Captain Fanplastic, the award-winning environmental education programme developed by Soapbox South Africa, has officially launched in Equatorial Guinea through a new partnership with UNICEF in the region. This marks a milestone in both organizations’ shared commitment to youth empowerment and climate action.
Designed to equip young people with green skills, environmental literacy, and a powerful sense of ownership over their ecosystems, the Captain Fanplastic programme is engaging 1,500 children and training 40 adolescent facilitators across 20 youth centers in both urban and rural areas with this rollout. Through experiential education rooted in storytelling, creativity, and community action, the programme inspires children and communities to become active participants in establishing circular systems. This latest development adds to the programme’s country impact to 13 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe.
Camila Valdivieso Arpi from UNICEF Equatorial Guinea said: Our goal is to empower adolescents and young people across urban and rural areas with green skills, environmental awareness, and a sense of ownership over their ecosystems. We also hope it sets a precedent for scalable, youth-led climate solutions in underfunded contexts like ours. Through storytelling, teamwork, and practical environmental activities, they will develop not only climate literacy but also leadership skills, self-confidence, and a deep connection to their environment, becoming the friendly pirates our planet urgently needs.
UNICEF’s collaboration with Captain Fanplastic is grounded in its strategic goal of promoting adolescent participation in climate solutions through locally adaptable, youth-driven models. The programme also reflects South-South cooperation and supports Equatorial Guinea’s national goals on sustainable development and climate resilience.
We expect this partnership to deliver meaningful, measurable change by localizing Captain Fanplastic’s experiential education model in Equatorial Guinea, added Valdivieso. Our goal is to empower adolescents with green skills and a sense of agency that extends into their communities.
At the helm of Captain Fanplastic is Ruben Hazelzet, who was recently named one of UNICEF’s Innovation30 Young Climate Innovators shaping the future of climate resilience. It’s a privilege to work with UNICEF Equatorial Guinea to unlock the environmental leadership of young people, said Hazelzet. Captain Fanplastic is more than a programme, it’s a movement led by youth, for youth. Together, we’re giving young people the tools, the voice, and the stage to become friendly pirates for the planet. Equatorial Guinea’s young leaders are ready to chart a new course toward sustainability, and we’re here to help them sail it.
With implementation started in July 2025, the Captain Fanplastic programme promises not only to clean up plastic but to clean up perceptions, transforming children into storytellers, creators, and climate leaders for the future of Equatorial Guinea and beyond. Captain Fanplastic has a goal of reaching one million children by 2030.
