Leave a Mark
Egypt | Monshaat Al-Maghalqa Shifters | 2023
Salaam Alaikku!
We are Monshaat Al-Maghalqa Shifters, a group of high school and university students who want to solve the problems in our village, so we can all live in a better place.
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16 - 20 years old
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The Right-Sized Problem
Our village of Monshaat Al-Maghalqa is a place filled with beautiful history at every corner. But it’s hard to see this beauty through the trash and pollution covering the streets. The village is facing a big problem with household garbage, waste from the sugar cane factory, and even smoke from burning trash that’s clouding the air.
What did we do?
Our journey to a cleaner village started with a simple, yet powerful approach: a door-to-door campaign. We visited 300 homes and talked to the families about the importance of keeping our village clean. More than making our village nice to look at, it was about our health, our crops and our future. We also handed out garbage baskets to everyone, making it easier for them to join our advocacy.
Children have the power to change the world and we wanted them to be a part of our campaign. Through interactive activities, art sessions, awareness games, and even a play, we showed the ugly impact of pollution on our forests and animals. We made sure that the kids had fun while learning about our important cause too.
We held a Sports Day, which brought the villagers together. Everyone had fun playing games, interacting with one another, and watching a special animated film that put the spotlight on why we shouldn’t litter and burn garbage.
With the partnership of the Head of the Local Unit, we made some significant changes. Through our discussion, we determined where trash bins should be placed and how many need to be created. Clean-ups were scheduled 2 days in a week so the trash won’t pile up. The City Council even donated materials like bricks and cement for building bins, and 50 new trees that would be planted–a testament to how strong this new partnership is.
Our village became colorful and vibrant, as welcome signs were restored and slogans and art were painted on public walls. We even held a friendly competition for the best-kept street! It was amazing to see the smiles on everyone’s faces, all coming together for our cause.
Campaign Impact
The change we saw during the campaign period was remarkable. More than 30 people signed up to be volunteers as soon as we posted it on Facebook. Villagers began cleaning the streets, while students began tidying up their classrooms and classrooms on their own. And the biggest impact we saw involved sugar cane factory owners who stepped up and started cleaning the areas in front of their factories! The village was definitely buzzing with a new kind of energy.
Support was given by key people in the community – from the school principal of Muhammad Wali Primary Schools, to the village mosque’s Shiekh, the mayor and his son, the Mallawi City Council and other local leaders. They all repeated our message on cleanliness, urged community members to help out the youth, and expressed wanting to contribute to future campaigns. One of the best things that happened too was how adult villagers trusted and involved the youth in making Monshaat Al-Maghalqa a better place.
This campaign showed us that there is hope for a cleaner, greener village when the entire community comes together.
Impact in Numbers
1,500 individuals reached online
761 individuals engaged in person
Leave a Mark Facebook page gained 1,100 new followers
Words from the Local Unit Head of Nawai Village
“I DIDN'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE CAPACITY OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAD NO EXPERIENCE TO DEAL WITH PUBLIC PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY A PROBLEM SUCH AS THE GARBAGE ACCUMULATION, BECAUSE IT IS A BIG PROBLEM AND WE, AS A LOCAL UNIT, ARE UNABLE WITH OUR CAPABILITIES TO CONFRONT IT. HOWEVER, THEY PROVED TO ME AND EVERYONE THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO CHANGE, PUSH AND MOTIVATE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH THEIR CONVICTIONS. THUS, THEY ARE TRULY THE LEADERS WHO DRAW THE BRIGHT FUTURE WITH THEIR OWN HANDS.”
