Assignment 1

The Unseen War on Empty Plates Supporting SDG 2: Zero Hunger "Hunger isn’t about food scarcity—it’s about justice scarcity." — Dr. Vandana Shiva Meet  LIA RIVERS , a former finance analyst who traded spreadsheets for seed banks. In Jakarta’s slums—where 40% of children are stunted by malnutrition—she wages a quiet revolution:  "GARDENS IN THE GRAY."  Her weapon? Rooftop farms atop concrete jungles. Lia’s Battlefield 1. The Hero’s Origin "I saw a toddler licking rice grains off a flooded street. That broke my soul." After floods drowned her family’s rice farm, Lia quit her corporate job. Now, she transforms  abandoned rooftops  in slums into thriving micro-farms.   2. The Innovation: Sky-Fed Communities In Jakarta’s  Kampung Melayu slum —where alleyways choke on plastic waste, families of five cram into single rooms, and the nearest fresh market lies a punishing two hours away—Lia Rivers wages a quiet revolution through radical resource...

  24 Hours of Thirst: When Penang’s Taps Ran Dry Supporting SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation (Based on the Jan 10–14, 2024 shutdown | 590,000 affected) The Morning the Holiday Died "I woke to birdsong and the grim silence of dead pipes. PBAPP’s notice— ‘Urgent valve repairs’ —had loomed for days, but nothing prepared me for  Day 2: The Day Without Water . No beach trips, no char koay teow adventures. Just a bucket, a boiling 34°C sun, and the crushing weight of taking water for granted." 6:00 AM – The tank that promised a holiday. Empty.   A Single Day, Endless Struggles 7:00 AM – Hygiene Horror "Mum tossed me a bottle of mineral water: ‘For brushing teeth.’ I used three sips, guilt stinging sharper than mint. The toilet? Unflushable. We poured drain water into the bowl, its sour smell clinging to the air. My little brother whined, ‘Why’s the house a petrol station?’ as we lined up buckets like fuel drums." 12:30 PM – The Hunger Games "We craved...

Supporting SDG 13 (Climate Action) & SDG 14 (Life Below Water) The Problem: Oceans in Peril Picture this:  8 million tons of plastic  choke our oceans yearly. Coral reefs bleach as waters acidify, and marine species vanish. Meanwhile, rising CO₂ levels supercharge storms and melt glaciers. We need more than policy changes—we need a  technological revolution  that heals while it innovates.  Therefore, my invention THE OCEAN FORESTERS a   Self-Replicating Kelp Ecosystems + Nanotech Cleanup Drones coming into account The Ocean Foresters by  OpenAI. (2025).   How It Works: "Nature + Tech in Harmony" The Kelp Generators : Design : Buoyant, 3D-printed "reefs" made of algae-based bioplastic. Function : Seed super-engineered kelp that absorbs  50x more CO₂  than terrestrial forests and thrives in warming waters. Science : Kelp photosynthesizes, locking away carbon; its roots de-acidify water, ...

  A World Woven with Trust Close your eyes. In the world I envision, the air hums not with sirens, but with laughter drifting from open community gardens. Streets are lit by solar lanterns shaped like fireflies, not flashing police lights. Justice isn’t a gavel pounding in distant courtrooms—it’s woven into daily life. Neighbors resolve disagreements over shared meals, guided by empathy-trained mediators. Laws are simple, transparent, and co-created in town halls where every voice—whether 16 or 80—is heard equally. (2025a).  In a world reshaped by new values, the boundaries that once divided us dissolve into something more powerful: unity. Here, radical inclusion is not just an ideal—it’s the air we breathe. Walk down any street, and you’ll witness it in motion: strangers sharing meals in open courtyards, languages weaving together in murals, festivals blending cultures without borders. No longer is identity used as a wedge—race, gender, faith, and economic background are v...