As part of its activities for this year’s training of youths across Nigeria and some parts of Africa on leadership, community organsing and movement building, YIAGA AFRICA on Friday led its cohort of 40 community organisers to Karu market Abuja for sanitization and sensitization on best practices for waste disposal. The exercise in collaboration with Pick That Trash initiative involves picking of waste and trash around the market and properly disposing to ensure a healthy environment.
During the exercise, the team led by YIAGA AFRICA senior program officer in the youth department, Ibrahim Faruk also sensitized store owners on the need to ensure proper disposal of its waste. The team went on to advise store owners on best practice in waste management and recycling.
According to Faruk, community organizing, and movement building can only thrive if young community organisers create a proper connection with their communities. He said, one important way of connecting with the community and securing commitment in movement building is to engage in community development service like this.
“For instance, if you come out on a weekend basis to clean your community or participate in activities that will improve the community, you are more likely to secure commitment from members of the community when you are building a movement”, Faruk said “YIAGA AFRICA is not only building a new generation of young activists that care about good quality governance but also citizens that care about a healthy environment”, Ibrahim said.
According to Nancy who came from Cameroon to join the Youth Organsing School, the sanitization exercise exposed her to importance of engaging in community service. According to her, exercise like this will enable her to connect with her community when she returns home saying she will implement all lessons learnt in Nigeria in her home country.
On her on part, Funmi from Ekiti said she was excited to be part of the exercise as it is her first time involving in activities like this. She is excited that market men and women were receptive to new ideas of waste management.
