Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

My name is Stanley Ekpegbue, I am 16 years of age and currently reside in Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria. I school at Rochas foundation college in Jos , Plateau state. I stay with my family.
Jos city known for its rocky topography and cold climatic condition as well as its serene and breath taking sites.
Growing in Jos city was a wonderful experience due to the environment and its weather, which can be matched with that of Europe. I travelled to Lagos state and on my way back I was terrified at the rate at which things have gone bad, the rate at which refuse is now disposed indiscriminately and the annoying case is that the government has not in any way created a policy that would help eliminate this rising danger to the nationâ€™s health.
On reaching home, I told my dad about my decision to sensitize my environment as well as carry out a sensitization campaign in order to educate the public on the dangers that indiscriminate waste disposal pose in adversely affecting the health of the nation and how the rivers and streams can be contaminated. He agreed to give me the necessary support to effectively carry out my project.
I decided to gather around friends and volunteers totaling to about 36 in number and where from my local community and some from my church as well as others who volunteered on seeing my friends gather. We had a goal of firstly, sanitizing our immediate surroundings and secondly to sensitize the public on reasons to avoid indiscriminate disposition of refuse.
It was on a Saturday morning, we all gathered at my house, because we were from the same community. We all came with various implements some came with rakes, others with hoe for weeding. While we were about starting, we had a problem because of the lack of waste bags. We consulted our district head about our plans and he donated waste bags for us. Then we grouped ourselves into 3 groups totaling about 12 in each group with a group leader and we went to various refuse dump sites in our community. We started work at about 8:15 am GMT +1 and the spirit at which my group members worked was just amazing as they all worked with great zeal and tenacity. At about 10:27am Gmt+1 a woman, who said she had never seen great minds and young individuals willing to work as we were doing, served us a local juice and some snacks and we then decided to take a break and refresh. I decided to call the other leaders in other groups to know their pace at which work is being done their response was elating and encouraging. After refreshing for about 15 minutes, we decided to go back to work.
We started filling the waste into refuge bags and in no time we brought out our wheelbarrows and stacked the refuse there and then took it to a site were the district head advice we drop it. He promised to contact the environmental agency to assist in further disposure of the waste.
We went back to the site and next we decided to design placards were we wrote the sign â€™no refuse dump by orderâ€™ and took a stick to place it there. And about 1:33 pm GMT+1, I contacted the other groups and they said that they were already on their way coming. They came at about 2:05pm gmt+1 and we all encouraged and thanked ourselves and decided to set-up a club that will ensure that no further refuge is disposed indiscriminately, we also decided to make appeal fund card and use the income generated to print flyers as part of the tool to sensitize the public. We decided to meet again the coming Saturday and in the meeting we decided to paste flyers as well as carry out sensitization campaign.
The Saturday soon approached and the number of volunteers grew to about 43 and we brought out the fliers, which were already available as the contributions and donations for them were delivered pretty fast. We further grouped ourselves and we spoke about what course of actions to take and this time we grouped ourselves into 8 groups having about 5-6 members each and we strategized specific places to visit outside our community where there is critical indiscriminate disposal of waste. We swam into action and in no time my group pasted the fliers at various stands and further gathered to visit compounds and households to tell them about the dangers of indiscriminate refuse disposal to their health as well as the dangers it poses to the aquatic habitats. We all also distributed refuse bags to the households and also a flier to paste as a sign showing that they agree to no longer dispose of their waste indiscriminately. We all gathered at 11:15 am GMT+1 and discussed about the challenges faced as well as strategic measures to further prevent indiscriminate disposal of refuse. We then took light refreshment before going back to tour and educate our community. The project as well as it implementation was a dream come true. It has also given me the opportunity to assist my community in the smallest way possible and as such helped me to sensitize the public as well as the community members on the effects of indiscriminate waste disposal on their health as well as on the aquatic habitats.