17-year-old Amara Nwuneli has just been awarded $12,500 through the 2025 Earth Prize, a prestigious international award that recognizes young people developing sustainable solutions for the planet. Her winning project? A playground made entirely out of recycled materials, transforming what was once a neglected dump site into a haven for children and nature alike.
“I’m excited for the future,” she said, her voice beaming with purpose. “This isn’t just about a park—it’s about making nature visible and accessible to people who’ve never had the chance to experience it.”
Amara’s journey into climate activism wasn’t born in a lab or classroom. It began with personal loss. In 2020, torrential floods displaced her family and devastated their livelihood. Her parents’ spice business, dependent on smallholder farmers, suffered heavy losses when crops were washed away.
Rather than retreat, Amara acted. A theater enthusiast, she started recording videos to tell her community’s story. Those videos went viral—and raised 2 million naira (about $5,000) to help rebuild two local schools. The experience sparked something deeper. She founded a youth-led NGO, Preserve Our Roots, aimed at bridging the gap between Nigerians and the environment.
“We had people telling us, ‘But I don’t see nature in my neighborhood,’” she recalled. “So we decided to bring nature to them.”
In Ikota, a flood-prone community on the outskirts of Lagos, Amara and her team found an opportunity. With help from local artisans and community volunteers, they repurposed scrap metal, wooden planks, and abandoned tires into a fully functioning playground—complete with a climbing wall, swings, and a slide. They surrounded it with flood-resistant trees—part of over 300 trees they’ve planted across the region.
What once was a hazardous dump is now filled with laughter and green life. The park officially opened on March 1, and it’s already changing how children view their environment.
“I remember a child pointing to the park and saying, ‘Now this is something we can call beautiful.’ That moment will stay with me forever,” Amara said, her voice cracking slightly.
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With the Earth Prize funds now in hand, Amara is setting her sights higher. She plans to build three more parks—this time on a larger scale.
“These won’t just be playgrounds,” she explained. “We’re building spaces that serve entire communities—gardens, greenhouses, and even waste management zones. Places where people can gather, grow food, learn, and take ownership of their environment.”
One of her boldest plans involves converting a sprawling landfill in Lagos into a green, functional community space—pending government approval. The other two parks are being proposed in Ogun and Oyo states, both battling rising temperatures, recurring floods, and prolonged droughts.
In Lagos, a city of over 17 million people, less than 3% of land is classified as green space. As climate change tightens its grip on urban areas, public parks and green zones are no longer luxuries—they’re lifelines. Green spaces not only cool cities but also reduce flooding, filter air pollution, and provide psychological relief for people living in dense, noisy environments.
For Amara, creating green space is also about justice. “Every child deserves a safe space to play, breathe, and grow—no matter where they’re from,” she said.
Her work is already reshaping what’s possible in communities often overlooked by policy or resources. And perhaps most inspiring of all—it’s led by a young woman who refused to let disaster have the final say.
With a powerful mix of storytelling, grassroots action, and youthful resolve, Amara Nwuneli is showing the world what it means to plant seeds of hope—and build something lasting from the ashes.
