Inspiring Sustainability
~Kristina Jovanovic
South Africa
What is your organization you are working on/with?
The name of my organization is Khuthaza Foundation. I will provide our mission statement: Khuthaza means to inspire. For us, that means inspiring change: changing the way people think about sustainability, pursuing a zero-waste future.
What was your Inspiration?
Going to the One Young World conference last year in October allowed me the opportunity to meet amazing people interested in the same issues as me that we as a society face today: plastic pollution, environmental sustainability, and responsible production and consumption. As a result, I was able to form an NPO with the very same people.
Tell us more about how you met your co-founders at One Young World:
The attendees of the conference from the Southern Africa region all met on a WhatsApp group. During the conference, someone expressed an interest in starting some sustainability projects back in SA after listening to a presentation about the state of the environment. We met in the agreed-upon spot after that presentation and formed a group thereafter. A few weeks into it, we had a few people fall away, to be left with our four co-founders 😊
What challenges have you faced?
Getting the required focus time. We have achieved quite a bit in a short time, but ideally, I’d like to be able to dedicate more time to this organization. When you have a full-time job on top of that, it can be challenging.
What you have found to be your best resources?
Tapping into networks established over the last few months of involvement in this space. The community-fighting plastic pollution is constantly growing, so having their support is invaluable.
What advice do you have for your peers?
Don’t try to change the world overnight — it is a process. Do a little bit each day.
Do you have any future projects or ideas?
Complete a project involving eco-bricks where we are collaborating with another organization. Further than that, we hope to expand to other projects.