015: Founder of AYWA tribe, Randi Stephan
In this episode, we talk to Randi Stephan. He is the founder of AYWA tribe a community of like-minded spirits creating new ways for people to connect sustainable.
During this episode, we take a look at what it takes to put together a sustainable festival for like-minded environmentally conscious people. Where participants will be encouraged to use a refillable water bottle and to reduce their waste to have a minimal effect on the environment.
Episode Highlights
[01:11] How did your journey in sustainability start?
[02:33] AYWA festival is the first time that me and my community, Aywa Tribe try and create our own understanding, our own vision of such an alternative gathering.
[02:43] Aywa in Arabic means to empower, means bravo.
[03:12] I think that Aywa is such a crucial aspect for all of us to continue sharing and empowering each other to move forward.
[04:54] The mission of the festival.
[06:36] What you can see and expect at the festival.
[07:57] In the collective vision stage one of the most exciting workshops we have is with one of my partners, Nizar Haddad, a green architect in Lebanon whose just about to finish the first fully sustainable building, called Lifehaus.
[08:47] How Aywa will be reducing the waste generated at the event.
[10:13] In Aywa festival we are providing free water for all.
[11:26] In many situations where I was using my personal reusable bottle I would look for gallons or a place where I could refill and so in a very cool way it would help create new connections, new friends, by looking for water sources and really there is nothing more special than to ask another human being for water and not ones have I been deterred or turned away.
[12:25] Aywa festival is from the 19th till the 24th of September 2018.
[12:41] What has been one of your most important decisions that you have made around mama earth?
Final Five
1.What is one social media platform that you follow?
2.What is your hope for mama earth going forward?
My hope is that each and every day more and more people take that step, take that decision to move in an alternative direction and that we can really achieve a healthy abundant, vibrant Mama Earth for years to come.
3.What advise can you give our crazy birds this week to help out mama earth?
The best advice that I would give, if you haven’t already get online, look around. Look for a festival. Look for a gathering, look for a workshop and just get involved any way that you can.
4.What is one sustainability fact that you like to use in a room with people not yet on a sustainability journey?
The fact that most of our garbage, our waste if used in creative ways could become either homes or new material or art and that is a known fact that many people tend to forget. They just see a can and they are like, oh this gotta go to the garbage.
5.Where can people find you?
Key Take Away
“In many situations where I was using my personal reusable bottle I would look for gallons or a place where I could refill and so in a very cool way it would help create new connections, new friends, by looking for water sources and really there is nothing more special than to ask another human being for water and not ones have I been deterred or turned away.”
It is wonderful to see how we would be able to use something like filling a water bottle as an opportunity to meet new people and to allow them to assist us in fullfilling one of our basic needs. Sometimes we might feel shy or imbarresed to ask for a location to fill our water bottle and feel that it would be easier to just purchase the single-use plastic bottlle but try it out. When you are on your next trip ask around to get your bottle filled, when you are dinning out ask to have your bottle filled, you never know, you might start a wonderful conversation that leads to the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
About the author, Mariska
Hi and welcome! My name is Mariska. I am originally from South Africa, but now call the world my home. I am an artist, designer, environmentalist, podcast host and speaker.
I started the Mama Earth Talk podcast in 2018 to share some of the things that I learned about just how easy it can be to reduce your impact on the environment. This then quickly grew into a forum that showcases the amazing things that many people are doing to make the planet better, and further into a source of hope and inspiration for many. A few of the amazing guests include Zero Waste Queen, Bea Johnson, Claude Silver, Kathryn Kellogg and zero waste chef Max La Manna.
If you do not already I urge you to follow me and my journey on social media (@designbymariska), and to refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and rot your own waste using the handy tips I post!