#TheAfricaWeWant | PHwakawaka

Egelege Orominike Community Dump-site Port Harcourt

By Smith Nwokocha

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION IN PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA.

On the 22^nd of April 2024, which is globally marked as Earth Day. An African Climate Reality Leader (Smith Nwokocha with some passionate Volunteers) embarked on a community-based intervention project (Bag The Waste Campaign) which involved a Clean Up exercise, donation of Waste Management Materials like Waste Bins, Waste Bags, Shovels, Brooms, Cleaning Mobs, Wreck, wheelbarrows, and other equipment that will enable the Parks and Dump-Site Management and Users maintain a clean environment. It was possible with support from the African Climate Reality project.

Sensitizing the Managing Director of Rivers Joy Travels and Tour Ltd (Rivers Transportation Company Park).

Smith started by sensitizing the Park Management of RiversJoy Travel and Tours Ltd, Drivers, Passengers and Park Users to clean up the environment all the time and bag their waste when done cleaning. Community members present were advised to stop Indiscriminate dumping of refuse, it causes blockage of the gutters, drainage system and the entire environment which will lead to Flooding and other unhealthy diseases/sicknesses. The Managing Director (Dr. Peter B. L. Borlo, FCILT, MNIM, JP), appreciates the African Climate Reality Project for supporting such an amazing initiative, that has made their drivers today become conscious of bagging their waste and of course the park users too. They are grateful and will maintain a culture of cleanliness.

Furthermore, the African Climate Reality Leader moved to Egelege Dumpsite at Orominike Community in Port Harcourt with some volunteers, where he sensitized the Dump-site Management and joined in cleaning up the dumps site. In the process of cleaning up the dump site, he spent some hours separating plastics from other specks of dirt in line with the global theme: Plastic vs planet.

Climate Reality Leader, Students and Volunteers

By Smith Nwokocha

Climate Reality Leader Smith Nwokocha championed a “Bag Your Waste Campaign” with the theme: Clean Up Africa with support from African Climate Reality Project. On the 26^thof March 2024, exactly 10:00am WAT.

He sensitized the students and staff of Community Secondary School, Oroworukwo and K.C. International Academy in Port Harcourt, Nigeria on how to use this exercise of Clean Up and Bagging of Waste as a tool for Advocacy to hold relevant Authorities and Stakeholders, especially Plastic Polluters accountable for better Waste Management practices and possibly lobby for the policies to reduce the Manufacturing and sale of single-use plastic items.

Furthermore, Smith alongside the students embark on real-time sanitation exercise by cleaning up the dump site in the school premises and over 100 plastic bags were filled with plastic waste items collected during the clean up exercise.

Coke Plastic Bottles 200

Pepsi Plastic Bottles 200

La sien Water Plastic Bottles 250

CWAY Water Plastic Bottles 260

Unknown Brand Bottles 90

Papers/shattered Books 160

Cans 210

Leaves 180

Plastic Sachet 500

Plastic cups 50

Plastic straws 100

Plastic Food Wrappers 250

Sanitary pads 80

Toiletries 150

Above is the statistics of plastic and waste discovered. Afterward, students were inaugurated as Eco-Champions/Ambassadors in the school, to sustain the exercise all through the school terms/sessions. In taking action to improve waste management practices, the students will keep raising awareness and organize community/school clean up exercise regularly. Smith also, taught the students and staff how providing solutions to plastic pollution by adopting the 7R’s of Sustainability, which include: a) Reduce b) Recycle c) Reuse d) Reduce e) Rethink f) Repair and g) Rally.

Climate Reality Leader Smith Nwokocha with support from African Climate Reality Project donated some useful Materials and Cleaning Tools, including Trash bags, Shovels, Reks, Handmade and Mechanized Brooms, Cleaning Mob and buckets, Large, medium and small sized Waste bin, packs of Nose masks and handgloves in numbers to the schools to maintain the culture of bagging their waste and cleaning up the environment. The Principal and Proprietress of the schools, students and staff expressed gratitude for such gesture.

In attendance, over 224 students from Community Secondary School, Oroworukwo attended the exercise, while 99 pupils attended from K.C. International Academy, all in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.