WORLDMERIT

Impact ReportJUNE 2019

At the end of May, I returned to Tema, Ghana a�er three months working at our HQ in Liverpool, UK. The time spent at our HQ o�ices was remarkable; To see the team in action is very inspiring. While working at HQ, I undertook additional training on how to ensure events and activities maintain momentum and continue to create impact and lasting social change. For me, I first became a member of World Merit in 2015 and was an “Action Plan Executor” of Merit360 in New York City, having the privilege of attending the UN Headquarters to showcase our ideas for innovative solutions to the world’s biggest issues.

Since then, World Merit has been my life. I have helped to establish and grow a council in Ghana and we continue to take actions and create waves on change year a�er year. Since returning from Liverpool, I have attended several events with World Merit Ghana, some of which have been featured in this report.

On the 5th of June, to celebrate World Environment Day the team in Ghana held a wonderful training around air pollution and methods to improve air quality (page 19). On the 8th of June, I was delighted to partake in our e�orts for World Oceans Day where we collected an astounding amount of litter and really cleaned up the beach (page 25).

These varied events have one common thread; a yearning to make the world a better place, not only for Ghanaians, for everyone. The realization that a better world for one means a better world for all, is at the very core of global citizenship, and indeed World Merit.

As we now progress towards analysing our impact over the period of six months I am excited to work with a nationally renowned statistician, who will support our council by examining the impact and improving processes to ensure that we continue on our road to developing 100,000 global citizens.

Thank you

Joshua Kobla Adzakpa

Foreword

About world merit

World Merit uses the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework for raising the awareness, appetite and capacity of young people to take local actions that tackle the most pressing global issues of the 21st Century.

Our roots are entrepreneurial, and we empower our members to deliver the changes they know are essential. Our bespoke World Merit Impact App encourages them to grow connections and to showcase their activity in a way that shares best practice and inspires those around them to take positive civic actions framed by the SDGs. Actions are awarded ‘points’ through a peer review process which in turn earn opportunity and reward.

World Merit Councils are our primary channel for developing and reaching out to global youth o�line and online. Local, National and Global World Merit Councils cover almost every country and other important initiatives include Team2030, a global competition to encourage youth to take action and to form e�ective teams in doing so.

World Merit partnered with the United Nations In 2015, formally adopting the United Nations seventeen Sustainable Development Goals at our core. Today, World Merit is acknowledged by the UN as its primary partner for engaging youth in the delivery of the SDGs and our links with the UN have enabled and reinforced critically important partnerships around the world.

“We have a long term plan for changing the world for the better and hope that you join us in doing so.”

About world merit

58457

JuneTotal Impacted

ContentsRescuing wild birds from the local area

P. 07 - 12

Building a school for 200 childrenP. 13 - 18

World Environment DayP. 19 - 24

World Ocean DayP. 25 - 30

SDGs Awareness and Tree Planting P. 31 - 36

Radio discussion programme on Democracy, Governance and SDG 16

P. 37 - 42

July 2019P. 43

1

2301

2043 22

1174

4776 17

7339

4597 28

2

12874

4698 58

6315

371 16

10363

1020 14

3

261

424 06

924

284 20

304

46 07

4

1199

3412 14

857

205 13

1099

14 04

5 5

1736

845 22

902

111 10

1461

474 16

6 6

58457

24685 117

4362

16567

4986

805 24

Total World Merit Impacted:

Bangladesh

7

JUne 1st

Impact: 25

Rescuing wild birds from the local area of Sylhet, Bangladesh.

8

9

Issue

Bangladesh is widely known for its forest resources and wildlife. However, rapid expansion of human civilization has caused deforestation and loss of habitat to many species, with many in danger of becoming extinct or on the verge of extinction. This recently human-wildlife conflict plays a major role for decline of the wild bird species from Bangladesh.

In terms of the SDGs, Bangladesh focuses on eradicating poverty and hunger, reducing inequalities and tackling climate action properly. Climate change leads to many problems, including frequent and intensified floods, erratic rainfall, drought and riverbank erosion, all of which accelerates the conditions for extinction. Urgent action must be taken to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity which are part of the Bangldashi rich heritage.

Activity

World Merit member Shamsul Alam Roky is a veterinary student from Bangladesh, studying at Sylhet Agricultural University. Shamsul volunteers with a group of 40 people who rescue birds and animals.

“While working as a volunteer to rescue wild animals and birds, I found this Barn Owl in my locality. A�er giving primary treatment, we were able to release this owl to the Ecopark. Together with such actions, we also generate awareness with local people about the need for conservation of wild birds. We have been working for two years and have saved more than 30 wild birds and animals from our area”.

