Playbook/Ibadan: Door-to-door waste-disposal campaign and street clean-up
Steward: Uchenna
Summary: Logos Circle Ibadan identified poor waste disposal as a local issue, organising a clean-up and door-to-door waste-awareness campaign in Agbowo and Bodija. Members distributed over 250 waste-disposal bags to more than 150 households, shops and trading points, and cleaned one street in Bodija.
Why was it winnable
Residents and local businesses had clearly identified a problem, and the first step was simple and achievable with limited resources. A volunteer clean-up and waste-awareness effort could produce a visible improvement in a single day, while creating momentum for longer-term waste collection.
Who was affected
Residents, households, shops and traders in Agbowo and Bodija.
The goal
Combine direct clean-up with education on proper waste disposal. The original plan was a morning clean-up of one or two streets, plus bins or baskets and, longer term, monthly refuse collection with a waste company.
What they did
- Start by asking the community what matters to them. The Circle ran “Community Voices” with around 25 recorded street interviews, using four-person teams with defined roles: interviewer, camera person, note-taker and liaison.
- Use a simple question set and basic materials. Teams used microphones, phones, Circle zines, code-of-conduct forms and a question list to gather consistent responses from residents and workers.
- Identify a concrete issue from the conversations. After the interviews, Circle members reviewed what they had heard and identified poor waste disposal and environmental sanitation as an issue they could act on.
- Agree on an initial action. Around 20 members discussed the options on WhatsApp and chose a clean-up and waste-awareness activity as the first step.
- Choose a specific location and seek permission. The Circle initially planned to clean a park. When authorities requested a formal letter, the Circle submitted one but the request was ultimately declined.
- Adapt rather than abandon the goal. Instead of stopping the campaign, the Circle identified alternative areas in Agbowo and Bodija where it could engage with residents and carry out the clean-up.
- Prepare basic supplies. On 29 August, members brought gloves, masks, rubbish bags, sanitiser, soap and water for the activity.
- Combine practical action with conversations. Members went door to door speaking with residents, households, shops and traders about waste-disposal habits and handed out more than 250 disposal bags.
- Carry out a targeted clean-up. The Circle cleaned one street in Bodija, focusing its limited time and resources on a defined area where it could make a visible difference.
- Reflect and identify next steps. After the clean-up, members reviewed what had worked and considered how the activity could lead to longer-term improvements, including more regular waste collection.
Who they worked with
12 Circle members. Local residents and businesses.
What worked
Pivoting quickly after the refusal to clean the park. Talking with residents and traders rather than only handing out bags. Basing the issue on what residents said in interviews ensured it was something people cared about and would be willing to take part in.
What didn't work
The initial request to clean the park was declined despite a formal letter. Initially, the Circle reached out to a waste disposal company to come every month to pick up trash bags on the affected streets, but the costs quoted were exceedingly high.
The outcome
250+ disposal bags distributed to 150+ households, shops and trading points, and one Bodija street cleaned. The bags were dropped off at a designated point in the street where paid waste disposal companies took them away.
What was learned
When circumstances change, keep the goal and adapt the method. If money becomes an issue, look for workarounds such as finding existing trash collection points nearby in the city to leave the garbage bags.
What could another Circle replicate
The Community Voices method (roles, kit, question list) to pick an issue from residents' own words. Utilising existing trash pickup points in the city to avoid extra costs. Plan B for cleanup areas if you are stopped from cleaning your initial target area.
Resources
Community Voices video summary: https://x.com/agamidodaigwe/status/2087263606526148927.
Forum post: https://forum.logos.co/t/logos-circle-ibadan-iii-our-first-winnable-issue/1920