RCE Minna - 2019

The Green Fingers Project
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
The Green Fingers Project
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Minna
Contributing organization(s) : 
Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) Niger Chapter

Inerflora Nigeria
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Dr. Abdul Husaini
Organizational Affiliation: 
RCE MINNA
E-mail: 
abdulhusaini@yahoo.com
Name: 
Arc. Hassana Gambo
Organizational Affiliation: 
CEO Interflora Nigeria
E-mail: 
hassanagee@yahoo.com
Format of project: 
Audiovisual
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Monday, October 14, 2019
Web link: 
www.rceminna.com.ng
Additional resources: 
https://youtu.be/nPSXL1Xgkv4
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
At what level is the policy operating?: 
International
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Africa and Middle East
Country: 
Nigeria
Location(s): 
Minna, Nigeria
Address of focal point institution for project: 
SUIT NO.2 IICO BUILDING, MUAZU MOHAMMED ROAD, MINNA, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA
Ecosystem(s):
Agricultural, Mountain, Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Primary
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Minna is a city (estimated population 304,113 in 2007) in west-central Nigeria. It is the capital of Niger State, one of Nigeria's 36 federal states. It consists of 2 major ethnic groups: the Nupe and the Gbagyi. The major activities of the local people is farming and hunting. Minna is about 150km to the capital city of Nigeria.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Minna use to be a very environmentally friendly area with trees planted across streets, residential neighborhood, public and private institutions, all these was done by people that has no education and urban planning skills. More so, the traditional communities used to be well planned with access roads, drainages and adequate waste management efforts. However, these have eroded with time. The culture has disappeared now that we have better skills and manpower to deal with environmental and urban development issues to achieve sustainability. Therefore, the community tree planting project seeks to address these challenges from both environmental and urban development angle
Contents
Status: 
Completed
Period: 
May, 2019
Rationale: 
The Green Fingers Programme (GFP)and Environmental Summer School for Children (ESSC) is geared towards empowering and sparking the young ones in our communities to become champions of their immediate environment, through capacity building and hands-on training on environment sustainability and other related issues from a tender age. GFP is an environmental program designed to teach children between the ages of 4 - 8years the causes and consequences of environmental degradation due to human activities and how they can contribute in reducing the negative effect. The program has among its components issues that address health, water, sanitation, environmental awareness, and protection of our ecology, SDGs and tree planting –particularly multi- purpose trees with nutritional and medicinal benefits.
Objectives: 
The overall objective of the programme is to provide a good learning environment for children within the age bracket of 4-8years through hands on training on tree planting and to encourage the children to establish their own garden as a means of reversing the negative effect of climate change and also to support in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) in their various communities and/or environment.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
I. Introducing children to the importance of tree planting and home garden from a young age.
II. Encouraging children to plant trees with emphasis on planting trees with nutritional and medicinal values.
III. Introducing children to causes and impact of climate change and how they can act to ameliorate or reverse it.
IV. Affording kids the opportunity of gaining valuable knowledge about the nutritional benefits of fruits and trees in our communities.
Size of academic audience: 
17 School Children
Results: 
a. The kids now know the importance of tree planting and why maintaining at least one at their various homes is important.
b. They now have basic knowledge of Climate Change and the SDGs.
c. Attitudinal change towards the environment.
d. Some of the children are going back home to read wide beyond what they have been thought about their environments.
Lessons learned: 
The GFP has presented an opportunity for us at RCE Minna to learn the basic concept of using children to get to adult to take positive action. Because our evaluation has shown that some of the kids that attended the ESSC have been directing their parents on how to manage their wast, the need to plant more trees, and the push for attitudinal change among us. It is for us, a major lesson learned.
Key messages: 
The need to train kids to take positive action in their environment is very vital. However, educating them from young age and empowering them with the knowledge and skills necessary to take action is most vital. Hence, at RCE Minna we have resolved to train children from young in line with the concept of ESD and the SDGs.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
The project is similar to what RCE Tongyeong is doing with Kids on ESD through it Sajethra Park Project.
Funding: 
The programmes was funded by Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) Niger State Chapter and Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) Minna

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon IMG-20191014-WA0028.jpg (133.03 KB) Green Fingers Kids Standing with Facilitating Ready for Planting RCE MINNA
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Indirect
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Direct
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Indirect
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss 
Indirect
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Direct
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Agriculture 
Indirect
Forests/Trees 
Direct
Plants & Animals 
Indirect
Waste 
Indirect
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
Direct
Update: 
No