Promoting Social Change Through Target Community Involvement

 
Written by Ekoja Okewu |
Published on:

Social innovations are new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that

meet the social needs of different elements, which can be from working

conditions and education to community development and health-they extend and

strengthen civil society (Wikipedia).

Drug abuse according to Wikipedia, is a “patterned use of a drug in which the

user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods which are harmful to

themselves or others”. The abuse of drugs among youths has become a

disturbing trend in Nigeria. This recently led to the Federal government’s ban on

codeine as an active pharmaceutical ingredient for making cough syrup. There

is little information on how many drug users there are in Nigeria .The ban on

codeine-related drugs might only spur many youths to look for alternative

substances like methane gas that oozes from soak-away and toilets to satisfy

their urge.  Harnessing the methane that is produced in septic systems holds

great untapped potential. It is called anaerobic digester gas because it is

produced by breaking down sewage sludge or other organic material in the  

absence of oxygen. It consist of a mixture of about half methane and 30%

carbon di oxide that is usually flared, or burnt , to mitigate environmental

damage. I suggest that corporate organizations within  the country should create

a platform where youths can be trained on how to convert this gas to marketable

fuel for the purpose of discouraging its abuse and for wealth creation.

Human waste handling has continued to cause more harm to rural communities

on a yearly basis. Cholera and other deadly diseases could be easily controlled

if communities can be educated on how to manage waste and convert waste to

organic fertilizer. There is a current campaign against the use of inorganic

fertilizer for farming. This has created an open chain in the organic fertilizer

industry thereby, promoting the use of organic input for the purpose of

agriculture.

The farmer-herdsmen clash has led to the destruction of lives and properties

tuning to billions of naira. The transhumance system of keeping cattle is now

obsolete as herdsmen end up losing their cattle to rustlers and there is difficulty

in collecting dung for use. Animal farmers in developed countries harvest dung

from their farms to produce bio fuel, which could be sold or used to power

farmhouses. Corporate organizations should encourage herdsmen to adopt

ranching to curb this menace.

Pollution in the form of oil spillage and atmosphere contamination is causing

untold hardship to people living around oil exploration regions. It has also led to

the destruction of aquatic habitats, contamination of farmlands and respiratory

diseases. Plant species like Hibiscus cannabinus and Vetiveria zizanioides have

the ability to control oil spill while tree species like Caesalpinia sappan,

Psidium guajava, Dalbergia sissoo and Albizia lebbeck are capable of purifying

the air in highly polluted regions. Organizations operating in these areas should

train citizens on how to nurture these species from seedling to maturity in order

to combat the problem of pollution and improve the income of communities

through the sale of these species . Recycling is might just seem like a small

action, but it is one of the most important way of reducing pollution and

ensuring safety to the environment. Garbage dumped into the ocean has created

a large area in the Pacific Ocean called the Pacific Garbage patch, an area

covered in floating plastic that is twice the size of the state of Texas. Removing

this waste from the waste cycle plays an important role in reducing land and

water pollution.

Corporate organizations spend huge sum of money yearly to fund education but

despite this investment, many kids in the rural areas have not been able to

compete with their peers in the urban regions of the country due to the non-

availability of teaching gears like textbooks. To breach this gap, I am of the

opinion that solar powered pads with long lasting batteries should be provided

for students across the country. This will help students to be able to access

textbooks and educative materials as they progress from one level to the other.

It therefore means a child who should have spent a hundred thousand on text

books will end up spending a minimal amount to access study materials.

All over the world, there has been a campaign for the welfare of the girl child.

Many women and girls have been lured from Nigeria in recent years with

promises of work and good wages only to end up trapped in debt bondage or

used as sex tools. A scheme that will reward families with $5 when such

families save $10 for the purpose of funding girl child education should be

implemented. This will help poor families in the Niger Delta region where

trafficking is prevalent to educate their children thereby, helping to discourage

this ugly trend.

Culture can be defined as the total way of life of a people. It comprises of

language, food, music, clothing, and a host of other elements. “When humanity

loses a language, we also lose the potential for greater diversity in art, music,

literature, and oral traditions”, says Bogre Udell. Many Nigerians find it difficult

communicating in their local dialect and this is because of a total neglect of

language education among children. I am of the opinion that digital technology

be used to teach children about their culture. Organizations operating within the

country can organize cultural days where cultures can be show cased to

captivate the interest of children. In addition, most kids own phones in this age

so application developers should be encouraged to develop applications that will

help to take Nigerian culture closer to the youths despite the present infiltration

of foreign culture.

Many corporate organizations in the Nigeria have contributed meaningfully to

the social development of the country but more needs to be done. All thanks to  for granting me this platform to share my idea. God bless you

 

 

 

 

References

*www.wikepedia.com

*http://homesteady.com/list-6520733-benefits- recycling-plastic-bags.html

*http://homesteady.com/list-8642626-capture-gas-septic-system-energy.html

*http://www.premiumtimesng.com/health/health-news/267563-codeine -ban-five-other-pharmaceutical-drugs-abused-by-nigerians.html

 

 

Copyright © TravelDailyLife.com

Author: Ekoja Okewu
I am Ekoja Solomon from Nigeria. I love engaging in writeups that spur humanity into action

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