Hosted by SALL , contributed by FannyS on 4 February 2023
The project “keeping the city clean from feces” is dealing with the importance of raising awareness and enhancing dog owner’s responsibility to pick their dog’s feces in public spaces.
Background
The issue that we focus on is dog’s feces that’s scattered in the public spaces of Tirat Carmel. Unfortunately, most of the dog owners don’t pick up their dog’s feces after them. This behavior causes both an environmental and sanitary nuisance that hurts all. The project “keeping the city clean from feces” is dealing with behavioral and cognitive change of the dog owners community.
Link to the video : https://youtube.com/shorts/k3rUsA-Pss4
Aim
The goal of the project is to raise awareness and develop responsibility among dog owners to pick their dog’s feces in the public space, as well as creating a community ecosystem while cooperating with other community representatives, the municipality of Tirat Carmel and the students.
The solution that we offer consists of creating a community ecosystem that includes the dog owners. By branding various products with the slogan “ pick me up” we harness the citizens to take responsibility over their dog’s feces. The branded products are a reminder to dog owners to perform a simple task and pick their dog’s feces.
Likewise, we will open a web page, organize a few rounds of explanations to the community, arrange an exposure day, publish short videos online, use the city’s billboards to advertise the project and branding feces collection facilities throughout the park.
Co-creation with societal actors
Edna Birenboim - Social community activist , public representative in the environmental quality committee.
Avraham Arzi - Social community activist.
Irma Aloashvilli - Director of the mayor's office.
DR. Yariv Sagie - Strategic consultant in the community relations department of the city of Tirat Carmel.
Hagit Liberman - Department manager of the Community Relations Division.
Oleg and Slava Baninson - Owners of the “Pet Choice” store - a pet shop ( sponsors of the event).
Or Tzuban - Entrepreneur in the field of software and an activist in the city.
Eti Haiman - Manager of the community's garden.
Phase 1:
12\12\22 and 2\1\23 - zoom meetings with Phd. Yariv Sagie and Hagit liberman. The meeting focused on the essence of the project.
Phase 2:
9\1\23 - Face to face meeting at the community relations department. The participants in the meeting were: Adi Berkovitz, Fanny Shalev, Phd. Yariv Sagie, Irma Aloashvilli and Hagit Liberman. The discussion revolved around the municipal waste and creating a guest list to the “round tables” meeting.
Phase 3:
11\1\23 “round tables” meeting at the “Kakika” center in order to find an environmental nuisance in the city. The participants in the meeting were: students that take part in the project, Adi Berkovitz, Fanny Shalev, Phd. Yariv Sagie, Irma Aloashvilli and Hagit Liberman, other community activists that have an interest in the project, business partners, entrepreneurs from the “Kalika” center, residents and volunteers.
Phase 4:
16\1\23 - Our project’s focus on dog’s feces has been chosen from a list that includes various environmental issues. The participants in the meeting were: students that take part in the project, Adi Berkovitz, Fanny Shalev, Phd. Yariv Sagie, Irma Aloashvilli and Hagit Liberman, other community activists that have an interest in the project, business partners, entrepreneurs from the “Kalika” center, residents and volunteers.
Phase 5:
24\1\23 - Presenting the project in the “hackathon for women entrepreneurs of the community”. The participants were 170 women from the city of Tirat Carmel, mentors, the city’s mayor and others.
Phase 6:
25\1\23 - A business meeting with potential partners that was held in “Eshcol Pais” in “Shifman” school. The meeting dealt with branding the project and how to advertise it. The participants in the meeting were: students that take part in the project, Adi Berkovitz, Fanny Shalev, Phd. Yariv Sagie, Irma Aloashvilli and Hagit Liberman, other community activists that have an interest in the project, business partners, entrepreneurs from the “Kalika” center, residents and volunteers.
Phase 7:
1\2\23 - A face to face meeting - A business meeting with “pet choice” pet shop partners , residents from Tirat Carmel, Adi Berkovitz and Hagit Liberman. In the meeting we planned a solution that will combine the day of awareness with branding dog’s products.
Implementation
Our project focus was chosen from the variety of ideas on the subject of picking garbage. Our project is dealing with the issue of dog’s feces in the public spaces of the city Tirat Carmel. A few meetings were held with several factors in the community. In the meetings we discussed the solutions to the issue.
The aim of the project: strengthening the awareness of picking dog’s feces.
Cooperation with potential partners: businessmen, vets, nutritionists, god owners, the community, schools, Community relations department in the municipality, Director of the Mayor's Office and Director of the Community Relations Department.
Plans for the project: A business plan of pet shop owners - branding dog’s products.
Web page characterization : municipal outreach, exposure day to the project and a video.
Branding characterization : billboards in the public park, using the city’s billboards for advertising and distribution of special stands with small bags to pick dog’s feces.
Reflection
As the accompanier teacher of the project, the students absorbed values of environmental awareness, personal responsibility, teamwork and taking part in activities that are held as well as aspiration for promoting the idea.
The students observed themselves during the project: “ The project helped us to evolve, gain responsibility and to understand that we are in a meaningful process of changing our behavior in order to keep the environment clean.”
Futurel Plans
Plans for the future - April 2023: A special event for raising awareness for keeping the city clean from dog’s feces. On this day a special parade will begin from the city center and will end at the dog’s park. Dog owners, children and residents will join the parade. At the beginning of the parade at the city center the participants will get a voucher that they can use at the end of the parade. At the park there will be two Ted talks - one by a vet and one by a dog nutritionist, as well as distribution of merchandise with the slogan “ pick me up”.
