Last year’s top 3 GAIA finalists THIMUN Qatar 2020:
First Place, Winner of QAR 3,000
Birla Public School – Cups for Change
Project Description:
It is the need of the hour to advocate for appropriate menstrual hygiene in order to tackle infectious diseases, especially during the pandemic. Women and girls have been using sanitary napkins for years without realizing its adverse effects on human health. Surprisingly, using sanitary napkins can cause various kinds of bacterial and yeast infections. In addition to that, they are primarily made from plastic and take approximately 600 years to decompose, making it detrimental to the environment.
BPS’ GAIA project will work towards the improvement of menstrual hygiene for women workers (maids, house helpers etc.) in Qatar and aims to reduce the environmental impacts of menstruation. Our main goal is to distribute sanitary first aid kits to a group of 30 women within which the primary product will be the menstrual cup. Menstrual cups are cost-effective, environment friendly and hygienic products which can be used by women during their menstrual cycle. In addition to that, the the following will also be included in the kit:
- A bottle of sanitizer
- Alcohol wipes
- Hot water bag
- Cloth masks
- Emergency numbers
- Link to an app that will help them track their cycle
Second Place, Winner of QAR 2,000
GEMS American Academy Qatar – GAAQ Acts for a Greener Tomorrow!
GAAQ Acts For a Greener Tomorrow! Project Video
Project Description:
“GAAQ’s journey towards sustainability showcased three main projects: the aquaponic greenhouse, the paper recycling project, and fundraising for THIRST project. These three projects provided a means for our community to achieve three sustainable development goals, Climate Action, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Clean Water and Sanitation.
The aquaponic greenhouse was installed in 2019 and subsequently utilized by students and teachers to learn about the Earth’s biogeochemical cycles and connect with nature in this modern, urban environment. The Greenhouse yields eighteen times more food relative to a field and volunteering students have grown food within our school community to gain hands-on farming experience. Efficient and Organic production of lettuce, tomatoes, dragonfruit, papaya, strawberries, and melons has helped our school community learn the importance of responsible consumption and production.
The Paper Recycling Project was introduced after the AP Environmental Science class networked and contracted with Elite Paper Recycling to install a recycling cage in our school. Students placed cardboard boxes in every classroom and labeled them so that all paper waste was separated from other waste. The paper waste is collected by student volunteers and thrown into the paper recycling cage weekly to be collected by the Elite Paper Recycling truck. GAAQ now recycles 310 kilograms of paper per year!
Thirst Project was introduced to GAAQ when a couple of students attended QLC to meet Thirst Project student activation coordinators Evan Wesley and Kellen Brewer. The GAAQ Eco-club held a smoothie and plant sale to raise money for clean water sources in eSwatini. GAAQ sold healthy smoothies and Aloe Vera plants while giving clean water to over 10 people for life!
These three projects and more have made GAAQ a certified Eco-School and brought us a thousand steps forward to solving the most complex problems climate change poses. These sustainable projects leave a legacy of innovation, tenacity, purpose, leadership, and respect for our Earth for future generations. “
Third Place, Winner of QAR 1,000
DPS Modern Indian School – The 3Rs: A Paper Initiative
The 3Rs: A Paper Initiative Project Video
Project Description:
“There is no ‘plan B’ because we do not have a ‘planet B’. Our project the 3Rs – a paper initiative, focuses on every aspect as to how the concept of recycling, reusing, and reducing paper or wastes can be brought to the limelight and normalized within our society and industries. Our four initiatives included Reducing paper consumption by creating a book exchange platform in our school where children of every grade can find resources and books, as well as donate to others in need, Recycling paper by installing an extra wastebasket in every classroom, and differentiating them between bio-degradable and non-biodegradable wastes after which the non-biodegradable wastes will be sent for recycling to our school itself or various companies. The ‘green’ wastes will be used in compost pits, which leads us to our third initiative which is to reuse paper by creating compost pits where the wastes collected from the non-biodegradable wastebaskets will be sent.
We also conducted workshops and recruited professionals from all around the world to educate learners and create awareness about various issues regarding a plethora of SDGs including SDG 3, Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 12 Responsible consumption, and various others. Conducting the workshops was a huge success and it helped us gain perspective on how children of our generation respond to the on-going issues in the global spectrum regarding climate change, mental health, and quality education and how they can actively contribute towards these issues and our society. Our main goal was to encourage every single person out there to take simple steps up the ladder in order to conserve the planet we live in. We not only want the youth to take these steps, but to also encourage everyone around them to normalize the 3Rs initiative. Our aim is for people to contribute to our planet with a blindfold on and want to normalize this initiative in every single society we come across. As a team, we believe that if every single individual out there follows these simple steps that have a huge impact, we surely won’t need a Plan B.”