Fides Media Living the Faith
By Uche Enem
The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Arch Michael Okonkwo has recently commended the Anambra State TrashTag team led by Chibuzo Nwabue on their voluntarily service in keeping the environment clean and safe.
The team engaged in their voluntarily service on 30th March, 2019, to clean Anambra State with the plans of extending to other areas in Awka. The spot cleared by the group was an illegal dump site by the fence of Unizik Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria, immediately after Miracle junction, when driving to the School gate from Awka town.
The team said that the Trashtag challenge was still on and they will achieve better in partnering with schools, market associations, community-based groups, NYSC groups, Landlord Association and other NGOs. The group plans to support any group with technical advice on how to go about Trashtag and develop a high network of individuals who will take charge of their environment for sustainability.
According to Lifegate.com, #Trashtag originally started as the #Trashtag Project by UCO Gear, a US company selling equipment for outdoor activities in 2015, it picked up after a Facebook user Byron Román, posted a before and after picture of an area he cleared, inviting “bored teens” to “take a photo of an area that needs some cleaning or maintenance, then take a photo after you have done something about it, and post it”. The #Trashtag challenge has now spread beyond just young people.
Presently, the challenge has taken a new dimension in 2019, with people engaging in removing dirt at Roadsides, schools, market place, Beaches and other public places.
In Africa, few countries (Algeria, Ghana, etc) have keyed into the initiative, with that of Algeria, climaxing during their demonstration against their President’s fifth term bid. The citizens took the challenge up as a way of encouraging people to do good things in the society.
However, Nigerians (the giant of Africa) are yet to key into this initiative despite their massive online presence and the zeal to join trending global topics.
Therefore, as a way of keeping the Primus Inter pares position of Nigeria in global issues, a group of 10 individuals residing in Anambra, Nigeria, came together and agreed to bring this challenge down home and get youths involved in the project of keeping a clean and healthy environment by clearing dirt around their environment. This is done in line with SDGs NO 11 & 13, using the 4Rs (refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle). The team members are: Chibuzo Nwabue, Tobenna Obiano, Mbonu Chinedu, Izuchukwu Nwana, Alago Chinwendu, Maarah Okafor, Kingsley Omenankiti, Chukwuebuka Nweke, Chukwubuikem Nwokoye, Chinaza Nwokolo.