Shamsul believes that everyone has a duty to protect the rights of wildlife and advocates for SDG 14: Life on Land.

10

Outcomes

The initial outcome for this activity was that the injured Barn Owl was rescued, treated and brought to safety. However, the group of volunteers have brought about even more change, for example, by organising and carrying out an ‘awareness generating campaign’. Through the campaign, the group aimed to promote and make people aware of the importance of wildlife and conservation.

Before the campaign, many people were unaware of the severity of the problem, and those that did were unsure of how to help. The outcome is that now, in any rescue operation, the group of volunteers have support from the local people who call the group if they find an injured animal. Local people can reach the group via phone or social media.

Verification and Global Citizenship

The actions of the group are verified using the Impact App and linking the rescues to social media posts. In terms of the awareness campaign, the group are contacted regularly and called to help injured animals, which illustrates how the campaign is engaging with locals.

An important part of becoming a Global Citizen is how well we share our world with others, including animals. By actively rescuing endangered animals and by engaging the community about the importance of conservation, the group has created a channel for making real and sustainable change.

11

12

Sierra Leone

13

June 3rd

Impact: 200

Building a school for 200 children

14

15

The Issue

The youth population, aged 15-35, comprises one-third of the population of Sierra Leone and youth unemployment has been a major root cause of nationwide civil conflict. In Sierra Leone education is considered a challenge for the poor and young people o�en drop out of school because of low-income. Many children walk up to seven miles to attend school within the district of Kasunko Chiefdom.

On April 11, 2019, members of World Merit Sierra Leone, led by Issa Conteh, began to build a school for children who had been walking the long distance from other villages to the Koinadugu district. Issa reports: “I studied the situation and noticed that this problem could not be solved without the help of fellow citizens to organise a school in safe walking distance for the children.”

The Activity

The group established a partnership with “Save Life Initiative” to educate children and build the school. Once completed, the school will implement training programs for women and girls centered around building technical skills as well as education.

Issa reported: “I believe the role of World Merit Sierra Leone is to engage children, women and girls, to keep them motivated and inspired and to teach them the skills needed to ensure a long and successful career, as well as to help them become very intelligent leaders in their society.”

The group currently facilitates monthly workshops, focusing on women and girls. The first topic was an introduction to home economics, the second was on leadership skills and the third was on community engagement for women and girls.

16

Outcomes and Verification

Once the school is completed it will accommodation over 200 children, women and girls who will benefit from education and vocational training courses. World Merit Sierra Leone have been engaged with the beneficiaries and have delivered quality education with a focus on practical skills required to excel in education and life. In addition, the beneficiaries will be engaged with World Merit members from around Sierra Leone and take part in an introductory understanding of the SDGs, with a focus on quality education and basic home management programs. The beneficiaries complete questionnaires as a feedback mechanism for evaluation purposes. The World Merit group also gauge feedback through sustained verbal communication with participants a�er lessons.

Global Citizenship

Upon completion of the school in the district of Kasunko Chiefdom, World Merit Sierra Leone would like to scale the education program and ensure that all children can access quality education within walking distance of their home.

Issa reports: “I would like to continue with school building projects for many vulnerable communities in northeast Sierra Leone to ensure the SDGs, particularly quality education, reaches everyone. By making this impact in our community, I hope World Merit Sierra Leone have shown ways in which they can make a di�erence in the world”.

17

18

19

Ghana

20

June 5th

Impact: 149

World Environment Day: Air pollution and the SDGs

21

22

The Issue

Air pollution is a major global problem that needs to be addressed urgently. There are ways to reduce air pollution; promoting sustainable transport, clean energy, waste management and urban planning can all improve air quality and health. By reducing air pollution, global citizens are contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals for Health (3), Energy (7) and Cities (11). The United Nations commemorates “World Environment Day” each year on the 5th of June to bring issues such as air quality into the spotlight with policy makers. World Merit Ghana came together with several partners to celebrate World Environment Day at Bawjiase Senior High School, located in the Awutu Senya West District in the Central Region of Ghana.

The Activity

The day started with a Q & A session about knowledge of the SDGs, followed by a sensitisation workshop on all 17 SDGs which was led by Confidence Mawusi, a member of Merit Ghana. The session ended with a quiz to test students’ understanding of the SDGs. Joshua Kobla Adzakpa then introduced World Merit and explained our vision, mission, values and what the organisation stands for. Joshua then focused on SDG 13, Climate Action, emphasising target 13.1,13.B,13.A, 13.3 and 13.2. Henry Bondzie from “Youth and Environment Club” held a session on how planting trees can help to improve our environment. This included a presentation on best practices to plant, caring for trees and innovative technologies used for planting trees. The final presentation focused on good practices to dispose of and recycle waste and how this contributes to better air quality. The day ended with a tree planting activity lasting an hour.

