Students: Christa Maria Bou Raad, Rita Abdel Nour, Lea Kanbar, and Bachar Chhadeh
Qatar Scholarship, EAA Programme at American University of Beirut

Campus surrounding clean-up

“Cleaning Surroundings, Healing Hearts” is a cleanup campaign launched by passionate Qatar EAA Scholars Christa Maria Bou Raad, Rita Abdel Nour, Lea Kanbar, and Bachar Chhadeh from the American
University of Beirut Hand in hand, we are aiming to transfer Bliss Street, AUB, and the surrounding area of AUB Medical Center into a clean and zero-waste environment for students, staff, and patients. 

“To start with, we are going to create a poster that announces our activity and calls for volunteers. We are proudly collaborating with AUB’s Social Work Club, to facilitate the process of gathering volunteers. Our activity aims to maintain Hamra's cleanliness and minimise its environmental impact by cleaning up waste and collecting recyclable items and collecting recyclable items from Bliss Street’s restaurants. It is important to mention that  participants and volunteers will be sorting and separating the types of waste to streamline the recycling process . 

“Our mission does not end here; we are excited to collaborate with “Yalla Return”, an innovative recycling application, that enables the proper collection and transportation of recyclable items. Yalla Return will buy the waste gathered, deliver it to their recycling centre, and transform it to new products. By selling recyclable waste, we seek to raise funds for the cost of pharmaceuticals for those undergoing kidney dialysis therapy. 

“This project is in line with our objective of building a better community, both for the environment and for those dealing with health issues. Everyone is welcome to join, whether you are a student, a member of the community, or someone who cares about the environment and health.”
 

Students: Ghina Sweidan and Hanan Zwaihed
Qatar Scholarship, EAA Programme at American University of Beirut

Awareness campaign about river water pollution

“Future generations deserve to have access to good quality water. Two billion people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water and half of the world’s population are facing water scarcity. In light of this and starting from Hasbani and Litany (Qasmiyeh) rivers as examples of millions of similar cases around the world, we’ll be raising voices to start action in this matter. 

“The availability of fresh water is decreasing and threatening food supplies due to agricultural difficulties. This is partly because 70% of the water goes to agricultural uses. The main cause behind this problem is Climate Change: rising temperatures are leading to droughts and domestic wastewater is damaging the quality of our rivers, which affects the availability and supply of clean water. 

“In our video we'll be showcasing the archive of past footage of clean water, fishing, and how people formerly enjoyed water. This will be portrayed in contrast to today, when water is contaminated with sewage and waste that leads to the loss of fish in the rivers. By showing this, we'll be emphasising the responsibility that we as youth have today to help  restore the quality of water  to what it once was. 

“Our main goal is to create behavioural change by educating people, businesses, and community leaders about river water pollution. We want to encourage community programmes to engage local people in tackling this problem, and build a safer and greener future for the next generations.”
 

Students: Nina El benni, Mary Fadlallah, Mohamad Abdel Hak, Zeina Chamseddine, Mohamad Hani Alaw
Qatar Scholarship, EAA Programme at American University of Beirut

Awareness campaign on waste management

“The activity  aims to tackle waste management through workshops for children and youth on how to turn food waste into compost and on how to recycle paper at home through easy, feasible, and cheap methods. In addition, posters will be  put up around AUB campus to  educate people on how to transform food waste into compost as well as recycling paper and discarded books.”

“We are a passionate group of five AUB students, inspired by the Education Above All Foundation and the Qatar Scholarship. Join us on this sustainability journey as we take on waste management challenges and strive for a greener future at AUB and beyond.

“Together, we'll share eco-friendly tips, innovative waste solutions, and sustainable living ideas. Let's make a positive impact on our environment and create a cleaner, healthier campus.

“Follow us and be part of the change!”

Student: Ahmad Sarieh
Qatar Scholarship, EAA Programme at American University of Beirut

Awareness on the energy consumption of cloud computing services

“My goal behind this campaign is to explain the effects of cloud computing on the environment. People are rarely aware of the impact of cloud computing services and data centres on the environment, and it is important to show them what they can do to minimise their environmental impact."

Student: Sary Wehbe
Qatar Scholarship, EAA Programme at American University of Beirut

Awareness campaign and advocacy on organic waste management on campus/compost

“The issue I want to tackle in my activity is organic waste management. I noticed that there are no  guidelines explaining how to manage organic waste (leftover food, dead leaves, fruit, and vegetable peels) on our campus. This deficiency was my inspiration for this activity. Not only does the compost aid make use of organic waste, but it can also be used as fertiliser for tree planting and to improve plant growth.
“I plan to make posters to raise awareness about this important issue and to encourage students to place their leftover food in the Compost Aid bins on campus instead of throwing food away. All leftover food from the cafeteria or dead leaves from campus can be put inside the bins, and after they are composed, we will use the rich soil to plant trees on campus as well.”

Student: Aya Khalaf
Qatar Scholarship, EAA Programme at American University of Beirut

Presentation on wastewater management

“My activity sheds light on the issue of poor sewage and wastewater management and its contribution to disease transmission. In addition to that, my activity also focuses on issues with electricity and energy generation and consumption whilst offering an initiative or model that can provide energy by using waste and sewage to produce a biofuel (hydrochar) that can act as an alternative fuel. This model depends on a process called Hydrothermal Carbonization and it relies mainly on heat and pressure, working in the same way as a water heater used in showers.

“Overall, my activity’s purpose is to raise awareness on several environmental issues, followed by an affordable yet practical resolution.”

Students: Roaa Ali, Rayyan Kilani
Qatar Scholarship, EAA Programme at American University of Beirut

Awareness and advocacy campaign on the use of disposable plastic bottles on campus and eco-friendly alternatives

“The primary objective of this endeavour is to promote a significant reduction in the use of plastic bottles. Despite the free water refilling stations at AUB, the presence of plastic bottles in vending machines raises pertinent questions. This project aims to address this concern while also tackling other waste management challenges prevalent at AUB. Specifically, although recycling bins are already in place, their correct use remains limited. As such, our campaign aims  to raise awareness regarding the resources available at AUB that facilitate waste reduction and recycling efforts.”