A member of the National Youth Service Corps, Kleina Kuchahyel Musa, has revealed that her decision to build an eco-friendly toilet facility with recycled plastic bottles was motivated by a desire to transform environmental waste into useful solutions for communities.
Musa made this known on Friday during the commissioning of the sanitation project at Salihu Dogo Secondary School in Jalingo, Taraba State.
The facility, constructed with 3,500 recycled plastic bottles as part of her Community Development Service, was officially inaugurated by the Taraba State Government.
She explained that the initiative was inspired by the increasing problem of plastic pollution and the need to encourage sustainable environmental practices while improving sanitation facilities in schools.
“For many people, plastic waste is simply a problem. But for me, it became a question: ‘What if this waste could become a solution?’ Today, that idea has become a reality here in Jalingo, where we have successfully recycled 3,500 plastic bottles into something meaningful,” she said.
According to Musa, the project aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, SDG 13 on climate action, SDG 4 on quality education, and SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities.
She noted that the project extended beyond constructing a toilet facility, adding that it was also aimed at encouraging environmental responsibility and active community participation among residents and students.
Musa further disclosed that she was particularly inspired when students willingly participated in the construction work by helping to transport sand-filled bottles and other building materials.
“In that moment, I realised the project was no longer just mine. It had become a community project,” she stated.
Speaking during the inauguration, the Chairman of the NYSC Governing Board and Chairman of the Taraba State Youth and Sports Development Agency, Gara Nongha, described the initiative as both innovative and impactful.
He encouraged other corps members to adopt creative and community-oriented projects capable of addressing societal problems.
“I was surprised to see plastic bottles being used to build a structure that can stand the test of time. I used to see such innovations only on social media,” he said.
Nongha also disclosed that Musa introduced a chess education programme in the school to promote critical thinking, discipline, and strategic decision-making among students.
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“The project goes beyond sanitation. Alongside the eco-toilet, Musa has introduced a chess education programme designed to sharpen the minds of students and encourage strategic thinking,” he added.
He pledged support for the rehabilitation of the school’s non-functional borehole to ensure the sustainability of the facility.
Also speaking, the NYSC Local Government Inspector for Jalingo, Mr Bitrus Yakubu, praised the corps member for applying innovation to tackle sanitation challenges in the school.
The Principal of Salihu Dogo Secondary School, Mr Richard Karanta, expressed gratitude for the intervention, describing it as timely and beneficial to students.
Karanta stated that the project complements the Taraba State Government’s free education policy and ongoing efforts to improve learning conditions in public schools.