Country of Residence
Nigeria
Age
19
Project title
One child one plant
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
One child one plant is a student-led environmental project which aims to bring climate education closer to children as the future generations.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
https://www.instagram.com/onechild_oneplant?exln=MmJuOTNyZHZpZWZz
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Idea (We’re hoping to get started in the future)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
I can vividly remember the morning flood swept through our house in Onitsha. There was water everywhere, inside and outside our compound. At just 10 years old, my family and I had to move to another part of our community for safety. I missed school for about six months. It was a frightening experience, and one I have never forgotten. Growing up, I wanted to advocate for a safer environment for children, but I did not know how to turn that desire into something of my own. Things began to change when I discovered the FXB Climate Advocacy Fellowship online. Listening to speakers and seeing what other fellows were doing with their ideas inspired me. I realised I did not have to wait until I had everything figured out before I could start something I cared about. Volunteering with Let's Speak Africa during a tree-planting activity in Enugu also strengthened my interest in environmental action. These experiences inspired me to develop One Child One Plant, an initiative focused on environmental education for children aged 5–12. I want to introduce children to tree planting, waste management, and environmental responsibility while they are still young. Rather than waiting until they become adults to teach them to protect the environment, I want to help them develop these habits early and grow into adults who take environmental protection seriously.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
In Onitsha, one environmental problem I want to address is improper waste disposal and its contribution to flooding. I have observed how people, both adults and children, throw waste on the streets instead of disposing of it properly. This waste can accumulate in drainage channels, block the flow of water, and worsen flooding. The problem is also compounded by inadequate waste-management facilities, which make proper disposal difficult. Having experienced flooding myself, I understand how devastating it can be, particularly when it disrupts children's education and threatens their safety. This is why I believe environmental protection should begin early. Many people still throw waste around without considering its consequences, and I want to help change this through practical environmental education. Through One Child One Plant, I want to teach children aged 5–12 about proper waste disposal, tree planting, and caring for their surroundings. This matters to me because children deserve to grow up in a clean and safe environment where they can attend school without environmental problems disrupting their education. By helping children develop responsible habits early, I hope to contribute to cleaner communities, reduce the risk of flooding caused by blocked drainage, and raise a generation that takes environmental protection seriously.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
One Child One Plant is an environmental education initiative I am developing to help children understand their role in protecting the environment. My approach is to teach children first and then give them practical opportunities to apply what they have learned. I intend to visit primary and secondary schools to educate children about proper waste disposal, the effects of littering and blocked drainage, tree planting, and environmental responsibility. To make learning easier, we will use colourful placards, symbols, illustrations, and simple messages that children can easily understand and remember. As the project progresses, we will organise tree-planting activities to help students participate directly in environmental protection and learn the importance of caring for trees. Another component of the initiative is Waste to Wealth, a sub-project that will involve practical workshops for students. After the awareness and teaching sessions, we will return to participating schools to show students how to transform suitable discarded materials into useful and attractive items. For example, they could use discarded can covers and other materials to create artwork and decorative pieces. This will encourage them to see waste differently and understand that some discarded materials can be reused rather than thrown away. Through these activities, I hope to help children develop responsible environmental habits from an early age. By combining education, tree planting, and creative reuse, One Child One Plant aims to encourage children to care for their surroundings, reduce indiscriminate waste disposal, and contribute to cleaner, safer communities.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
One Child One Plant is still in its early stages, and I am preparing to begin implementation. My initial goal is to reach at least 300 children in each participating school through environmental education and practical activities. However, I want to measure our success by more than the number of children reached. I want to see children practise proper waste disposal, understand how littering can block drainage and worsen flooding, and take responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean. Through tree-planting activities, I hope to encourage children to plant and care for trees. Our Waste to Wealth workshops will also teach them to transform suitable discarded materials into useful and attractive items. I want children to apply these lessons at school and at home and share them with their families and friends. By combining education with practical activities, One Child One Plant aims to nurture a generation that takes environmental protection seriously and contributes to cleaner, safer communities.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
What makes One Child One Plant different is that I do not want environmental education to end with telling children what they should do. I want them to understand environmental problems, practise what they learn, and become part of the solution from an early age. First, my initiative focuses on children aged 5–12 because I want them to develop responsible environmental habits while they are still young. Through colourful placards, illustrations, symbols, and short, memorable messages, I intend to make environmental education simple, practical, and interesting for them. Second, I want to combine environmental awareness with action. After teaching children about proper waste disposal and the importance of trees, we will organise tree-planting activities where they can participate directly and learn to care for their environment. Another innovative aspect is Waste to Wealth, a sub project that will teach students how to transform suitable discarded materials, such as can covers and plastic bottles, into decorative items and artwork. This will help them see that some materials they consider waste can be reused creatively to make useful and attractive things. Financial sustainability is also an important part of my approach. I do not want One Child One Plant to depend entirely on external funding to continue its activities. I intend to sell some of the items created during the Waste to Wealth workshops to interested buyers and use the proceeds to fund future school visits, tree-planting activities, and environmental education. This will provide an additional source of income to help the initiative continue its work. By combining child-friendly teaching, practical environmental activities, this project will become a reality.
How many people are on your team?
5
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
As the founder, I intend to build a team comprising a project coordinator, vice president, volunteer manager, publicity manager, and graphics team. Each member will have specific responsibilities, from coordinating activities and managing volunteers to creating educational materials and promoting the project. I will provide overall direction while encouraging members to contribute ideas, make decisions, and lead activities within their roles.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
I intend to move One Child One Plant from the planning stage into implementation through school visits and practical environmental activities. November: I plan to recruit volunteers, approach the primary school I have identified and other schools for permission to conduct sessions, and prepare colourful placards, illustrations, and simple teaching materials. I will also organise our school visits, which I intend to hold on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., after regular classes. December: I plan to begin visiting schools to teach children about proper waste disposal, how littering can block drainage and worsen flooding, tree planting, and environmental responsibility. I will make the sessions interactive and introduce Waste to Wealth, showing children how discarded materials can be reused creatively. January: I intend to organise tree-planting activities and develop Waste to Wealth workshops, depending on available resources and school arrangements. I will also explore selling selected creations to raise funds for future activities. Additionally, I plan to document our progress, gather feedback from teachers and students, and share updates on our social media page. Through these steps, I hope to begin reaching children with practical environmental education and establish a foundation for the long-term growth and sustainability of One Child One Plant project.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I intend to begin by recruiting volunteers who share my vision. Together, we will visit primary and secondary schools on Fridays to educate children about proper waste disposal, tree planting, and environmental responsibility. I have developed a structure for these visits and identified a primary school I hope to partner with, alongside other schools I intend to reach. To make learning easier and more interesting for children, we will use colourful placards, symbols, illustrations, and short, memorable messages that children can easily understand. Rather than simply telling them to protect the environment, we want to show them how their everyday actions, such as disposing of waste properly and caring for trees, can make a difference. We will also use our social media page to share our activities and environmental messages, reaching adults and other community members. Through these efforts, I hope to inspire children to develop responsible habits and encourage more people to participate in creating cleaner, safer communities.
