Reflection on Service Learning with Charity

The service-learning project that my group and I decide on was based on getting recycling bins for the school we were at. We chose this project because the school we were at struggled with maintaining the school with the little bins they had. As a group we decided to get sponsors to help us provide bins for the school. The sponsor we got is called Phambili Services, they recycle papers, tin, and plastics. The project helped us teach the learner’s and staff members the importance of keeping a clean environment and how recycling helps the world. Participating in this project was rewarding, it helped me understand the principle of recycling and community work.

With this project we were able to get the learners and staff members to become a unit to work together. We did an event where we educated the learners and teachers on how recycling, reduce and reuse works. After the event learners, instructors, and student teachers fostered relationships and shared responsibility on how they are going to go to manage the project. Leaders were picked in each classroom to maintain, control and monitor the bins and make sure that learner’s through away their waste in the correct bins.

We faced obstacles during the initiative, like dispelling misunderstandings about recycling and the idea that small acts won't make a big difference in world problems. Solving these misunderstandings needed persistence and ingenuity. To inspire people, we created interesting content and featured success stories from our neighbourhood and schools. I learnt from this experience how crucial it is to communicate effectively and to accommodate people's varying degrees of environmental awareness.

Personally, this project has been an eye opener, I got to understand how a waste can be turned into something precious. I understood how small wastes can build up into something that can cause global warming. This actually got me into a new hobby of turning my old clothes into new outfits. I also started looking for used goods, cutting back on the amount of checkers plastic I use, and encouraging friends and family to adopt sustainable lifestyles.

To sum up, the recycling effort has shown to be a priceless learning opportunity that goes beyond simple environmental awareness. Learners have benefited from this program by learning the value of recycling and waste management as well as critical thinking, cooperation, and practical skills. My engagement with the local people and my understanding of the wider effects of their actions on the environment have both improved as a result of the project.