Today, our separated groups (education, infrastructure, and behavioural change) brainstormed 3 possible ideas that we could implement in the Zuarinagar community. The infrastructure group was tasked with developing various system designs that could be adapted by the community and practiced, the education group would create a program that could be used by Magic Bus. The behavioural change group would create ways of messaging that would promote health education, a sense of ownership and other knowledge surrounding waste management.
After we developed our ideas through the ideation process, we travelled to the community and presented them to the people who lived there. It was a small group that consisted of women, children, men and elders. Children were coming and going out of curiosity, women left to go back to their homes to return to their work, and the men and elders gave us insightful feedback.
The garbage and infrastructure group presented possible systems designs that could be implemented into the community and many questions were posed by community members. They were concerned that no one would volunteer or take turns to monitor the waste or pick it up from households, if it was a paid position it may not generate enough income, and people would not be interested in paying a fee for these services.
The messaging for behavioural change presented two ideas to the community. The first was a Kollam or Rangoli design that would be a symbol for cleanliness that could be placed at entry points to the community. The other option would prevent the children from jumping over the trench that surrounds their play space by creating a simple bridge with concrete blocks; this bridge would have messaging and symbolism that would promote cleanliness in the community. The community members enjoyed both of these ideas, and the group thought that a combination of the two could be appropriate.
Lastly our class assisted the education group in conducting a Magic Bus session. The created a few games and we helped them organize the children into groups and clarify instructions. The practice session was successful in the groups process; they discovered what games would work best, how to simplify them, and make them relatable to education surrounding waste management.
Continuous online research was done to answer the questions and concerns the community had for the infrastructure group. The group contacted Green Goa Works, a local organization that tackles waste management in Goa to gain more insight, and possibly pair up the organization with the Zuarinagar community. Clinton Vaz was a member of the Green Goa Works, and recently started another organization titled vRecycle. There is a lack of infrastructure that supports waste management, and the government does not fund it. Clinton explained how his organization works, and vRecycle promises to help people manage their waste once they begin recycling and separating their garbage at the source. They discovered that 10% of waste is non-recyclable and is used as a fuel for cement kilns. The insight that the infrastructure group has gained from the community, and Clinton will help them further develop their system of waste management in the community.
Today we gathered a lot of information and inspiration that would bring us closer to our Friday deadline. We have learned so much in the past two days since altering our group project, and we have made a lot of headway, but there is still a lot that needs to be done. We are all excited to see what we will bring to the community!

Kersti Nurka and Natassja Addeo

Today, our first assignment was due. We each wrote about our first impressions and expectations that we had after we experienced a week of Indian culture. Some of us finished early and packed our suitcases at a leisurely pace for our weekend trip to Hampi, while the others finished their essays right on time an packed frantically. We would begin our trek to Hampi at 12 PM and it would take us 8 long hours to drive there. We journeyed through lush mountainous regions, winding, bumpy roads, and layered plateaued fields. We craned our necks to get the best view possible of the changing landscape. During our bus ride to Hampi we made a stop to an abandoned structure where we took photos, and to stretch our legs. It was unkempt and overflowing with greenery. On our way to Hampi we also saw some monkeys while we drove through a wildlife sanctuary.
We arrived at the Orchid hotel by 8 PM. Although we had air conditioning in the bus over to Hampi, we were relieved to sleep in air conditioned rooms with sheets and comforters. We briefly freshened up, oo-ed and ahhh-ed over our rooms and toilets and met for dinner. Many of us returned to eating Indian cuisine while others tried out different dishes. We retrieved to our rooms as quickly as possible to recover from a long day and start fresh tomorrow. We’re excited to see what Hampi has in store for us!