About the Project

This project aims to apply scientific knowledge to promote sustainable development & address humanitarian issues. To contain the litter and generate sustainable jobs, we thought building a recycling center would be an effective solution that could do both. Adding to it, educating townspeople on recycling process and ways to minimize litter would make sure that this tragedy is not repeated. In 2019, we learned about the situation in the town of Philippolis, South Africa, where a group of politicians who imported garbage with tax money for short-term gain and looked the other way when things got out of hand. The garbage shipping continued though, rendering the Philippolis a “waste village.” And with chronic unemployment in the region becoming acute, the regional economy took a nosedive.
 

So we began by contacting the Good Work Foundation, a key NGO operating in the region, to pitch our idea. Then, while waiting for their response, we contacted a dozen experts including several Korean architects, a South African architect, and even the CEO of renewable energy venture company for feedback and resources.  We also worked on the education front, working towards an iPad game for primary school students about recycling process. In the meantime, we took the project to several fundraising programs, including 'The Changemakers Program,' where sponsored a total of $2,100, enough to prepare for the materials for construction.