At the entry point into the city of Excellence, off the tollgate area, a humongous heap of horrendous dumpsite known as the Olusosun dumpsite can be glaringly sighted. Approximately 10,000tons of waste is indiscriminately dumped at this site DAILY! This degraded public space is a major source of air pollution from the chemical treatment and burning of the waste. It is also a major source of water pollution in the immediate and neighboring environment as the liquid from the waste seep into the ground water to contaminate it. The stench that permeates the air during continuous days of rain is better imagined than experienced. This is the route to and from my school daily and this daily experience motivates me to find a solution to the primary cause of indiscriminate waste dumping.

This vision birthed The Dump-Cyclers. My vision is firmly rooted in creating a clean, healthy, and sustainable future. I was encouraged from the beginning by the support, guidance, and visibility from my family and very fortunate to have friends that identified with my projects. I am especially grateful for the support of my school, Supreme Education Foundation Family and my dedicated Dump-Cycler team. The journey so far has been demanding, challenging and rewarding. While some may say “All work and no play make Jill a dull girl,” I believe if Jill finds joy in her work, she can enjoy the process without it affecting her well-being. This is how I approach my vision—with enthusiasm and unwavering devotion. My first step in this journey involved creating banners and inviting fellow students, parents, and the community to embrace proper waste management through the 7Rs of Sustainability – Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recover and Recycle. The community road campaign which followed quickly gained traction with the support of my school management. 

The campaign ignited a shared passion in many people, and as a result, the seed was sown for something much bigger. Embracing the initiative of ‘’catching them young’’, My team and I identified two recipient schools – Magodo Community School and Expressway Primary School, Ikosi-Ketu to further promote the cause. Our proposal was well received, and we were invited to visit these schools. During our visits, we provided waste management orientations for the students, donated separated recyclable waste bins, educated the student on proper waste disposal methods and planted shrubs and tree seedlings in contribution to lowering the carbon footprint. My school was not left behind in the carbon lowering initiative. We are still pursuing partnership with companies to ensure waste are regularly collected and converted into recycled products. 

The campaign on proper waste management and sustainability practices was a success and it led to my entry into the WILAN National Head Girl Competition. The Competition was intensive with multiple levels of qualification through essay writing and oral interviews to communicate the understanding of the social issue of improper waste disposal. My submission was noteworthy and it led to my emergence amongst the five finalists. The WILAN National annual conference afforded me another opportunity to showcase my proffered line-up of waste management solution which resonated with the juror and earned me third position in the competition. Sustaining the environment is a key goal. In alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 Climate action solution, I am propelling the wheel to launch the next level of projects towards sustaining the environment and turning waste into wonders. As a foretaste, stay tuned for our retro playground swing, advert pylon, people-centric campaign and podcast. It is larger than life!