FEATURES: In Ibadan, minors reduce malaria spread by recycling waste to eco-friendly stools 

Funkẹ Alimi, 58, and her family were living at Yemẹtu – an infamous neighbourhood in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria. A dirty river clogged with plastic bottles, used styrofoam, and human faeces encircled the community, causing stagnant water. Majority of the houses around the river lack toilets, and residents rely on it for both solid and liquid waste.

One morning in August last year, Alimi had an unusual attitude throughout her body, making it difficult for her to eat her breakfast. She asked her daughter to get medicine for her from a nearby store, but she was had a rethink, prompting her to consider going alone because her daughter might not be able to describe her inner feelings to the local chemist like she could. At the chemist store, she got a mix of medication for ₦300 ($0.17).

When she returned home, her daughter prepared a hot pap to administer the medication. Minutes after forcefully digesting it, she vomited everything she had consumed. Her problem was now becoming worse, she made an effort to get some sleep. Waking up in the evening, she vomited again, her body was extremely hot, and she could not raise her legs. Her daughter cried and screamed, but no one was home to offer assistance. Her husband had not returned from his factory job. Fortunately, a neighbour with a motorcycle arrived and took her to God’s Grace Clinic, a private health centre at Oke Aremọ, just five minutes away from their home.

Alimi on her sick bed

“I was hurried inside a ward by the nurses, who gave me an injection and a drip into my body,” Alimi explained  to Ripples Nigeria.

When she felt better, the Matron asked where she was staying. “I told her we were living in a house next to the dirty river. She (Matron) confirmed to me that I had malaria, which was caused by mosquitoes breeding”

According to the United Nations, malaria is the world’s most deadly tropical mosquito-borne parasitic disease, killing an estimated 1 million people and infecting up to 1 billion people in 109 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The World Health Organizations (WHO) also reported that Africa is leading with 59% in the world’s clinical malaria cases.

Nurses assumed Alimi would be their last malaria patient caused by an unclean environment, until Miss Oluwafunmibi Akinade, a 17 yr-old apprentice, was admitted.

Oluwafunmibi returned home from a shop around Yemetu community where she was learning facial beautification, complaining of a headache to her mother (Bimpe). She received two paracetamol tablets from her mom but instead of relief, she (Oluwafunmibi) sweated, alarming Bimpe to walk her to the same health centre.

“Yes, we also treated Oluwafunmibi. Their environment is the main problem. Unsanitary environments have a negative impact on one’s health. What did you expect from an environment that resembles a dump?” Grace Fehintola, Head Matron of God’s Grace Clinic, asked, expressing her concern about the patients.

Waste pollution, without a doubt, contributes to the spread of malaria by creating stagnant water for Anopheles mosquito reproduction. And a major part of this fertile breeding ground is plastic bottles, which contribute greatly to stagnant water. Every minute, one million plastic bottles are purchased worldwide and up to five trillion plastic bags are used annually. Overall, half of all plastic produced is intended for single-use applications, meaning it is used only once and then discarded.

Nigeria, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), generates roughly 2.5 million tons of plastic waste  annually, with a significant portion ending in waterways and landfills.

Journey for rescue

Chrysolite Foundation, a youth-led climate group, stormed Yemetu unaware of the prevalence of malaria in the community. Coming with the sole purpose of training teenagers aged 8 to 15 on waste management and ways kids can participate in climate action within their environment.

Yemetu river

After noticing a large number of polyethylene terephthalate plastic bottles, which are widely used for beverage packaging, and other waste items in the river, the foundation organised recycling and environmental sustainability training for ten (10) community children. Meanwhile, recycling is critical to climate action and a means of empowering low-income communities to reduce the impact of environmental pollution and promote sustainable development.

Esther Mbabie, the foundation’s Executive Director, was overjoyed to see young lads volunteering to help their community. “My team and I want to train them on how to convert waste into wealth,” she told this newspaper at Yemetu.

Yemetu river

The making of eco-friendly stools

Taofik Abdulhameed (13yr), Fawaz Oyaranti (14yr), Lateefat Adedeji (8yr), and Darasimi (10yr) were among the selected children who expressed enthusiasm for the training while being supported by their parents.

As directed by their trainers, the children, clad in nylon gloves and carrying sacks, separated into two groups and proceeded to the river and its environs to pick plastic bottles, cartons, pieces of fabrics, wood fragments, foams, and leather rope.

Some of the kids

The children brought back sacks of plastic bottles from the river and washed them in large bowls with water, detergents, and iron sponges. They spread them in the sun to dry for hours.

Processing for stool making 

The kids twisted four identical bottles in four different directions, totaling sixteen, and then tied them all together with a rope.

“Trainers informed us that the quantity of bottles dictates the type of stool we wish to make,” Fawaz said, recalling

The kids then positioned “carton pieces” on either side of the sixteen-binded bottles to enclose them, making it hard to scatter.

They tied “pieces of leather rope” around the sixteen-binded bottles; foam was then pinned on it using the giant stapler, advancing it to the final step of creation.

Knitting with Fabrics

The children were divided into two groups so that they could finish the knitting process by making two stools at once. Fawaz led the group in creating a stool with a ‘blue African print design’. While Taofik’s group created one in traditional design.

When asked if he can stand alone without their trainers, Taofik shared his experience. “The procedure is quite easy for me”, he said, adding that he can even train others in the neighbourhood. “I can still get a lot of bottles to make stools for myself and sell”

Finished products (stools) displayed at an exhibition organised by their trainers

Any impact on the environment?

Sitting in her office, Oluwatosin Gbaroye, a public health professional described that the kids’ initiative in turning plastics and other wastes into stools is not only financially beneficial but also contributes to the creation of a hygienic community.

Her explanation for the widespread malaria was that the houses in the Yemetu community were not built to public health standards, and there were insufficient drainages, causing waste congestion and breeding more mosquitoes.

She affirmed that, “funny enough, the children may be unaware that they are helping to combat malaria. Although it is a gradual process.” She applauded them for the effort to make an impact on the environment through recycling even after their training.

Gbaroye warned the children and residents, “The children should wash their hands every day. Every time and whenever they recycle. Pick up the waste and transport it far away to wash and dry in order to avoid complicating the situation. Use mosquito-treated nets and have their windows and doors well-lit with nets”

Limitation and Sustainability

The children’s eco-friendly stools were displayed at an exhibition organised by the foundation in the community. Residents not only came to buy but also showered accolades on the young change makers.

“The more they recycle, the more stools are produced, resulting in a cleaner environment. If they become discouraged and stop recycling, which could be influenced by parents and other socialization agents, their community may see more cases of malaria than before” Joshua Ajibade, a trainer, disclosed to this newspaper.

Olasupọ Abideen, Global Director of Brain Builder Youth Initiative, noted that  reusing bottles can reduce environmental factors associated with malaria transmission and has been successful in developed countries.

“Of course, the advice will be for the young kids to keep applying what they have learned and begin their journey to become sustainable advocates”, he admonished them.

This demonstrates that if more children in Nigeria and across Africa take up this initiative in their local communities, the malaria rate and  effects of climate change will be significantly reduced.

By Toheeb Babalola

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