The African Child College Eco Heroes Club was formed on Tuesday October 5th, 2021 following the interest of the School to apply for the ISNAD-Africa Environmental Education Programme (EEP). Interested students were randomly selected to constitute equal number of male and female with two coordinating teachers, While Abobi Precious and Idu Fortune emerged team leader and assistant, respectively. The first meeting was held that day, and students were told to go home and come up with ideas on ways to solve environmental challenges in the school and their community.

The second meeting was held on Friday 8th October, 2021, the students were asked to present their ideas and solutions to the identified Environmental challenges. Planting trees in strategic locations in the community, conducting a seminar on proper waste disposal methods and management, and producing a solar reading lamp using locally sourced materials were the possible interventions presented by the students. From the list of interventions suggested by the students, the third item was unanimously agreed upon.  

Moreover, production of solar powered reading lamps will help communities with little or no access to electricity in Nigeria reduce the use of offgrid power generating machines, which pollutes the environment with noise and releases carbon or green house gas emissions. It will help students read better at night in quiet environments and reduce its effect on global warming.  

The goal adopted by the team is to promote continuity in environmental education in the school and the community, using students’ engagement and participation, school community mobilization and participation for optimum support, and local community involvement as its strategy. 

Also, the aims and objectives of the team are; to identify environmental challenges in the community and proffer viable solutions, to equip students with the knowledge on ways to tackle or reduce environmental challenges, and to equip local communities in the FCT with the knowledge of global warming and execute measures in order to militate against it. 

Furthermore, following the receipt of a mail from ISNAD-Africa EEP on Tuesday, 30th November 2021, on the approval of the Schools application and selection for the Environmental Education Programme, the members of the African Child College Eco Heroes club joyfully began preparation for the presentation of its project idea to the Organization’s team. 

The presentation meeting was held successfully and our team was duly corrected for the mistakes made during the presentation. Afterwards, we received and signed the contract that will guide the Team’s engagement with the Organization during the process of the project.  

Upon resumption of second term, the team was also introduced to our Project Advisor, Dr. Nsikak-Abasi Aniefiok Etim, a senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Uyo. Given his wealth of experience, the team was happy to have him engage, advice and mentor them during their project implementation process. 

The organization also provided a simple work plan template for the team, which made the implementation process easy and timely. A meeting was also held with the Project Advisor and ISNAD-Africa’s team the same week, where he advised the team to approach the project with entrepreneurial spirit and embrace profit making abilities. A meeting was scheduled to hold on the 21st January, 2022 but the meeting was cancelled, as the school management put all club activities on hold for that day, to enable the students attend a leadership seminar organized by the school for its newly appointed prefects.  

Members of the Eco Heroes club held a meeting to familiarize with, and outsource the different available material resources (solar panel, energy saving battery, led lights, wires and soldering irons) for the project. The team immediately commenced the procurement of project materials with some difficulty getting small portable solar panels that can fit into the design. 

So far, the students are excited and willing to give all their best to the project. They are currently carrying out the pilot project to get a prototype, and are putting ideas and innovations together to make it a huge success. More students are indicating interest to join the Eco heroes club and partake in the project. 

Once again, the team heartily appreciates the World Wild Life Fund (WWF) and International Support Network for African Development (ISNAD-Africa), for giving us the opportunity to build great minds and entrepreneurs that will assist the world in achieving its Sustainable Development Goals 7 (affordable and Clean Energy), 13 (Climate Action) and 8 (Decent work and Economic growth).  

 

Thank you. 

Victoria Haruna (Coordinating Teacher)