Group holds seminar on environmental consciousness

THERE is a special feeling that comes when you do things for people without expecting reward. When you volunteer to do or engage in activities that will benefit the environment, society or humanity, it makes you happy and also impact positively to oneself.

  This statement was made during the two-day seminar held last weekend by the  Anambra State Coordinator of a non-profit organisation,  African Cleanup Initiative (ACI ) and lecturer, Faculty of Environmental Science,  Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, (UNZIK)  Funmilayo Adeniyi  during the two days seminar held last weekend organised by  Alliance for Progressive and Sustainable Environment, (APSE) in partnership with Nigeria Union of Engineering Student Association, (NUESA), UNZIK and Rotaract Club of UNZIK.

Adeniyi, while speaking on the theme,“Volunteerism for Sustainable Environment”, highlighted some of the imperativeness of participating in voluntary or community services.

    According to her  volunteering for a cause broadens horizon by helping one to understand the needs of the community or society and the people they are trying to help through a project, improves mental, physical health and helps to fight depression.

Continuing, the state coordinator charged the participants to always contribute and make effort in embarking on selfless service that will help in making the environment healthy and livable for human beings and other living organisms, adding that environmental issues like plastic waste pollution poses a serious challenge that may not be focused only on recycling but always making a smart move towards circular economy, “garbage patches (plastics) is as large as seven Nigerian states put together and these plastics are increasing every day in the oceans”.

Earlier in an opening remark, the convener and founder of APSE, Emmanuel Chukwuma expressed that APSE  began as a social responsibility group of concerned lecturers and students with aim of creating a sustainable environment for the benefit of man and generations to come, while calling on the society at large to join hands in tackling environmental problems, said that because of lots of environmental issues, there is need to have people who will stand and solve the global problem.

The event, which featured presentation of poem on encouraging environmental cleanliness, donation of waste kit and trash bins and reawakening environmental consciousness through video show and musics, attracted the presence of Dean, Faculty of Engineering,  UNIZIK, Prof. Joesph  Nwabunne,  Co-Founder of APSE, Joseph Ubah, Consultant and Development Expert, Mr. Ben Okoh, among other environmentalists.