Loving the Earth, Loving Each Other: An Eco-friendly Valentine
Love and sustainability are two concepts that might seem to be worlds apart, but they are more interconnected than you may think. Love is about care, kindness, and respect for oneself, others, and the world around us. And when we extend that love to our environment, we show care, kindness, and respect for the planet that we all share.
Traditionally, Valentine's day is a day for showing love and affection to those closest to us, and It’s also no secret that our planet is facing severe environmental challenges, including climate change, pollution, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity. These challenges impact not just our world but also the people and animals that inhabit it. We recognized the need to show love and affection to the environment, just like we do with our loved ones.
And thus, the Eco-friendly Valentine was born!
It was a perfect opportunity to bring together two seemingly different concepts of love and sustainability and show how they can work together. The turnout at the event was impressive, and it was evident that the iRecycle team had put a lot of effort into planning and organizing the day's activities.
Event kick-off
The event started with an opening prayer, setting the tone for the day's activities. It was followed by an introduction to the iRecycle Initiative. Attendees were informed on the organisation's vision, mission, and core values, emphasizing the importance of recycling in preserving the environment. Knowing that recycling is an essential aspect of sustainability, the iRecycle team made sure to emphasize this by re-introducing the Let's Recycle Campaign. Attendees were educated on the importance of recycling and shown how they could participate actively in the campaign. They were also provided with information on how to sort their waste properly.
See how Okuru Ama rallies for a greener future.
Empowering women leaders through iRecycle Merchants
Unveiling the merchants at the eco-friendly Valentine event was an important part of the day's activities. The iRecycle Initiative recognizes the importance of having accessible plastic collection services and scheduling regular collections at various communities to make it easy for people to recycle.
Therefore, the merchants play a crucial role in this process, serving as iRecycle.world representatives. Their main responsibility is to receive, weigh, and record the quantity of sorted plastics at every pick-up or collection point within the community. This information is used to automatically determine the recycling points that can be redeemed for cash or other rewards based on the weight of the plastics.
These merchants are empowered women leaders making a difference in their community. By providing these vital services, they are helping to keep plastic waste out of the environment and creating a more sustainable future for everyone. With the unveiling of the merchants, attendees learned more about the point of contact closest to them and how they can actively participate in making a positive impact on the environment.
Talk session about the eco-friendly Valentine
Another highlight of the day was a talk session about the eco-friendly Valentine. During the talk, attendees were educated on the impacts of climate change and pollution, and were shown practical ways to contribute. The speaker shared tips on the benefits of recycling, how to reduce waste, conserve energy, and reduce carbon emissions in our daily lives. It was evident that people were eager to learn more about how they could positively impact the environment. The ecofriendly Valentine talk was a powerful reminder that each of us has a role to play in creating a more sustainable future, and that even small actions can make a big difference.
Recognizing sponsors: Corporate contributions to sustainability
Miss Port Harcourt City and Diamondville Real Estate Limited were sponsors of the eco-friendly Valentine event and were acknowledged for their support. Attendees were impressed with the sponsor’s initiatives and showed great enthusiasm towards their projects. It was inspiring to see corporate organizations taking steps towards sustainability and contributing to the overall well-being of the environment. Their involvement also motivated attendees to get involved in sustainable practices.
Empowerment talks, Refreshments, and Socializing
As attendees enjoyed the refreshments, it was also an opportunity to mingle, network, and socialize. It was a great opportunity to connect with those who share similar passion for sustainable living and environmental conservation.
There were also donated items and souvenirs available for everyone to take home as a reminder of the event. These items included bags, clothes, shoes, books and more. A final empowerment talk which focused on inspiring attendees to make positive changes in their daily lives towards sustainability, was given by a passionate volunteer. The talk was filled with practical tips and motivational stories, leaving everyone feeling empowered and motivated to make a difference.
Closing the event with impact
Wrapping up the Eco-friendly Valentine turned out to be a bittersweet moment as it marked the end of a day filled with love, inspiration, and education. The vote of thanks provided a moment for everyone to reflect on the day's activities and show gratitude for the opportunity to be part of such an impactful event.
The donations were well received, and the community expressed their appreciation for all the donors efforts. With over 100 attendees at the event, the iRecycle team successfully created an avenue for the community to come together, expressing love and learning about the importance of sustainability. It was heartening to see that children and teens made up more than half of the attendees, which is a clear indication that the message of sustainability is being passed down to the younger generation.
Overall, the eco-friendly Valentine event was a resounding success that left a lasting impact on the Okuru Ama Community. iRecycle.world has set the bar high for future events, and we can't wait to see what's next in store!
Some members of iRecycle core team and volunteers who contributed immensely in organizing the event.
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