89 ECOBLITZ in El Salvador

Team 67 Poster

Team Reflection

The interview served as the perfect tool to get to a deeper understanding of how the company came about and all of the work they are doing today. Alejandro, the company’s operation manager, provided insight to what the mission of the company is all about and everything they expect and hope to achieve with the installation of solar panels throughout the country. He touched on a lot of points that helped the story come alive, but two stood out for us. First was the persistent desire of the company to try and bring solar energy to extremely rural communities in El Salvador. Those communities don’t have access to electrical energy because of their geographical location, but thanks to the country’s tropical climate, solar energy is the perfect solution for them to have access and be able to perform their daily activities with the use of it. Having energy means having light at night, communication, access to the Internet, access to education, all which helps the development and progress of the community and therefore the country. To make that a reality, they have developed a product, the second thing that stood out to us, that will bring that solar energy in a more practical or portative way. The constant innovation and desire to have a positive and impactful mark on El Salvador is a trait to remark of ECOBLITZ. All of this information and knowledge was acquired thanks to the interview and the great feedback Alejandro shared with us. We as a group now have a better understanding and knowledge about sustainability and the negative effect of climate change. It is becoming a necessity these days as a company to be sustainable as the world and the people living in it could be affected. We as a team are much aware that Sustainable development goals are a necessity for society to fix all the pending issues affecting the world to be a better place for every living being. We also think that not much effort is being made worldwide as only certain countries participate in sustainability, while some countries are not well equipped to practice sustainability. There is a mandate for 2030 for various organizations to achieve, many companies are trying their best to fulfil these goals while some are either participating or greenwashing which essentially means portraying information to the public about being sustainable but in reality not much is being done. We as a group chose ECOBLITZ because it is an ethical business with sustainable global practices committed to its environmental goals, responsibility and sustainability with their goal to install solar panels throughout the country and bring solar energy to rural areas. We understand that as a business in 2024 to strive you have to adopt at least one of the sustainable development goals and be ethical as people pay attention to information like this in recent years. Failure to comply could lead to social media backlash which could sometimes affect the company’s credibility and image or revenue. This group research conducted by us made it clear that so many businesses are green washing and only say the good things they do and not the bad part or over inflating the amount they contribute in terms of being sustainable or have achieved little when they set a goal for 2030. Everyone on the team experienced a good cross-cultural experience even though we are from different backgrounds and cultures. The engagement we had in terms of completing the task made the experience worthwhile. We learned together about various business practices and perspectives which was one of the most important lessons learned amongst ourselves. We never had any issues in terms of communication as we did that through zoom meetings and created an Instagram group chat to pass through important information when needed. The zoom meetings made us come together and share our ideas even though we were different in our views, but we later came together to finalize what we would like to, how it will be done and when we would like it completed before the official deadline. We all study similar or different courses but it did not change our general idea on the topic sustainability because it is a general idea that needs to be considered regardless of the area of study an individual is into. The effect of not being sustainable and ethical will affect everyone if proper measures are not in place which will affect us all so we understand that as team and put our thoughts and ideas together. After meeting the first week all six of us decided to have a weekly meeting which will happen on Mondays by 8pm United Kingdom time to accommodate our colleagues in Canada due to the time zone differences. We had to familiarize ourselves to be more comfortable which is never easy but we made it work at the end. We delegated tasks amongst ourselves on the 3rd meeting with one individual doing the weekly minutes weekly. Two people were assigned to carry out the interview of the company after someone volunteered to interview a company they had access to. Two people were assigned the role to complete the Aim2Flourish story while one person put the poster together and everyone contributed individually to the reflection aspect and one person was assigned to edit. All tasks were given a specific deadline before the main in order to correct and proofread to correct any mistakes and submit finally before the deadline. We put in good team spirit, effort, and diligence in our approach which made it less difficult. We also had someone who had good leadership qualities and ensured everything was going smoothly while the rest of the team had various responsibilities that enabled us to complete our goal. We did not have many complications except a particular time some members did not show up for a meeting due to miscommunication, but we later had the meeting later in the week. The only slight problem we had was arranging a suitable time that meets everyone’s schedule due to different time zones which we sorted on the first meeting. We as a team are grateful to have worked with one another, we are sure if the opportunity comes again we won’t hesitate to do it again because of how we had a good connection and professional relationship towards ourselves.

