The concept of sustainability requires a systems-based approach that recognizes interactions among the pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social). This comprehensive approach is required to understand and solve the global challenges of poverty, climate change, loss of biodiversity, urban sprawl, and water scarcity. These challenges are interrelated in complex ways and therefore require solutions generated by the integration of multiple specializations, subjects, and disciplines [1,2]. To solve our sustainability problems, we need to use knowledge to derive solutions that protect the environment while strengthening communities and promoting prosperity [3]. During the localization training in Mombasa our trainer Mr. Andati Morris Shapwala covers the three pillars by providing a community driven perspective on how knowledge was used to independently, as well as collectively, derive community sustainable solutions that strengthened Mombasa community by how it can economically benefit Msambweni one of the sub-counties in Mombasa. The United Nations’ vision of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) transforming global development despite sustainability challenges [4] inspired the trainer to use the goals as a measure of success of already existing community projects. The SDGs strengthen collective action [5] which is an impetus for interdisciplinary knowledge sharing.
Therefore, they agreed that new methods are required in the “pursuit of knowledge and innovation” [8]. Real-world solutions need to be derived by confronting practical problems and applying the derived solutions in the real-world setting. New methods of inspiring learning have ranged from integrating behavioural sciences into educational methodologies [6] to focusing on the community trainees experience as central to learning [9] or the application of sustainability research [10]. The concept of these learning practices is varied and include the transformation of teacher and learner to a deeper understanding of themselves and their learning styles (experiential learning); an understanding of sustainability practices that lead to transformative action (knowledge domains and education for sustainability); and to fostering sustainability leadership qualities (key competencies in sustainability).
Using this methods its clear that communities can integrate whatever solutions they fill is necessary for the up-scale of the community especially when looking at gender equality ad quality education which came out as one of the biggest problems in Mombasa. Through the bottom-up approach we are able to work hand in hand with community members in developing sustainable strategies to solve the underlying issue.
Smart Talk Cafe in collaboration with willing partners are on a journey of localizing the Sustainable development goals at community and university level in order to achieve a better society in Africa.
