The Blue Earth Children Club: Promoting Water Conservation and Environmental Education in Abeokuta, Nigeria

1. THE CHILDREN BLUE EARTH CLUB PROJECTS, ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE NIGERIA Adedayo Mark-Adeyemi Nigeria Water Forum, www.nigeriawaterforum.org dayowumiayo@yahoo.co.uk, nigeriawaterforum@gmail.com

2. The Blue Earth Children Club, emanated from the activities of a set of nursery and primary school Children in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria promoted supported by , Adedayo Mark-Adeyemi. In the process of the program, a rhyme was produced for the school program dedicated to the use of water. The rhyme will go on to be a regular sound track for the advertisements of the Ogun State Water Corporation see www.nigeriawaterforum.org home page.

3. Two Strategic Approaches • Create a unique physical presence • Raise advocacy up to the highest level of government

4. Create a unique physical presence • In the whole Abeokuta , there is no single established park elaborate for Children to play, creating a Water park with a small museum to show case Water, Climate and Environment issues in the most graphic and electronic format that will fascinate children will be a veritable way to make children converge and learn. There are beautiful water fronts with nice vegetation that can be put use in this regards.

5. Raise advocacy up to the highest level of government. • This strategy seek to bring the attention of the authorities at the Federal Ministry of Education, National Board on Technical Committee on Education, State Ministry of Education, National Assembly Committees on Education and their Counterparts in the Water and Environment sector to the following submissions:

6. PRESENTATION ON USING THE CURRICULUM TO MAKE THE WORLD BLUE

7. Prevalent Rhymes and its meaning

8. LONDON BRIDGE AINT FALLING

9. Peter and Paul These are the first set of rhymes that our children spend their first three years in school to learn. Yet the children are the most effective tool to elicit behavioural changes even among adults.

10. Rhymes; Make the World Blue

11. Water has no enemy “water has no enemy, don’t waste it, water has no enemy use it wisely, all we need to do we use water, use it wisely, don’t waste it, in the morning time we use for bathing, we use for washing and use for cooking, untreated water will kill you slowly, use it wisely don’t waste it, water has no enemy let it flow….. water is life

12. Wash your hand before you eat • “ wash your hand before you eat, • invisible germs can through your hand, • enter you and make you sick, • wash your hand friend wash your hand, • wash your hand before you eat”

13. Wash your hand always • Seven times you wash your hand, • when you come in from work wash your hand, • when you come from toilet wash your hand, • when you clean your nose wash your hand, • when you touch any sick thing wash your hand, • wash your hand all the time, • this is the way to live healthy.

14. Use Water Wisely • Water! Water! everywhere, • what comes around goes around, • waste it here, lack it there, • use it wisely here, • share it there, • let water flow every where

15. Clean the toilet • When you enter the toilet • You are happy , it is clean • When you leave the toilet • Please leave it clean • make the next user happy

16. Rain • I once asked my father • Where does rain come from • He answered, Heaven! • Then I asked my father • where it goes from here • He answered, heaven! • What comes down • Goes around and goes back up • It is a cycle that keeps the earth • Please don’t break the cycle

17. Don’t Dump your waste • Don’t dump your waste there • Don’t dump your waste in the drain • Don’t dump your waste in the river • Don’t dump your waste by the road side • Don’t dump your waste next door • Keep your waste away safely • Let us live a healthy life

18. Climate Change 1

19. Climate Change 2

20. Climate Change 3

21. Climate Change 4

22. Do you have a toilet? • Do you have toilet? • What do you mean? • Where do you ease yourself? • Just behind the back • How do you like the stench? • We have lived with it • What will then be your plea • Please build us a toilet

23. Open Defecation

24. Desertification

25. Curriculum Influence. • Political Action • The English Subject could be a means of spreading the Blue Earth message among children. Composition, comprehensions in school books and examination could be tailored towards water and environment.

26. Book Review (Survey) • Universal Basic Education Edition • Nigeria Primary English

27. Social Activities • The Blue Earth movement can be formed in schools just as am awareness creating social network among students. They could introduce water based competitions like swimming, Water and environment quiz, water related community support activities, like clearing the drain, planting of trees etc

28. Visit to Government Officials (Lobby) • Visit to the Abuja to meet the Honourable Minister for Education and Water Resources and the Chairman Legislative Committees on Education and Water Resources, to present the request to replace irrelevant rhymes and themes of the compositions in the school books with Rhymes that promotes best practices as composed by the club.