Unique Solutions to Global Problems – World Challenge Challenge Finalists
This year Western University invited McMaster University and some of the world’s best universities to compete in the 2021 World’s Challenge Challenge (WCC). The competition’s mission was to bring together students from a wide range of institutions, cultures and continents to form a strong international network and create potential solutions to significant global issues identified in the UN SDGs.
Students from participating partner universities formed diverse teams of two to four students to bring ideas forward to address a global issue and present their unique solution to a panel of academic and community leaders at their own institution. The top teams from each WCC partner universities were then invited to compete in the Global Final, which took place June 8-10, 2021.
McMaster’s MSc in Global Health student teams submitted their unique project ideas – the Banana Fibre Bag Project and RefuGrow. These teams were nominated by McMaster to compete in the WCC alongside of their competitors from local and international universities. With a focus on the SDGs, their innovative and sustainable projects highlighted the collaboration and vision necessary to turn ideas into reality. Last week, both teams presented their projects in the Global Final, moved into the semi-finalist round, and were then chosen to compete in the finals where they faced questions from a panel of judges.
Taking 2nd place in the final competition was the Banana Fibre Bag Project developed by Marwah Sadat and Batul Presswala. In partnership with the Yarya-Si Youth Foundation (YSYF), this project aims to address plastic pollution as well as job insecurity among women and youth in a rural underserved community in Ghana called Doryumu. YSYF is an international NGO committed to improving the economic and health outcomes for women and youth in Ghana. They connect women and youth to vocational training opportunities that improve their knowledge and skills allowing them to gain financial independence.
The project proposes bags that are locally sourced and produced using banana and plantain plant fibres in order to replace current plastic and paper bags. The product will support women and youth residing near the manufacturing site in rural Ghana by providing capacity building, employment, and banana/plantain foodstuffs. The bags will be similarly priced to plastic and paper alternatives, yet more durable, reusable, locally sourced, and environmentally friendly. The impact on the environment is significant in terms of waste and air pollution reduction as the product is made from waste products and can be eliminated without burning. Furthermore, there is great potential to replicate this project in similar contexts.
Semi-finalist multidisciplinary team, RefuGrow, included Jasmeen Dourka, Jasmine Nanji, Kristele Pan, and Rachel Creighton. These students are driven by their dedication to improve the health and well-being of refugee camp communities worldwide through sustainable innovations rooted in science and technology. Their initial goal was to alleviate vector-borne diseases prevalent in refugee camps around the world. However, their simple solution quickly grew into one that tackles multiple health and social challenges at once including malnutrition, poor mental health, youth recruitment into violent groups, and few economic and leadership positions for women and youth.
Their solution employs a two-pronged approach that consists of RefuGrow Gardens and RefuGrow Skills. Refugrow Gardens are innovative functional water catchment systems that minimize stagnant water build-up in refugee camps and repurpose surface runoff to nurture gardens. Refugrow Skills are the educational complement in which workshops led by women and youth will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to build, sustain, and benefit from the garden. Since the RefuGrow gardens can be used to grow a variety of local plants and crops, they are easily adaptable to suit the individual needs of families and thereby provide them with greater autonomy over their living environment. This solution is not only suited for a variety of refugee camps, but also beyond refugee camps such as rural communities that face similar challenges.
Prize funds will allow the Banana Fibre Bag Project to further develop their solution and support project implementation. The WCC offered students an opportunity to network with some of the best and brightest students from around the world, participate in virtual academic events, and generate further discussion around global issues.
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