After production: Youth-led group donates brooms made from plastic waste to school in Yaounde.

The group, known for its innovative approach to recycling, handed over brooms crafted from plastic bottles. This was during the school's launch of its 2024 club activities. 

It took place Wednesday, October 2 on the campus of HIHS located in the Melen neighbourhood in the Yaounde III Subdivision. 

The club activities were launched by the Clubs Coordinator of Holy Infant High School, Mirabel Nchangvi, who lauded the initiative, calling on broader collaboration between the youth-led group and the school. 

The event, hosted in partnership with the school's environment club, served as a platform for OMLA champions to educate students on the importance of recycling and the dangers of soil degradation.

Speaking to the students, one of the OMLA champions, Ruth Eban, emphasised the need to change waste plastic bottles into useful products, demonstrating the process behind their broom creation. She further schooled the students on the dangers of climate change and soil degradation.

Enter environment club master

The environment club master, who doubles as the discipline master of HIHS, Tabah Benjamin, praised the initiative. 

“We are very grateful to the OMLA champions for having choose our school and the environment club to carry out such initiative," he said.

"I have seen how the students are very happy with what they have learned from them. I hope that they will come again in the future to demonstrate to the students some of the items that can be made from plastic bottles," Tabah added.

Students commit 

Speaking to the press, a student from Form Four C and a member of the environment club, Tonwi Elegant, shared his enthusiasm about the experience.

"I want to thank OMLA for the visit, which has helped me very much. I have learned a lot today, and the gift of these two brooms, made from their hard work of turning plastic bottles into useful objects, has inspired me," he said.

While further emphasising the importance of recycling, Tonwi said: "I have learned that plastic is not something that should just be thrown away after use. With a little invention, you can create very beneficial objects, like these brooms. Every little step of recycling plastic bottles can, in the end, produce great results".

About OMLA champions 

The OMLA Champions are a part of the youth initiative group led by the 2024 OMLA Fellow and climate change activist, Ichu Blessing Mbong. For the past seven months they have been actively taken courses on leadership, while implementing their project to recycle plastic bottles into useful items. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3252 of Monday October 07, 2024