The Outcomes

The most important outcome from this day was that 100 Teak, Militi, Acasia and ‘rain trees’ were planted. The students now have knowledge about the SDGs and have an awareness of ways they can contribute to reducing air pollution. The most engaged students have now formed a ‘green club’ in Bawjiase Senior High school, where members will be focus on activities to create better air quality.

23

Verification

The Q & A session before and a�er the presentations proved that the students had increased their knowledge of the SDGs and of the air pollution issue. Out of 149 people in attendance (which included 135 students and 14 sta� members) 30 have committed to forming the ‘green club’ and a further 60 have registered interest in becoming members of World Merit to continue taking action towards the SDGs.

Global Citizenship

World Environment Day serves as a reminder each year that protecting the environment and working toward a cleaner, healthier planet not only benefits people now—but also helps us leave a safer home for future generations. Global Leaders are now beginning to listen and are implementing national policies to bring cleaner cities back to their people. Increasingly, individuals are also acting as responsible global citizens to commit to ending pollution in the face of climate change. This example in Ghana shows how students now have taken the responsibility to improve air quality by forming a club, planting trees and spreading awareness. This is where the strength of World Merit, as a channel for developing global citizens, really shines.

24

25

Ghana

26

June 8th

Impact: 50

World Ocean Day

27

28

The Issue

This year, the UN launched a global campaign against plastic pollution in our oceans. Decades of overuse and a surge in single-use plastics has led to a global ocean catastrophe. Today, 13,000,000 tonnes of plastic leak into the ocean every year, which among other damage, kill 100,000 marine animals annually. While most plastics are expected to remain intact for decades or centuries a�er use, those that do erode end up as microplastics, consumed by fish and other marine wildlife, quickly making their way into the global food chain. On the 8th of June, the world celebrates “World Oceans Day” as an opportunity to raise global awareness of the challenges facing our oceans. World Merit Ghana participated in World Oceans Day to celebrate our ‘blue planet’ and unite a community of changemakers with a passion to protect Sakumono Beach,Tema-Ghana.

The Activity

The World Merit Ghana team embarked on an extensive beach clean-up campaign on World Oceans Day, and they managed to collect discarded plastic and other materials that had been dumped at the beach by revelers. The team used large flashcards with information about SDG 14 and the specific targets to generate awareness with members of the public that they met at the beach. The team sorted the collected waste at the beach and prepared it for its next step.

The Outcomes

Waste dumped at the beach was collected by the team to keep the beach and ocean clean. People at the beach were educated on the need to restore and protect our beaches with specific focus on SDG 14 and its targets. Plastic waste was collected and donated to “Toahouse Company”, a local recycling enterprise that uses plastic waste to mould brick-like blocks for building houses. The other waste materials for recycling and other waste was handed to “Tema Metropolitan Assembly” for proper disposal. Shop owners and revelers have since pledged their support and made a commitment to continue in the quest to restore and protect our oceans.

29

Verification

Team members used extra large biodegradable bags for collecting plastic, being mindful of the environment. Each of the 50 people were given one bag each to fill. At the end of the event a sample of 10 bags were opened and items inside were counted. The average was 42 items of plastic per bag. Using this average, the team estimated 2,150 pieces of plastic were collected. Pictures were taken before, during and after the event to give a general overview of the state of the beach prior to the event, and how it improved as a result of these actions.

Global Citizenship

By taking responsibility for the environment and participating in World Oceans Day, the team in Ghana took action to clean up the local beach, and also to bring awareness to others and lead by example. By attending the clean up they were able to demonstrate that plastic pollution risks future generations on this planet. In terms of Global Citizenship, the event demonstrated how youth have the agency and responsibility to make change for a clean, just and sustainable global society.

30

31

Ghana

32

June 10th

Impact: 250

SDGs Awareness and Tree Planting

33

The Issue

A survey was made in 2019 on tree planting for the progress towards the achievement of each of the proposed Sustainable Development Goals between now and 2030 in a multitude of ways. Most of Ghana’s population don’t know of the SDG’s 13 targets and how to get practical with them. The World Merit members believe that the people of Ghana need more education on each target of the sustainable development goals to initiate practical solutions and to achieve all the targets. World Merit Leads in Kumasi, Clara Arthur Sey and Eric Yeboah, initiated the Sustainable Development Awareness Campaign to inform and educate the youth on tree planting and its importance. All the students stand to reap benefits from the realisation of these Global Goals. On June 10, 2019, the team embarked on the SDGs Awareness campaign at Ideal College School which brought together 250 students.

