our World(COW) Project, initiated by the Oando Foundation.
Balogun says it is a community cleanup to create awareness on the need to care for the environment and to change people’s attitude towards waste management.
According to her, organizing the cleanup within a School environment with the assistance of volunteers is to make the exercise sustainable
She underscores the importance of cleanliness to learning adding that no good learning can take place in a dirty environment.
Also, one of the partners in the project, African Clean-up Initiative, (ACI), says the Clean-up exercise is another opportunity to drive home the culture of volunteerism.
Mr Shedrak Bright, Monitoring and Evacuation Manager, ACI, says ACI has a role to play in teaching the pupils the proper way of sorting and managing wastes.
According to him, the exercise will also teach the pupils how to clean the environment without supervision.
Bright opines that instilling environmental consciousness early in the life of the Children will help them to become better waste managers when they grow up.
Bright, however, explains that the wastes generated from the exercise will be sent to recyclers and t they in turn will process it, recycle it and send it to an off -taker, who will convert the materials into final products.
Pupils, volunteers and staff of the school express delight in the opportunity to clean up the Ilasamaja community.