Published 3 July 2024 ● Last Updated on 3 July 2024
You don’t have to look far to find the environmental cause being championed on the web! From posters and artwork to social media and article, there is a lot of digital space devoted to planet positivity and we are glad for that. But words would be in vain without action. Which is why, Secondsguru has been running the Zero Waste Bootcamp (ZWB) with a clear focus on creating volunteer opportunities for youth on real projects that also require community action. Initiated under the NEA’s Call for Ideas Fund in 2019, this program is now powered by the National Youth Council.
With projects such as creating an edible garden space in a homeless shelter, finding avenues to use surplus bread, promoting repair skills among the community and advicating for better recycling alongside seniors, the 9th edition of ZWB ran from September 2023 to January 2024. 4 youth teams comprising 24 youth – a mix of working adults and university students from Singapore – took on the challenge to detailise and execute these eco+social projects. Teams collaborated with local non-profit organisations in this process and at the end, presented their methodology, challenges and successes to a panel of experts from National Youth Council, National Environment Agency, Temasek Foundation and Standard Chartered Bank.
With this 9th run, the ZWB programme has expanded its impact to include over 210 alumni, who have cumulatively joined/ organised 85+ community events, and forged 120+ collaborations with a range of partners, sparking a cascading impact as they generated nearly 190K touch points through online and in-person outreach. More on this programme at: https://secondsguru.com/zwbootcamp/
The culmination of each ZWB run is the ‘Travelling Exhibition’ – a collection of poster art depicting ZWB team projects – that moves across public spaces in Singapore. Each projects efforts and achievements are turned into an artwork by Malaysia-based visual artist, Shaikh Omar Anuar. Find the 9th ZWB’s projects and the art work below!:
Projects from the 9th Zero Waste Bootcamp
Team Revamp Champs
Project Partner: Repair Kopitiam
This group of 5 university students took on the challenge to tackle the buy-and-throwaway culture. After undergoing 22 hours in training, participating in 18 hours
of repair sessions as coaches, and rescuing over 1000 items with Repair Kopitiam, the team conducted two in-person booths at the Say ‘Yes to Waste Less Event at the Public Libraryat Harbourfront and Admiralty Sustaintival 2024, bringing awareness on the repair culture to over 150 people. They also produced 5 videos of their coaching experience, generating a total of over 7000 views – and more importantly, generating real footfall into Repair Kopitiam’s repair sessions.
View this post on Instagram
Team Sowing Hope
Project Partner – New Hope Community Services
This team was tasked to establish an edible garden at Transit Point @ Margaret Drive – a homeless shelter. The team began by learning the ropes of growing edibles
and nurturing them under the mentorship of an urban farmer in Singapore as well as National Parks Boards. Roping in 8 residents of the shelter, the team put in a total of 180 hours to plant 17 edibles in 3 planters (based on residents’ voting preferences) and also created an ultimate toolkit to equip residents with all information they need to care for
the edibles in the long run. They also organised a gardening workshop for the residents to show them how to take care of the plants in the long term, and a cooking workshop to demonstrate how to use the grown edibles.
Team Never Stale
Project Partner: Food from the Heart
Team Never Stale supported Food From the Heart’s (FFTH) Bread Run programme, engaging new Bread Run partners and Bread Runners (volunteer collectors). The
team coordinated the collection and distribution of over 400 loaves of bread to FFTH, saving them from the landfill. They also executed in-person donor outreach with 36
different bakeries in Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris, getting the interest of 25 bakeries. Armed with infographics on food waste and insecurity and 2 games (food
insecurity simulation and bread run simulation), the team set up 2 in-person booths at the Say ‘Yes to Waste Less Event at NLB @ Harbourfront and Admiralty Sustaintival
2024. They also posted infographics and recruitment posts on their Instagram account @neverstalesg, bringing the Bread Run message and mission to the wider community.
Team Champs
Project Partner: Yon-en Care Centre
The team engaged with seniors from Yong-en Active Hub (YEAH!) to bolster their environmental awareness and knowledge, particularly in recycling right, empowering them to become environmental leaders and advocates within their own communities. After conducting knowledge-sharing sessions at YEAH and recycling-tracking by the seniors, the seniors went forth to inspire their households, family and friends to improve their waste management. The Champion Seniors also got to present and share their passion for recycling at a Yong-en event, teaching over 30 seniors what they learnt about recycling. As a team, they established 2 in-person booths at the Say ‘Yes to Waste Less Event at NLB @ Harbourfront and Admiralty Sustaintival 2024. With the Champion Seniors running the activities at the latter event, they brought the recycling message to over 200 members of public. Striving to bring the message to a wider audience, the team co-created 5 Instagram reels with the Champion Seniors on recycling right. Lianhe Zaobao (Media) Lifestyle Reporter interviewed the team, seeking to cover the team’s environmental advocacy efforts alongside champion seniors from Yong-en Active Hub.
View this post on Instagram
0 Comments