Jewel Environmental Initiative (JEI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), says it has trained no fewer than 100 youths and women in Gombe on waste-to-wealth.
Mr Ismail Bima, the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, told our reporter in Gombe on Friday that the move was to reduce the huge non-biodegradable materials from the environment while empowering youths and women.
Bima said that such training had become imperative in view of the huge plastic and nylon wastes in drainages as a result of indiscriminate dumping of wastes by some residents of the state.
He said that the need to empty the environment of unwanted materials from drainages and protect the environment led to the use of initiative to make the environment cleaner.
“This is why we have given them this training to make our environment cleaner and free of nylons and wastes. So these women and youths make money from wastes.
“This is a win-win approach for the youths, women and the environment. So we were able to empower 75 youths and 25 women.’’
According to him, the training is on plastic waste management where youths have been trained on how to convert plastics and nylon into interlocking block pavement.
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He added that the women were trained on how to turn animal and agricultural wastes into charcoal.
He said this was imperative in view of the high price of cooking gas and the need for cheaper alternative cooking sources to discourage the use of fuel-wood among rural women.
Bima noted that the training was aimed at reducing plastics and nylons from the environment, adding that the major aim of the training was to improve the wellbeing of people in rural communities.
“This is why we donated three of the machines to train the youth and another three machines to the women group too. We are also helping the youths access the machines at subsidised rates.
“We are using this to encourage the youths and women, that is why the training is free of charge and we pay them stipends during the training to encourage them.’’
Bima said that if the training should continue in the next three years, Gombe state would be free of plastics wastes.
According to him, youths who will be trained will be paying others to get them plastics and nylons.
The environmentalist appealed to the government at all levels to partner with the NGO to engage more youths and women by providing locally fabricated machines to help the youths become self-reliant.
He also urged youths and women to always attend training that would make them self-reliant instead of waiting for white-collar jobs that were not readily available. (NAN)