The need to take action and seek for ways to mitigate the impact of Climate Change has again come to the front burner when a Non-Governmental Organization, I-Rep Mother Nature, took their campaign for climate-friendly actions to some communities in Lagos.
For about last three weeks, the NGO has visited Apapa, Ikorodu, and Ogba communities in a bid to create awareness drive.
Highlight of their activities was tree planting exercise as well as campaign against indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste.
Others included film shows, musical performances, drama, poetry, and dance which were deployed to drive home their message.
Earlier on April 18, when the I-Rep Mother Nature campaign began at Irede, a coastal community in the Apapa area of Lagos State, the Irede outreach featured short films, music, poetry, and stage plays all with themes around climate change, portraying the destruction of coastal life through the indiscriminate disposal of plastic bottles
They also demonstrated the effects of these acts on humans through the already contaminated aquatic habitats. Human lives are not spared through exposure to chemicals used in the production of bottles which ultimately leads to all kinds of ailments, including cancer, liver failure, kidney infections, and many other life threatening diseases.
Prolific filmmaker and environmentalist, Willie Workman Oga, the Executive Director of I-Rep Mother Nature, said climate activism is a task everyone should be concerned about because of the high stakes involved.
Oga, who uses his artistic work to call attention to the dangers of climate change, for which he has won several international awards and nominations, said everything that affects the environment in any part of the world, affects us.
Oga explained why the outreach was targeted at young people. “If you catch them young andy get them to get used to the mitigating effect of climate change early in their lives, they will grow up protecting the environment more effectively.
A representative of Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) Oluwaseyi Oyewole who spoke on the dangers of indiscriminate disposal of plastic bottles told the kids: “If you throw plastic bottles away when it rains, the plastic ends up in our water. It is that same water you are going to get fish from. If plastic bottles are clustered in the water bodies, do you know it affects your fishing? It can kill fish in the river, and at the same time, it still affects us humans.”
In his words, “From these water bottles, after drinking them, you put them in our trash bag, a purple nylon. When they are many, you can sell them to people who use them for recycling. They use it to make bags, jackets, clothes, etc.”
Another journalist and environmental activist, Dele Ojo spoke on the benefits of tree planting.
He said trees help cool the environment, reduce flooding and erosion, and balance the ecosystem through photosynthesis.
He said: “We need to plant trees. We don’t have to rely on nature because nature planted trees for us. When God created heaven and earth, he created trees too. Trees are very important for our environment. For a long time, human beings have cut down trees to do a lot of things. And that thing has been affecting us. That is why you hear about climate change. It is because of human activities.”
The highlight of the event was the planting of trees in the Irede community, which saw young members of the community playing major roles during the event.
On April 24, the NGO visited Owode Ajegunle community in the Ikorodu local government area of Lagos State.
The team was received by community members eager to learn how they could contribute to mitigating the impact of climate change.
And like in Irede, drama, poetry, music, and other artistic displays were deployed to promote climate-friendly actions of tree planting and shunning indiscriminate disposal of plastic bottles.
On May 5, the NGO stormed Ogba to make the same case for climate-friendly actions.
The awareness program saw the enthusiasm of the community to embrace the recycling culture of plastic bottles.
In all the communities, a group of young volunteers called Community Environmental Youth Vanguard was set up to champion the recycling drive and tree planting effort in their communities.
According to Oga, one major noticeable impact of the program was the positive response from the communities to the advocacy.
He appreciated the Global Greengrants Fund for their support in facilitating the outreaches.
