Sisters build a greener, healthier future in Nigeria

Sisters in Calabar, Nigeria are leading a grassroots response to an escalating environmental and public health crisis caused by systemic failures in waste management. Market women and traders have been particularly affected, facing blocked roads, health risks, and lost income due to growing refuse piles.
 
Recognising the urgency, Sr. Franca Edet of the Daughters of Charity partnered with local Religious Sisters to launch an advocacy initiative focused on environmental stewardship. With support from a donor-funded Sisters Rising Worldwide grant, they organised a three-day workshop themed ‘The Right to Live in a Clean, Green, and Healthy Environment’, training women and teenage girls as community environmental advocates.
 
The programme combined education, faith-based reflection, and civic engagement, culminating in dialogue with traditional leaders and broader outreach through local radio. By empowering women and girls to lead change, the Sisters are fostering long-term civic responsibility and helping build a cleaner, healthier, and safer future for Calabar’s most vulnerable communities.