What Are You Waiting For? — A Moment in Traffic That Changed Everything

I recently read a story by a member of World Pulse from Nigeria. She shared how she became a founder.

“I did not wake up one morning and decide to start a foundation,” she wrote. “I walked into it slowly.”

When I read those words, my mind went back to how I became a founder. I realised it is a story I haven’t shared much. I had kept it within me, carried along by activities and responsibilities, to the point where it was almost becoming a faint, distant memory.

So how did I become the founder of an environmental nonprofit association in my country?

Some years back, I was working as the Editor-in-Chief of a lifestyle magazine. One morning, on my way to work during rush hour in Douala—the economic capital of Cameroon—we were stuck in traffic. My taxi came to a halt right in front of a huge pile of trash, and we remained there for close to ten minutes.

As I looked out the window at the pile of waste, questions stirred within me:

Why should there be this much garbage on our streets? Why does it seem normal? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that our dignity to live in a clean environment is protected?

While these thoughts ran through my mind, a voice spoke from within: “Who are you waiting for? You can do something about it!”

It felt like a wake-up call to responsibility, an invitation to stop easily placing blame on others and instead take ownership and become part of the solution.

That very morning, upon arriving at work, I created a Facebook page bearing the name of what would later become the nonprofit I founded: For Earth’s Sake. The intention was to sensitise and awaken a sense of responsibility among my audience toward environmental stewardship.

Three years after that incident—three years of inconsistency on social media—I came to a realisation: I would not do much if I remained only online, and I would not be able to properly measure impact. It was time to move from online to onsite.

I began the process of registering the nonprofit and motivated myself to launch our first cleanup event. It was World Cleanup Day 2020, a few months after COVID restrictions had been relaxed.

I announced the cleanup on Facebook, shared my contact details, and connected with other local environmental sustainability organisations for knowledge-sharing and exposure. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure anyone would show up or want to spend their time cleaning a street in a neighbourhood.

Sixteen volunteers did.

Some were friends. Others were complete strangers. That moment changed everything for me. It was a reminder that I wasn’t alone, that there were others who shared the same concerns and vision.

The registration of the association came through the following year. Since then, this step has connected me with passionate young men and women, people who believe in a healthier environment and a hopeful future for our country.

Thank you, @GreatGold, for sharing your story so openly. It led me to a place of gratitude for how I started and renewed optimism for the road ahead.

To anyone still waiting for someone else to take responsibility: if an issue continues to weigh on your heart, it may be because you have a role to play. You may be part of the solution. Step up.