The Esteemed Hub Foundation, in partnership with Education as a Vaccine and other development organisations under the AACJ Project, has carried out an environmental sensitisation campaign at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Gwada, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

The campaign, which was held at Gwada Central Primary School on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, was part of activities to mark this year’s World Environment Day, themed “Ending Plastic Pollution.” Participants included women residing at the IDP camps hosted at Central Primary School and Model Primary School, as well as female students from a nearby private health institution.

The Executive Director of Esteemed Hub Foundation, Princess Doosugh Dorathy Agbadu-Adu, said the programme was designed to raise awareness among displaced women on maintaining a clean and safe environment. She was represented at the event by the Programme Officer and Accountant of the foundation, Maryam Abdulsalam.

“We are focusing on educating women on the need to keep their surroundings clean and to understand the dangers posed by plastic waste, especially during the rainy season when blocked water channels could cause flooding,” she said.

According to her, the sensitization also included discussions on how waste and plastic recycling could generate income for the women.

“This is our third visit to the IDP camps. For over four years, we have been working on climate justice issues that impact women and girls. During a previous visit, we engaged the IDPs on how climate change affects them personally and the need for improved environmental hygiene,” Agbadu-Adu stated.

She added that the foundation has conducted focus group discussions with displaced women, some of whom shared experiences of gender-based violence in the camps. According to her, the foundation has provided support to as many as it could and referred others to partner organisations for further assistance.

Agbadu-Adu said the foundation operates in five states—Niger, Kaduna, Bauchi, Delta, and the Federal Capital Territory—but continues to face challenges such as lack of permanent office space in these locations. She noted that a network of volunteers and partnerships with other NGOs has enabled the foundation to extend its reach.

Speaking with The Guardian, the IDP Desk Officer at Gwada Central Primary School, Hussaini Alhassan Gwada, expressed concern over the lack of formal education for many children in the camps.

“About 150 IDP children are not enrolled in school. I managed to enrol 50 of them myself, but the economic situation has made it difficult to provide school uniforms and learning materials,” he said.

Alhassan noted that poor living conditions and food shortages have contributed to health challenges in the camps. He said there has been no recent food donation from the government or NGOs, aside from a supply of 200kg of rice from the Dangote Foundation earlier in the year.

He thanked the Esteemed Hub Foundation for their continued support, describing their intervention as timely and helpful.

The sensitization event included lectures on environmental safety and a symbolic distribution of clothes to 40 women in the camps.