3 SDG 2 Zero Hunger – City Shamba

Individual Reflections

Marcelina: The Aim2Flourish experience has been enriching. It is incredible how we brought together individuals from all over the world and learned about various innovations. Each group member brought an exciting idea to the table, and overall, I strengthened my understanding of the UN Global Goals. My favorite part was learning about the CEO behind the hydroponics innovation. His motivation for getting involved in this innovation was very moving, and it was inspiring to see how this individual found success despite many hardships.
Over these past few weeks, I have experienced much academic growth. Working with individuals from other time zones with different environments and customs was so refreshing. It was so interesting to explore everyone’s point of view and work together as a team to produce a poster and a formal report. As a group, we have been very successful and are proud of the content and quality of the assignments submitted. Our journey in the form of the Aim2Flourish story will be an intriguing read. As a future business owner, I will be able to reflect on this experience positively and perhaps use one of the UN Global Goals as a foundation for my mission statement.

Luis: Participating in a joint project about City Shamba innovation was a transformative experience that allowed me to develop diverse strengths and skills. Working closely with people from Canada and Africa has enriched my human understanding and deepened my different perspectives and ways of working. Taking Zoom meetings improved my communication skills and my ability to adapt to a virtual workspace. Cross-cultural cooperation brought issues such as errors due to time zones and cultural differences. Nevertheless, such challenges were also opportunities for growing as a team. This is because overcoming them requires improved organizational and interpersonal skills.
This experience has enhanced my ability to navigate and excel in an increasingly global work environment. City Shamba continues to inspire the company’s drive for innovation.
The company’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and related solutions at the margin broadened my perspective on environmental issues and innovative practices. Learning about hydroponics and sustainable farming methods deepened my understanding of how businesses can positively contribute to the planet. Finally, this collaboration provided a platform for professional development and a deeper understanding of global work and innovation. Lessons learned will undoubtedly inform future efforts emphasizing the value of diversity, adaptability, and sustainable practices in the world of work.

Santiago: Participating in a collaborative initiative centered around City Shamba innovation was genuinely transformative, giving me opportunities to learn more about international teamwork and flexibility skills. Working with individuals from Canada and Africa enriched my understanding of human dynamics and expanded my worldview. The Zoom calls forced me to get flexible according to other nationalities. Overcoming challenges arising from cross-cultural collaboration was essential and played a substantial role in team and individual growth. The company’s mission towards sustainable agriculture broadened my awareness of environmental issues and introduced me to modern practices working on environmental issues. Hydroponics and sustainable farming deepened my understanding of how engineering and farming can be combined to better the environment. City Shamba is committed to innovative solutions and has taught me a lot about how a company must be flexible to solve environmental issues. I will always remember the connections I have made in this experience.

Shelby: Participating in the City Shamba project has been an experience that has helped me develop many valuable skills I will take with me moving forward in my education and future workplaces. Working with other students from Spain and Kenya has helped me improve my communication and adaptability skills. Working in a virtual environment, through Zoom calls and a group chat, and not seeing each other made it even more important to keep on top of our work and respond in the chat. Learning about a company from Kenya and the practices and initiatives they are taking to help the environment and their community was very inspiring. I have learned more about the UN goals and their importance for businesses to consider when navigating their initiatives and future projects. The most complex part of this project was managing six people’s school schedules and three different time zones to make time for us to all meet and discuss the assignment’s progress. It was also tricky when interviewing as not all of us were able to be present, and the audio for the interview was hard to hear because of background noises, but with the transcript, all questions were easily understood, and we were able to move forward with the poster and story aspects of the project. It was also hard to get a hold of some of our group members since we could only communicate with them online. So, if they were not answering our texts, we had no real idea if they were doing their part of the work or not. Trusting our group to keep up their end of the workload was important.

Gregory: The collaborative initiative was fascinating and provided an avenue to gain cross-cultural skills integral to my development and growth. From the start, the activities were accomplished through delegation, with each member tasked with accomplishing a specific deliverable. I gained sufficient insights through the interview with the CEO of City Shamba, as I got to comprehend the motivation behind the development of the company and the actual impacts it had on the residents of Nairobi. I marveled at the transformative technology of hydroponics, which is largely unknown to the locals. However, those who have embraced the innovation have testified to its effectiveness in addressing hunger and nutrition. The story was inspiring and encouraging as I seek to develop a future initiative to benefit the local and international population while aiming to achieve the SDGs. In fulfilling the subsequent deliverables, the team was focused on achieving the best, with every member participating in creating the poster and completing the story. This illustrated everyone’s willingness to help each other, resulting in achievements beyond expectations while cementing the impacts of synergy. Despite the difficulties we experienced while scheduling the weekly meetings, we could pull through with everyone sacrificing their busy schedule to ensure the task was delivered successfully. What an experience!