INDIVIDUAL REFLECTIONS

ABDUL SHAKUR MOHAMMED UGONOH 

The COIL project is a once in a lifetime experience which was sometimes enjoyable and hard in some cases, but generally it was helpful, and it gave more knowledge on the SDG goals and its usefulness. I was in a group of six individuals, and we all came from different countries and universities except one person who was also in the same university as myself. My group is full of people that were ready to accomplish the goal even though we came from backgrounds it was not difficult to understand one another. We all experienced different time zones, but we made it work regardless of the situation. We were present at every meeting which was once a week and completed every weekly template accordingly which was done by a particular team member of the group. All other tasks were assigned accordingly and agreed upon, which made it easier to complete. My group members all spoke fluent English I did not have a problem understanding any of them which made our group meeting and sessions easier to comprehend, on our first zoom meeting we created an Instagram group chat to use for communication and setting up of meetings and any group related queries if necessary. At first, I thought the time zones were going to affect our meetings and progression, but we were collectively able to agree upon a specific time which was 8pm UK time to plan how and what we’re going to do that week and in general. I don’t really have much to complain about as everyone fulfilled their task at the appropriate time but there is still a little bit of improvement that needs to be made in general and in myself. I would sometimes feel lazy to want to commute to meetings or did not thoroughly go through the briefings or have any idea of what to do because aside the COIL project I still have other assessments to worry about which made it a bit difficult for me to participate appropriately in the group work. Having teamwork skills is a necessity in life as it enables to be diversified and work with different people from different countries and cultural backgrounds especially across different time zone which makes it more interesting which is why COIL project was a good experience overall. I believe moving forward I would not have a problem working across different time zones with different people as this is a skill I could add to my personal forte and wherever I see myself in life, organization or situation that requires group work I shall not shy away from it.

ANSET ISAAC

The COIL project was an invaluable experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone and exposed me to the complexities of global collaboration. Working with students from diverse backgrounds and time zones presented unique challenges, but also incredible opportunities for learning and growth. I was apprehensive about the time differences and potential communication barriers but, I quickly learned the importance of clear and concise communication, and respecting everyone’s time zones. We established a shared calendar and time and utilized project management tools to coordinate our efforts effectively.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the project was the opportunity to learn from my peers. I was impressed by their diverse perspectives, and dedication to the project. We embraced our differences and found ways to leverage them to create a stronger, more comprehensive final product. While there were occasional hiccups in communication, we addressed them proactively and found solutions together. This collaborative approach helped a sense of trust and friendship among the team members. Through this experience, I gained valuable skills in intercultural communication and virtual teamwork. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been part of such a diverse and talented group of individuals. I would welcome the chance to participate in similar collaborative projects in the future.

CRISTIAN

As I think back on the COIL project on ECOBLITZ, I see it as a worthwhile experience that emphasized the significance of ethical business practices and global viewpoints. The beliefs of ECOBLITZ, a company committed to environmental responsibility and sustainability, are in line with both personal and professional ideals. I was able to connect and work with overseas students in addition to learning about their practices by interacting with this organization via the COIL (Collaborative Online overseas Learning) platform. Through the introduction of many cultural views and viewpoints on sustainability, this engagement enhanced the experience. The variety of perspectives on moral business practices was one of the most important lessons learned from dealing with international pupils. Every student contributed a distinct viewpoint influenced by their cultural upbringing, which both challenged and expanded my knowledge of moral behaviour in various nations. For instance, some nations prioritize social responsibility and ethical work standards, while others place more emphasis on environmental care. This diversity demonstrated that a successful ethical business model needs to adjust to different cultural expectations and highlighted how difficult it is to implement generally accepted ethical principles. Ethical business practices are key to ECOBLITZ’s mission statement. Their emphasis on environmentally friendly solutions, waste reduction, and sustainable development is in line with the moral precepts covered in the COIL curriculum. By looking at how they conduct ethical business, I discovered that prosperous organizations frequently take into account not only the immediate financial gain but also the long-term effects of their choices on the environment and society. All things considered, the COIL/AIM2Flourish assignment increased my awareness of moral corporate conduct and the significance of sustainability. Working together with international students highlighted how important different viewpoints are in creating morally sound business ideas. My resolve to uphold moral behaviour in all upcoming professional undertakings was strengthened by this event. I would be interested in another COIL opportunity in the future.

