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| Image : Clowd |
In the heart of Lagos, Nigeria, there lies a community built on stilts over water: Makoko. Though often overlooked by the outside world, it is a vibrant place with floating houses, colorful canoes, and a community full of life. In this neighborhood lived four young friends: Timi, Sade, Musa, and Ifeoma. They called themselves The Green Team—a name they gave themselves after a class project on environmental awareness.
Timi, the curious one, was 10 years old and loved drawing superheroes. Sade was 9, smart and always carried a small notebook for ideas. Musa, the most energetic of them all, was 11 and could paddle a canoe faster than most adults. Ifeoma, the oldest at 12, was quiet but wise, always observing and thinking before speaking.
One Monday morning, the children gathered after school, excited about the new cartoon series their teacher had shown them called "Eco Rangers of Africa." It was a series about children saving their environment. Inspired, they decided to start their own local mission. Their goal? To clean up their polluted water canals and educate their community about keeping the environment clean.
They began their mission the next Saturday. With brooms, nets, old sacks, and gloves made from repurposed plastic bags, they paddled their canoe across the lagoon, collecting floating plastic bottles and nylon waste. Many neighbors watched in silence, some with smiles, others shaking their heads in disbelief.
“Why are these children working like street cleaners?” one man asked.
“They are wasting their time,” said another. “This place has always been dirty. What difference can children make?”
But the Green Team didn’t stop. Each Saturday, they cleaned a little more. They also created cartoon posters showing how plastics harm fish, birds, and humans. Sade, with her notebook, began writing rhymes and chants:
> “No more plastic, save the fish,
Clean water is what we wish!”
Timi drew comic strips showing a cartoon fish crying because of the plastic it swallowed. Ifeoma organized their materials and taught her friends how to speak in front of adults during community meetings. Musa, always full of energy, encouraged younger children to join them by offering snacks and turning cleanup into games.
Their efforts began to attract attention. First, it was Madam Ronke, the local fish seller, who noticed the water looked clearer where the children had cleaned.
“The fish don’t swim away as much anymore,” she said one day. “You children are really doing something good.”
Soon, the Baale (traditional community leader) heard of their work. During a community meeting, he asked them to present what they were doing. Nervously, they stood before adults and elders, using drawings, songs, and samples of the waste they had collected. By the end of their presentation, the Baale clapped.
“You have reminded us of something we forgot—that this water is our home, and we must protect it. From today, the Green Team will be the Environmental Ambassadors of Makoko!”
The team’s efforts led to bigger changes. More children joined. Local canoe riders volunteered to help during cleanups. A small NGO heard about them and donated waste bins and educational materials. Even a TV crew came to film them, and their story was aired on a national children’s cartoon program that combined live action and animation.
The Green Team’s cartoon characters—Fishy the Sad Tilapia, Captain Clean-Up, and Madam Recycle—became popular with children across Nigeria. Their message reached beyond Makoko, inspiring school clubs in other states to start environmental projects of their own.
Though they were just children, the Green Team proved that change doesn’t need to start big. Sometimes, all it takes is a few friends, a strong purpose, and the belief that even young voices can make waves.
And so, in a cartoon world inspired by real children, the story of the Green Team of Makoko continues—one cleanup, one rhyme, and one cartoon at a time.
Moral of the story: Children can be powerful agents of change, especially when they use creativity, teamwork, and determination to solve real-life problems. The environment belongs to everyone, and every small action counts.
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