The Activity

The World Merit Leads in Kumasi, Clara Arthur Sey and Eric Yeboah, talked to the students on how important the SDGs are. They used visuals to explain more to them. Students were given the chance to share their perspectives on how to keep the environment save for dwelling. The students asked relevant questions on the SDGs for 40 minutes which were answered by the World Merit team in Kumasi (Ghana). The session ended with a tree planting exercise.

34

The Outcomes

250 students were engaged and their knowledge of the SDGs was clearly evident during the questions and answers session at the end of the presentation. Students were empowerment and spoke to the World Merit team of how the SDGs session has been of immense benefit to them. The team saw their creative ideas and have made a commitment to provide them with mentoring and coaching from time to time. 40 trees were planted during the tree planting exercise.

Verification and global citizenship

Ideal College now has a World Merit club which has 37 students all focused on improving SDGs awareness. The school authorities have accepted the club and want regular visits to the school to see their work and projects. The students pledged to avail themselves as agents to spread the news about the Global Goals and encourage others to take actions towards their implementation and achievement.

35

36

37

Nigeria

38

June 10th

Impact: 15

Radio discussion programme on Democracy, Governance and SDG 16

39

40

The Issue

A major problem for Africa is the absence of good governance and the failure of politicians to deliver on their promises to the electorate. Educated youth are trying to change this but the voice of uneducated youth, living in rural areas, goes largely unheard.

Target 16.6 of Goal 16 under Sustainable Development Goal focuses on developing e�ective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. Despite the appetite for the SDGs in Nigeria, the rate of corruption remains alarming in the political space. Unless the present situation changes, in terms of leadership and addressing corruption, Nigeria is unlikely to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

Youth have the potential to run for positions of leadership, to ensure that leaders are held accountable and to place demands on political representatives to be transparent. Recently Nigerian youth have been using social media to drive home their point and government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) have been forced to create functioning social media accounts for disseminating information to young and social media user.

The Activity

The World Merit team in Nigeria decided to swing into action by developing “Act Hub Africa”. The mission of Act Hub Africa is to develop ‘home-grown solutions’ for problems facing youth and to encourage and develop active, global citizens in Nigeria. Due to funding issues, the team amended the model to taking a ‘baby steps’ towards achieving social change. The team came up with a training session entitled “Social Media for Social Impact”. This training was attended by youth from eleven communities in Akinyele Local Government area of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

At the beginning of the event, the participants were asked to write their expectations and place it on the ‘expectation tree’. The written expectations were then grouped and were used during discussion about gaining an understanding of SDG 16, specifically the need for active citizenship and good governance. A�er the event, members of the team were invited to speak on a popular radio programme, “The Discourse” about the training event.

41

The Outcomes

The programme developed 15 young people as ‘trainers’ from 11 communities. All 15 participants were trained to be Act Hub Ambassadors in their communities. Five of the trained participants trained in “Social Media for Social Impact” have since hosted a TweetACTHON (A Tweet Chat Advocacy of Act Hub Africa). A further three have carried out advocacy work in their local government o�ices, as a result of the Act Hub Africa training.

Verification

Fifteen youths are now fully fledged, active global citizens who have been trained to ask the right question from authorities in their local areas. The most exciting idea was raised by several of the 15 participants in relation to creating a ‘mobile’ Act Hub Africa in order to be able to reach more people in difficult to reach, rural areas. Another excellent idea focusing on the benefits of Town Hall style meetings was also developed as a veritable tool for raising Active Citizens in the rural communities. At the end of the event, the group took pictures of some of their activities including at the radio station.

Global citizenship

The 15 participants are now active global citizens and have the knowledge and tools to address the issues of corruption and poor governance culture in Africa. By seeking and using resources from knowledge-based organizations, the participants were shown how they can participate in and support new policies, and political discourse, and hope to continue making significant impact in this field.

42

July 2019

Saturday, 6th International Day of Cooperatives

Thursday, 11thWorld Population Day

Monday, 15thWorld Youth Skills Day

Thursday, 18thNelson Mandela Day

Sunday, 28thWorld Hepatitis Day

Tuesday, 30thInternational Day of Friendship

Tuesday, 30thWorld Day Against Trafficking in Persons

43

44

45

WORLDMERIT