Our Story
Our Beginnings
“I often wondered why thousands of people could walk past piles of burning waste and thick smoke without saying anything. When I talked to my friends about cleaning our streets or finding a solution, many laughed it off and some even said it was embarrassing to do so. That silence and discomfort sparked something in me. I started asking myself: What would it take for people to care enough to act?”
~ Saviour
That question became a movement.
At 15, after personally experiencing health issues caused by waste burning and pollution in my community, I founded Team Illuminate, a youth-led environmental organization using education, storytelling, and community action to make sustainability practical and inspiring for young people. What began as small cleanups and conversations in schools has grown into a global platform where youth from over 14 countries are inspired to lead change from the frontlines of their communities.
Today, Team Illuminate has engaged over 5,000 students and teachers, recovered more than 10,000 kg of waste, and created tools like online courses, guidebooks, school programs, and mentorship initiatives that help make environmental education accessible and actionable.
Our work has been recognized globally on platforms like CNN, AFP, Arise News and our founder has been recognized as a Kofi Annan Changemaker, an Ashoka Young Changemaker and UNEP Tide Turner Policy Champion. But more than the recognition, our mission remains the same: to empower young people to see themselves as problem-solvers who are capable of turning concern into action for the planet.
At Team Illuminate, we believe that change begins with courage and young people embody the courage and spark to lead change.
timeline
Our Journey
Key milestones and achievements that have shaped Team Illuminate into what it is today.
The Spark
- At age 15, our founder, Saviour Iwezue, motivated by the impacts of waste burning on her health, began her environmental journey by mobilizing friends to engage a rural community on environmental sustainability and public health.
- This early experience revealed the power of youth-led action and planted the seed for what would become Team Illuminate.
From Setback to Purpose
- A "failed" community clean-up campaign attracted only one volunteer, becoming a defining moment that reshaped our approach to impact.
- Realizing that environemental action starts with education, our founder shifted focus toward environmental education to build youth agency.
- With the support of a mentor, Team Illuminate was founded and began engaging students from classroom to classrom, school to school on waste pollution, recycling, and public health.
Mobilizing for Action
- Team Illuminate expanded beyond schools, bringing together 26 young volunteers to lead environmental action across communities.
- Working with churches, schools, event centers, and local businesses, the team retrieved and diverted over 10,000kg of waste for recycling through a partnership with a local recycling center.
- The year demonstrated the power of collective action driven by informed and engaged youth.
Investing in Student Leadership
- After an unsuccessful attempt the previous year, We successfully launched the inaugural Green Student Workshop.
- Supported by the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, the workshop brought together 40 students from 8 schools across Lagos Education District V.
- This milestone laid the foundation for what would become our flagship student leadership initiatives.
Building Programs, Expanding Reach
- Team Illuminate strengthened its structure and launched new initiatives, including the Zero Heroes Project.
- We coordinated activities in Lagos for CNN Call to Earth Day in partnership with Planeteer Alliance, engaging over 120 young people in global environmental action.
- We co-hosted Catalyst with Givefinity, bringing together over 90 participants from 9 countries.
- We also organized the first-ever GCMx Nigeria for Global Changemakers, creating new opportunities for youth collaboration and leadership.
Growing a Global Community
- We launched Climate Story Cafés, creating spaces for young people to connect, learn, and discuss environmental issues through storytelling.
- The Green Student Fellowship welcomed its inaugural cohort of 20 fellows from Lagos and Abuja, supported through the Ashoka–Kwanda Grant.
- We hosted the first Stories for Change summit, convening over 100 participants from 12 countries and spotlighting 24 youth leaders driving impact across diverse social and environmental issues.
- Through a UN Youth Lead Dialogue, we amplified the voices and priorities of young people in Lagos, contributing insights to the global #YouthLead Dialogues process.