Support Recyclespay for 1000 children in Lagos

RECYCLESPAY EDUCATIONAL PROJECT: REBUILDING IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS

Dear GlobalGiving Community,

In my last update, I shared some of the challenges we were facing and the internal strategies we were developing to address them.

For those who missed that, here are some of the solutions we’ve implemented since then:

- Reduced pick-up frequency to streamline operations.

- Focused our efforts on schools within a single community for the next six months.

- Onboarded 12 private low-income schools, allowing about 2,000 pupils to participate in the plastics-for-fees program.

- Onboarded 45 government-owned schools, benefiting over 10,000 students who are using proceeds from the waste-to-fees exchange program to fix, maintain, and purchase essential school supplies.

These adjustments have helped us keep the program running smoothly. Between June and September, we collected 674.7 kg of plastic waste.

While this is lower than in previous months due to schools being on break, we expect collections to increase as the new school term begins.

As schools resume, our goal is to reinforce and refine our existing processes and seek strategic partnerships to enhance the impact of the project for the children we serve.

At its core, the Recyclespay project remains committed to helping 1,000 vulnerable children stay in school by using plastic waste as a means of payment.

Your support makes this possible, and together, we are making a lasting difference in their lives.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.

• GlobalGiving_Data_for_October_2024_African_Clean_Up_Initaitive.docx (DOCX)

RECYCLESPAY EDUCATIONAL PROJECT: REBUILDING WITH THE END IN MIND

This is the thirteenth update we will be writing to you, our incredible Giving community in four years. Reminiscing on the previous twelve updates, one thing remains clear: the fight to ensure children in low-income communities are not disenfranchised has barely even started.

We write not with heavy hearts but with empty hearts and a resolve committed to ensuring at least 10,000 children get access to quality education while their environment is rid of harmful plastics littered around them.

The numbers are dire: 18.3 million children are out of school, according to recent data shared by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

What we have been doing for the last four years is helping children in 15 schools across Nigeria pay their fees using recyclable waste.

Realities from the last four years have drastically changed, forcing a switch in how we deliver this project to communities. The cost of fees has gone up by over 100%, meaning the margin covered by the plastics is no longer sufficient, giving the parents of these children extra tedious work in order to meet the criteria of the number of plastics required to pay for a term of fees.

To curb this problem, we reduced our project spend, which is majorly consumed by the cost of fuel and maintenance of our vehicles:

• Reducing pick-up frequency.
• Cutting down on our reach to just schools within a single community for the next six months.
• Onboarding 12 private low-income schools that are using the plastics-for-fees program for about 2,000 pupils.
• Onboarding 45 government-owned schools with over 10,000 students who are using the proceeds from the waste-to-fees exchange program to fix, maintain, and purchase school essentials.

We recovered 785 kg of plastic waste between March 2024 to May 2024.

We believe education is the foundation upon which we build our future. We are committed to building this future and ensuring it is inclusive, equitable, and prosperous for every child, everywhere.

• Global Giving Data Report (DOCX)