Chima Azubuike
In a bid to mitigate the effects of climate change in Urshalima and Filiya, situated within the Shongom Local Government Area of Gombe State, community members have proactively initiated tree planting campaigns.
14-year-old Grace Garba was part of the tree-planting initiative and recalled how her family was rendered homeless by a windstorm.
The student of Government Day Comprehensive Secondary School lauded her community for uniting to tackle climate change.
She told PUNCH Healthwise that she learnt the importance of planting trees due to her bitter experience.
“Before, I didn’t know the importance of planting trees in my neighbourhood but now I do. I know that trees help to prevent windstorms from causing havoc and I remember how our roof was blown away and there were no windbreakers. It happened in 2021. The weather just changed and we were in one of the rooms. We had to move. I wept that day,” Garba narrated.
The young climate change advocate said she hopes to ensure that those who degrade the environment are punished.
“I wish to become a lawyer to ensure that those who fell trees indiscriminately are punished. I hope to better advocate the importance of planting trees. I’m happy that my community has taken up the challenge towards securing property and lives.”
The Chairman, Urshalima Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Committee, Nikano Edward, explained that the plan was to ensure that the community is filled with trees in 10 years and harped on the importance of economic trees.
He said, “In five to ten years if you come back to this community, you will find economic trees. There will be continuous tree planting. We have prepared the seed beds and there will be continuous tree planting.”
Edward stated that the predominantly agrarian community had suffered over the years from the effects of climate change.
“Rainfall can’t t be predicted accurately again and when it rains, it floods our farmlands. We deliberately chose to involve the young ones for sustainability,” he added.
On her part, the Communications and Mobilisation Officer, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Gurbor Madaki, promised to provide boreholes for the community to support their effort.
She said, “RUWASA is in support of their contribution. We have also been awarded the contract to provide water here for watering the plants. We want to encourage the residents because it’s impressive to see their effort in fighting to ensure environmental restoration.”
Reacting to the Urshalima Community’s effort, the United Nations Children’s Fund Waste Consultant, Bala Adams, explained that the initiative is a sequel to the community’s decision to stop open defecation, which has caused other environmental issues.
He said, “The community has claimed Open Defecation Free status, meaning that there is no single faeces in the community. They now have toilets in their homes.
“We awoke the community’s consciousness to climate change issues and we have lost a lot of trees in this community. The community decided to embark on tree planting, after deliberating with RUWASA, LGA.”
Adams said in an attempt to help the community manage their waste, they were taught how to use it to produce organic manure for the trees.
“Every waste from their household is a potential manure for growing every kind of crop. So they agreed to establish this orchard. UNICEF provided the technical requirements on how to manage waste to produce organic manure,” he added.
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