NGO launches card game to boost awareness on climate change

Ecocykle Development Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has launched a card game to create awareness around climate change.

Titled ‘Play, Learn and Act Now (PLAN)’, the game can be played by a minimum of two and maximum of five players.

Speaking at the launch on Wednesday, Aliyu Sadiq, founder of Ecocykle, said the card game aims to bridge the environmental education gap towards promoting the achievement of a sustainable future.

He said the game seeks to increase environmental awareness and increase youth participation in climate action.

“The Play Learn and Act Now (PLAN) is an innovative card game that aims to inspire young people to be able to understand issues on environment and solutions to tackle these problems,” Sadiq said.

“What inspired this game was looking at the gap of knowledge amongst young people towards being part of driving the SDGs and while we have limited time to achieve the SDGs by 2030, young people who play a key role and serve as catalysts for this change are not fully equipped.

“So, we thought of an innovative way to empower young people with the knowledge that can enable them to easily understand this game that will make them contribute to solutions, to actions and impact and ensure environmental sustainability and climate action.”

How the game works

“You have cards that have pictorial representation of problems affecting the environment such as floods, desertification, deforestation, while you also have cards that have solutions to the problems like good and proper waste management, afforestation and other solutions,” Sadiq said.

“All of these are blended with alphabets and numbers to enable young people to seek the solutions to the problems on board. By doing so, it is building consciousness on what are the major solutions to some problems while playing.

“So, as they are playing it and having fun, they are also grasping this concept, and it is inspiring them to take action.”

Sadiq added that the NGO is aiming to donate 500 card games to 100 schools across the country.

“In one year, we will donate 500 PLAN environmental education card games to 100 schools across Nigeria, directly impacting 5000 young people,” he said.