By Victor Ayegba Mathew, Nigeria.
In Kano, Nigeria, primary school teacher Victor Ayegba Mathew uses stories to help children discover their responsibility to the world around them. As an Earth Charter Young Leader and Certified Earth Charter Educator, he began integrating the Earth Charter into his teaching in 2020. Geography lessons and outdoor activities became opportunities to explore respect for life and the connections between people and nature.
The Earth Stories Collection brought a new dimension to this work. In outdoor storytelling circles, students connected cultural wisdom with environmental challenges, and quieter children began sharing their ideas. In 2022, Victor and his team established Earthstorytelling Clubs in schools. His 2025 account reports that the clubs had reached 4,853 students, combining creative expression with practical environmental learning.
Victor has seen students organise cleanups, care for trees, and discuss sustainable practices with their peers. What began as an idea in his teaching grew through the efforts of teachers, volunteers, and participating schools. Guided by the Earth Charter, his work gives local stories a continuing role in helping young people care for their communities and the Earth.
