Aliyu Sadiq, a fellow of the Civic Changemakers Fellowship (CCF) and founder of the Ecocykle Development Foundation, has launched a new initiative aimed at raising awareness about climate change. The initiative takes the form of a card game titled Play, Learn and Act Now (PLAN), designed to address the critical environmental education gap for a more sustainable future.
The challenge of creating awareness about climate change among the younger generation is complex. It goes beyond the mere dissemination of information; it requires an interactive and participatory approach using tailored messages and activities that resonate with them to inspire meaningful action on environmental issues. To address this, innovative methods of using technology, gaming and social media must be employed to create a lasting impact on the mindset and behaviours of the youth on sustainable action.
This inspired Aliyu Sadiq’s gamified approach to develop the PLAN game to enhance environmental awareness and stimulate youth engagement in climate action by closing the knowledge gap on climate change among the younger generation and driving collective efforts towards achieving a sustainable and resilient future.
The PLAN game is an interactive tool consisting of cards to be played by a minimum of two and a maximum of five players.
The game is played using cards with pictorial representations of environmental challenges like floods, desertification and deforestation, which are complemented with cards presenting solutions such as effective waste management, afforestation and other solutions, intertwined with letters and numbers. This unique blend enables young players (young people) to build consciousness and identify and understand solutions around environmental issues while engaging in gameplay.
As players are immersing themselves in the game and having fun, they are also grasping this concept, and it is inspiring them to take tangible action.
In one year, Ecocykle aims to distribute 500 PLAN environmental education card games to 100 schools across Nigeria, directly impacting 5,000 young people. This initiative highlights a concerted effort from the CCF Fellow to empower the youth with the knowledge and motivation needed to contribute actively to environmental sustainability.
Aliyu is a 2022 fellow of the CCF, where he received 12-week fellowship training and mentorship by global experts on equitable issue identification, management framework, and public policy and inclusion. The fellowship offered him better insights into his work and the support needed to transform his vision into reality, empowering him to initiate the PLAN card game for environmental education and sustainable action.
