My Baby Compost – IFMSA-Panama

Name of the activity: My Baby Compost

Country/NMO: IFMSA-Panama

Program: Environment and Health

Contact information: contact [email protected] to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: Continuous Activity

Category: Campaign

Focus area: Health Sustainability and Green Hospitals, Food Production and Security

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action)

Problem statement:

Studies, both worldwide and Latin America-focused, estimate organic materials represent 40 to 60% of waste found in dumps. The anaerobic manner of decomposition in such sites releases high levels of methane, sulfur and ammonia, harmful gases for the air quality, atmosphere, and ozone layer, carrying an impact over health. Composting allows organic waste to decompose aerobically, reducing harmful gases and their impact. Plus, the organic byproduct can be utilized nourishment for soils.

Target groups:

• General population
• Medical students
• Healthcare Students

Beneficiaries:

• General population
• Medical students
• Healthcare Students

Objectives:

1- Educate participants on the proper management of home organic residues in a responsible and long-term manner by providing webinars with topical experts over an 11-week period.

2- Increase the awareness on the difference between an aerobic and anaerobic process amongst attendees by detailed explanations on the importance of it during the 11-week period.

3- Create an eco-sustainable culture in the participants’ homes by promoting growing their own food and the use of the fertilizing products in food and gardens, through Ig challenges and the activity’s log, over the duration of the activity.

4- Establish external connections with ecological influencers/associations that work in the fields of fertilizer, orchards, and proper earth/soil care, all of whom will help throughout the activity as lecturers, tutors and guests over the 11-weeks period.

Indicators of Success:

Objective 1:

Indicator: Count with at least 3 participants from each university member of IFMSA, in

any mode of attending.

Indicator: Have at least 15 people attend in-person.

Indicator: Have at least 50% of in-person participants attend all 3 meetings, 65% attend

2, and a minimum of 75% attend 1 meeting.

Objective 2:

Indicator: Minimum of 50% of all participants attending all webinars.

Indicator: Get answers from at least 50% of participants on different surveys provided

via Telegram.

Objective 3:

Indicator: Participants, both virtual and in-person, creating their compost/fertilizer in an

affordable manner with household materials (affordable being less than $ 10.00 spent)

Objective 4:

Indicator: Have a future collaboration with at least 1 external agent involved in the

activity.

Methodology:

This will be a hybrid activity, with participants being 50% in-person and 50% virtual, the latter being open to international participation as well as nation-wide. A new Instagram account (@scoghgarden.pa) and a Telegram group will be created. Finally, participants will be provided with a weekly log so they can register their progress.

The activity will span 11 weeks, over which the following will be executed:

– 3 Green Meetups (In-Person only)

– 32 Social Media posts (Including tips, tutorials, infographics, recordings, etc)

– Webinars with experts

– Log Revisions

An extensive and detailed chronogram of the activity will be made available for participants before or during the first week.

Most active participants will receive awards from our externals at the end of the 11 weeks (3 in-person and 1 virtual)

Plans for evaluation:

Monitoring: Participation in the Telegram group and on Instagram through the challenges posted on stories. Assistance to in-person meetings (in-person participants only) and assistance to webinars from all participants.

Evaluation will happen through weekly reports on their composts via the log, and participation on Telegram and Instagram.

Throughout the 11 weeks, participants will also be evaluated using a knowledge rubric, habits tracker, reducing of generated waste  and photos shared during the activity.

In the final week, a form will be sent to participants where they will grade their experience, if they would participate again, and whether or not they will keep making compost at home. They will also evaluate and comment on the total cost, and we will evaluate their gained knowledge on the decomposition process (both aerobic and anaerobic) and grade the logistics and coordination behind the activity.

External collaborations:

– Leafsinc (local NGO) (ig: @leafsinc)

– Andrea Montalván (Medical student with topical expirience) (ig: @casa.alocasia) 

– ‘El Huerto de Lety’ (ig: @elhuertodelety)

– ‘Somos Vivo’ ( ig: @somosvivo)

– ‘Más Compost menos basura’( ig: @mascompotmenosbasura)

– ‘Hagamos composta’ (ig: @hagamos_composta)

All of the above will lend their experience to participants through Instagram posts, webinars, participation in the green meetups and giveaways.