AMAAN BALLOU

Overall, I have found this experiential activity to be a great learning experience. However, I do have a few positives and negatives. Initially, we had a difficult time agreeing on meeting times, encouraging all members to participate in discussions, and working together as a group rather than just doing our tasks individually. The initiative I took to make the group team better was leading some of the Zoom calls held. I wanted to create an atmosphere in which people felt okay to speak their minds. After the initial two meetings, the group appeared to open up to each other, and it was nice to have a better conversation that involved everyone. I also took it upon myself to do most of the weekly minute submissions and discussed my readings that were assigned in the hope this would make others do the same thing. One of the bigger challenges we had was dealing with the time zones. It was tricky at first to find one day and time that would work on a routine basis, but eventually, we settled on Wednesday at 8 PM UK time, which was 3 PM Ontario time. There were multiple times that we had to reschedule, but we all communicated on a group chat on Instagram which made it easier to find a time that worked for everyone. This helped remove any confusion and allowed this to be less of a challenge. Over time, I found everyone trying to participate more and every single person in our group worked hard to complete their assigned task by the times we expected them to be done. I also had a great time learning about our chosen company’s initiatives and what they do to help their communities and the environment around them. I’m very glad that the people interviewing had a personal connection with the interviewee because it allowed for a more in-depth and comfortable conversation. I personally worked on the poster, which I had a lot of fun with because it allowed me to be creative and play around with the fun features of the platform I used, which was Canva. There were definitely times when I was overwhelmed by some of the extra responsibilities of organizing and leading, but I did learn that teamwork requires commitment and a bit of flexibility. I also found that once people had a clear idea of what they were working on, everything was smooth sailing and there were no issues on anyone lacking in their contributions. Overall, this experience showed me how important it is to work in group environments, be open, flexible, communicative, understanding of cultural differences, and be respectful to everyone. I look forward to applying what I have learned in future courses.

VALENTINA MONTOYA

The Aim2Flourish assignment was an enhancing experience. To learn about a company that’s putting in the work to help the planet and its local communities, while also getting to work with people from different parts of the world, all with different cultures, is something I learned a lot from. The company we chose is a Salvadoran company, which makes me proud to see my home country succeed in something good and that is leaving a positive impact beyond our communities. The group work was quite good. We managed to agree on a time for the meetings, despite the time difference. I think that all the group participants did their part in being punctual for the meeting and also in doing their assigned part for the project. Overall, I liked the dynamic of the work and everything that it entailed; being able to learn from a small company but with a great impact within its country and also worldwide, since sustainability and the future of the planet is something that involves us all.

JULIANA MONTOYA

The Aim2Flourish assignment was a very valuable and enriching experience. To be able to work with students from other universities and learn about the companies they proposed gave me a new perspective on how companies in different sectors practice sustainability and how important it is for companies nowadays to incorporate this. It was great to see that everyone was equally dedicated to cooperating and to work together to find the best suitable company to interview. My task was to research, prepare and conduct the interview with the company. A huge advantage was that since my native language is Spanish and we were working with a company from Latin America, it helped make the interview much smoother and fluent. To have the opportunity to interview a company and learn how they started their business and how sustainability plays a part in their efforts inspired me. This project showed me how despite living in different time zones and studying in different universities, students from different backgrounds can come together to work on a project on a topic very relevant nowadays.