COVID-19: African Clean-Up Initiative empowers Ajegunle community with ‘Double Double’ Campaign
Ayodele Olalere
The African Clean-Up Initiative has taken its ‘Double Double’ recycling campaign to one of the slums in Lagos State at the Ajegunle area of the state.
The campaign was a programme where residents of low income earners communities in the state are paid double the usual amount for every one kilogram of recyclable products gathered.
At the Ajegunle slum, the Chief Environmental Officer, African Cleanup Initiative, Alexander Akhigbe said the program was to help residents in places such Ajegunle and other slums, cushion the effects of COVID-19 on their finances.
He said with the support of Coca-Cola Foundation, the organisation had visited two other communities and would visit more.
“What we are doing is designed for low income communities because we discovered COVID-19 had great effects on lives of people living in low income communities. So we started an initiative that would be a form of relieve from the impact of COVID-19,” he said.
He added the project would help parents pay their children school fees and handle other expenses.
“The Double Double campaign help parents to pay their children school fees by gathering recyclable products like plastics. This is a special edition.
“As we collect the bottles from them, we give them double the amount we used to give so they can have enough to take home and makes their lives better. Some have lost their jobs and businesses due to COVID-19.
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“So, the overall objective is to put smiles on their faces. We are also passionate about the environment.
“We are in the rainy season and some used plastics are not being properly managed. They are thrown into the gutters thereby blocking the drainages.
“With this programme, we are reducing the impact of flood in these communities,” Akhigbe added.
