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Archive for December, 2013

MyKindaCrowd Joins the Toilet Revolution

By ucessjb, on 10 December 2013

This week’s guest blog post comes from Georgie Court of MyKindaCrowd (georgina@mykindacrowd.com).

Here at MyKindaCrowd, we are currently running an amazing challenge with the great charity WaterAid! The challenge is for young people between the ages of 12- 18 to design an environmentally friendly toilet. The challenge focuses mostly around supporting innovative and different approaches and whilst they might not all be realistic, the challenge’s main purpose is to engage with young people on sanitation in a creative and fun way.

Too often the wild and wacky ideas of those without degrees and qualifications can get overlooked and here at MyKindaCrowd we aim to change this. We look to support the younger generation in interacting with worldwide issues such as sanitation and the environment on a level that is and suitable to all ages and backgrounds.

soilet - CopyAfter receiving many submissions for the MyKindaCrowd toilet challenge, we picked 5 very different designs to join us in showcasing some ideas at the UCLoo closing event on Tuesday the 3rd December.  Our 5 students all turned up with designs in hand – ready to discuss and boast about their thoughts and suggestions, to those attending the afternoon event.

Matthew worked very hard on his design that focused mainly around a toilet design suitable for third world country’s, which uses dirty toilet water to feed local crops and fields. Other favourite designs include the Doctor Who themed ‘Turdis’, and the compost based ‘Soilet’.

The event was great for many reasons; firstly the students who attended were encouraged by listening to inspirational speakers, they got the opportunity to speak to professional toilet enthusiasts (we didn’t even realize that was a thing before the event!), they witnessed alternative toilets options come to life in the ‘make-a-thon’ and most importantly, they were given the chance to be loud and proud about their own toilet thoughts.

girls - Copy

We felt that it was important for these students to attend the afternoon event because whilst environmental issues are everywhere, we appreciate that sometimes it can be easy with the hussle and bussle of growing – up for young people to forget about the importance for recycling, looking after the planet and generally living a green life. However, MyKindaCrowd want to constantly provide young people with a platform to connect to the world around them by inviting them to events like this and giving them opportunities to speak to those educated in different field’s and on a range of topics.

MyKindaCrowd aim to play a key role in inspiring a generation to think enterprisingly and innovatively with a whole range of issues and the environment is one of them. After all, the world needs a new toilet, and we have a responsibly to support different ideas and introduce new fresh people into the working world. Together we can do this. Young people, great ideas, education, a need for change, people that want to make the change. This can happen.

Long live the global toilet revolution and all those involved! You heard it here first, MyKindaCrowd and UCLoo, together making the world a cleaner, dryer, more toilet and environmentally friendly place. Watch this space!

toilets - Copy