Meet Jesus Aka, an Ivorian environmentalist and founder and president of NGO BLUE, a youth-led organization committed to tackling plastic pollution and promoting a sustainable blue economy in West Africa.

Jesus’ journey in climate action began in 2022 while completing his master’s degree in Maritime Law where he conducted research on marine plastic pollution in Côte d’Ivoire.

“The findings were alarming. Our lagoons and oceans were increasingly becoming dumping grounds for plastic waste, threatening biodiversity, public health, and the livelihoods of coastal communities,” he adds.

Beyond the scale of the problem, “what struck me most was the gap between awareness and action” says Jesus. While these issues were relatively well known, Jesus found that youth engagement in the space was quite limited. This realization became a turning point to not only take action but also find a way to mobilize other young people around the same cause. 

From individual commitment to a collective movement

Jesus founded NGO BLUE in 2022, with the goal to mobilize young people to become key drivers of climate change solutions. Today, more than 1,200 volunteers are actively engaged across Côte d’Ivoire, working to transform environmental awareness into concrete action. In recognition of this commitment and impact, Jesus was awarded the 3rd National Excellence Award for Best Young Citizen of Côte d’Ivoire in 2024.

Through NGO BLUE, Jesus leads several interconnected initiatives aimed at tackling plastic pollution and promoting environmental responsibility. One of their flagship initiatives is the Blue School Initiative, launched in 2022 and implemented annually, reaching schools across multiple cities in collaboration with partners such as UNICEF and national institutions, to educate children and youth on environmental issues through interactive and creative approaches.

Beyond the school setting, NGO BLUE also conducts large-scale community campaigns, including clean-up operations, awareness caravans, and nationwide mobilization actions such as a human chain against plastic pollution that mobilized more than 1000 young people in 2023 and was the first action of its kind in the country.

“The first human chain emerged in 2023, at a time when plastic pollution was still rarely discussed among young people in Côte d’Ivoire. It became a powerful symbol of youth mobilization and helped inspire a growing number of youth-led initiatives against plastic pollution,” shares Jesus.

Beyond raising awareness, this movement opened opportunities for young people to contribute to national policy processes, including the development of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Blue Economy Strategy, and to engage with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in ongoing work on a report on plastic pollution. 

At the regional level, NGO BLUE works with young people across West and Central Africa through the Regional Youth Forum on Blue Economy, which has now reached three editions and led to the creation of the Youth Environmental Justice Alliance (YEJA), a regional coalition of committed young leaders. The Forum has generated concrete outcomes, including recommendations that contributed to higher-level policy discussions, with one integrated into Côte d’Ivoire’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0) on the decarbonization of lagoon transport. In 2026, the Forum brought together young leaders from over 15 West and Central African countries, while three youth-led projects from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria received USD 1,000 each to support their implementation.

Building trust and changing behaviors for a better future

Championing solutions-oriented work is deeply fulfilling, but as Jesus reminds us, the road is rarely smooth. Beyond the constant hurdle of securing long-term funding and sustainable resources, shifting deeply ingrained habits and earning the trust of different communities is a process that takes time.

For instance, the excessive use of single-use plastics, inadequate waste management practices, and the widespread habit of dumping waste in public spaces or aquatic environments remain deeply rooted in daily life. “Transforming these daily practices requires continuous awareness efforts, strong community engagement, and solutions that are adapted to local realities, “says Jesus.

Similarly, when working across local, national, and regional levels, coordination is required across diverse stakeholders and navigating complex institutional environments. “Building trust within communities and ensuring their long-term ownership of the solutions also takes time and sustained effort,” adds Jesus.

“These challenges have not discouraged us; instead, they have strengthened our determination to keep pushing forward. We continue to refine and adapt our approaches, developing more sustainable, inclusive, and scalable solutions to drive long-term impact.”

Beyond the measurable impact

The work of Jesus and his team at NGO BLUE has generated tangible and measurable impact, initially in Côte d’Ivoire and now extending beyond national borders to Liberia. To date, NGO BLUE has sensitized more than 24,000 children across 10 cities, trained over 700 young leaders, reached more than 25,000 people through environmental awareness campaigns, mobilized more than 3,500 young people in civic and environmental actions, restored more than 10 km of beaches, and engaged more than 1,200 volunteers across Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia.

One of their major innovations is the Blue SEA project, which focuses on cleaning up the Ébrié Lagoon while improving the livelihoods of local communities. “In 2025, we trained 200 fishermen in sustainable fishing practices and actively involved them in waste collection efforts, resulting in the removal of over 522 tons of waste,” says Jesus. These initiatives reflect my belief that sustainable change is built on education, action, and community empowerment.

But beyond the figures, Jesus sees the most significant impact from his work lies in long-term behavioral change. “While it might be a challenge sometimes, we have seen the impact throughout communities. For example, schools we have engaged in are now developing their own environmental initiatives. In areas such as Vridi Zimbabwe, residents have shifted from directly dumping waste into the lagoon to participating in organized pre-collection systems, contributing to a significant reduction in pollution,” he reflects.  

Through advocacy and dialogue, young Africans are also being positioned as credible actors in decision-making processes and strengthening the role of youth in environmental governance.

These initiatives are also creating ripple effects beyond Côte d’Ivoire. Through regional platforms such as the Youth Environmental Justice Alliance (YEJA) and projects like Blue Mapping, Jesus and his team are building a network of young African leaders across the continent committed to protecting ecosystems and advancing sustainable solutions.

“Young Africans should remember that protecting our environment is not a distant responsibility but an immediate necessity. It directly affects our health, our livelihoods, and our future. Climate action is not only a challenge; it is an opportunity to lead, innovate, and reshape Africa’s development pathway.”