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How help reduce plastic in plastic cutlery
I choose to work on waste management and trash. So I made edible cutlery to help prevent more plastic from being produced. I followed 3 recipes. I made 3 spoons. The first one was out of cookie dough, the second one was made out of granola, and lastly, the third one was made out of dough. When cooking the cookie dough spoon in the oven it became a burnt brown color. it baked for about 25-30 minutes in the oven. When this was taken out and chilled I was ready to take it out of its mold. When this happened it immediately broke. I made another one and it broke as well. The second spoon I made was...
Discrimination and how it hinders development
Many advancements have been made in the 21st century. Arguably, the most revolutionary one of these inventions is the internet—the internet revolutionized the way we go about our businesses and also opened up a portal for people all over the world to connect from right where they are. The internet has done many wonderful things, one of them being shining a light on what is arguably the biggest issue that faces the human race – discrimination. Discrimination is the “treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favour of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or...
Particulates in the atmosphere are increasing. What can we do about it?
Atmospheric particulate matter (APM), also referred to as particulate matter or particulates, is the sum of all particles, liquids and solids suspended in the air. To refer to the mixture of particulates and air, the term aerosol is used. An example of these particulates includes gaseous contaminants, smoke, smog, dust, pollen, mould spores, viruses and bacteria. PARTICULATES IN KENYA'S ATMOSPHERE A study performed by J. Karue, A.M. Kinyua and L. Njau in 1990-1991 in conjunction with University of Nairobi, the Centre for Nuclear Science Techniques, the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the...
Human dignity and freedom in a multi-cultural, multi-religious world
The current world population stands at approximately seven billion and a half billion, with more than 5000 different ethnic groups and 4200 different religions. Suffice it to say that human population is very diverse. Some call it a "melting pot", others a "cultural mosaic", "salad bowl", and even "kaleidoscope". However, many people fight over their differences in culture and religion instead of celebrating these differences, and culture and religion are often used in nefarious ways to drive forward white supremacy, sexism/misogyny, and terrorism, amongst others. Historically, in most...
Dear Women of #GenerationEquality
A letter to all girls and women. This is for women who inspire. This is for women who have had a heartbreaking past but get up everyday to conquer their dreams. This is for women who have been through all kinds of Gender based violence, be it physical or emotional, but smile with stardust in their eyes, this is for women who deserve better. This is for women who were rejected, shamed, and disrespected by the society. This is for women who love deeply, who hold on tight to people they love and their children, this is for women who have been through hell, but have shown immense courage. This is...
Fast Fashion: The Fad that Failed
Technology has played the largest role in the rise of fast fashion. Social media rules the fashion industry- with the youth turning to the likes of Snapchat and Instagram models for clothing tips, advice and inspiration. This means that now, clothing choices are more versatile than ever- instead of waiting for Vogue’s seasonal magazine debating new trends, one negative post from a social media star is enough to completely turn the tides against a company. The Ellen Macarthur foundation has estimated that the amount of clothes produced has doubled over the last 15 years. It is important to...
International Women's Day 2020: What empowerment should actually mean
You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. ~ Maya Angelou (Still I rise) Yes! You can rise above everything, and fulfill your goals, especially if you are a woman! In a society that’s mostly hegemonized by men, a woman’s true potential is often underemphasized, at times to the extent of looking down upon it. The need for her education and enlightenment was considered outlandish until about six decades ago, and is regretfully so in many places around the world even till now. However, despite all the...
Powerful or powerless? A girl's success is inevitable
Disability is not Inability
Growing up with eco-anxiety
What do children and teenagers worry about? A lot of things, really: homework, peer pressure, body image, career, problems at school, family tensions, not to mention their own mental health. But recently, another stress factor has crept on this already long list of concerns, and its influence can be just as major: eco-anxiety. Eco-anxiety is not an old term and it’s definitely not something that previous generations have experienced. The term was barely coined in 2017, when the American Psychological Association first defined it as “a chronic fear of environmental doom.” According to the U.N...
Girls in ICT: Don't be afraid to pursue technical courses
The Real Cost of Fashion
The term “fast fashion” has recently become a popular turn of phrase used to represent cheap, trendy clothing from retailers such as H&M and Zara. On the surface, fast fashion may seem like a technological innovation - the constant designing and manufacturing of new styles for such low prices seems almost revolutionary. Hidden behind these low prices, however, are high environmental and ethical costs that may make you rethink your next clothing purchase. Environmental Impact The havoc fast fashion has wreaked on the environment has been extensive. In terms of clothing production, fast fashion...
Child labour: Children who are meant to be seen and not heard
Child labour is any work that harms a child mentally, physically and socially; it is a common malpractice in several countries. One widespread form of child labour is the domestic child labour which is invisible to people. There are numerous harmful consequences associated with child labour, such as health problems or absenteeism at school. Recently, I came across the article "Harvest is in my blood" which gives an insight on how children are being deprived from their fundamental rights in Indonesia: the right to education. The tobacco industry is one of the largest industry in Indonesia and...
More than only honey
Youth Activism: We Are on a Mission to End Period Poverty
In 2019, the documentary Period. End of Sentence won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short, which revealed the reality of period poverty and stigma in India. Inspired by the film, we dove into our own research of period poverty, which is the lack of access to feminine hygiene products, like pads, tampons, and menstrual cups. Period poverty is a reality for many women across the globe. According to a survey by Plan International UK, one in seven girls aged 14-21 have struggled to afford menstrual products. Period poverty interferes with a girl's education, a survey conducted by the company Always...
Climate change is happening. And it's caused by humans
Climate change is happening In recent decades, the climate has undergone major changes. The earth has become considerably warmer and we have had to face extremer weathers. This has raised the question of what the cause of this phenomenon may be. Many researchers speculate that the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is anthropogenically caused. However, there are scholars who claim that climate change is not due to man with the argument that global warming is entirely natural. This, however, is false. The climate change that we are currently experiencing is predominantly generated...
The New Crisis: Locust Swarms in East Africa
Several governments in East Africa have declared that new locust infestation as a state of emergency. The UN warns of potential food crises in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. These desert locusts eat everything that comes into their path, consuming the crops farmed by local people. This year's locust breeding is on an alarmingly bigger scale than previous years. Locusts breed rapidly, but only when the conditions are right, so their population is controlled. Unfortunately, climate change has produced excessive havens of perfect conditions for their breeding. After months of...
Is there a future for the world's children?
Despite dramatic improvements in survival, nutrition, and education over recent decades, children like 12-year old Ridhima Pandey, from India, face an uncertain future. “The first time I heard about climate change and global warming was in 2013,” Pandey said. “There was a flash flood that occurred in my home state of Uttarakhand and when that happened, there was a huge destruction. The water level of the Ganges was dangerously high. Every single house was destroyed, land was destroyed and many animals and people died.” Climate change, a phenomenon mostly caused by rising greenhouse gas...
GO GREEN OR GO HOME, STOP AIR POLLUTION NOW!
Hi, I’m Michael Day, and I’m here to tell you about my research project. Me and my group created some milk carton squares with vaseline on it to check the air qualities at our homes. Each of us hung it in a certain location. I hung my set of squares in my backyard, pool, gate of my house, balcony and bedroom window. I knew each of them would completely change color, from the trucks and cars that pass by my house every morning. Like I said, we decided to measure the air quality because the problem was, my country Haiti is…. A bit dirty. So, we decided to check air quality to see if it is good...