#ScrapChallenge2018 – Creating value out of waste

Disposal of waste has a huge environmental impact and can cause serious problems. Battling waste is now a priority across the globe.

The Leprosy Mission Trust India’s vocational training centre (VTC) in Vadathorasalur, Tamil Nadu had a large quantity of scrap produced in the campus and from the degrading infrastructure. It was a big challenge for the VTC to dispose of the scrap.

The VTC team, under the leadership of Mr Tinson Thomas, principal, decided to create value out of waste by disposing of the waste in a way that would ignite the creativity of the students.

In November 2018, the VTC introduced #ScrapChallenge2018, under which the students would collect scrap from the campus and create something out of it, using their creativity. Fourteen different groups of students came forward to accept the challenge.

The results were astonishing – they made models of aeroplane, motorcycle, automated traffic light, plate bending machine, popcorn maker, windmill… and the list goes on. The challenge helped the students in self-sustained, multi-skilling – like cutting, grinding, welding, and wiring, thus nurturing their creativity and design thinking.

Impressed by this initiative, TLMTI honoured the VTC with an award which was given away during its Annual Leadership Consultation held from January 21-23, 2019.