Ms. Larisha serves as a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) Specialist at CREASION, spearheading efforts to establish an efficient MERL system for projects led by CREASION.

She was a vital part of the Green Circuit Marathon, organised by CREASION from June 29 to July 4, evaluating and monitoring each activity of the marathon critical to its effective execution. She shared her experience briefly with our publication team.

Excerpts from the conversation:

1. What exactly does GCM (Green Circuit Marathon) mean to you?

An arduous effort to shift from planning to actionable execution by encouraging active participation of local community members on ground. A power-packed experience that exhibited the remarkable outcomes possible when the community works in unison.

2. How did you find the experience of participating?

The experience was incredibly insightful. Engaging with local communities, youth cohort members, students, principals, and focal teachers provided valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities within the community. It offered a clearer understanding of the areas requiring regular monitoring and further support to achieve effective outcomes. Additionally, it was gratifying to witness the active participation of local communities.

3. What are the outcomes?

The Green Circuit Marathon successfully laid the foundation for the Waste Smart School Activities, which are pivotal in bringing behavioural changes among students. One of the project's core objectives is to engage key stakeholders to create an enabling environment for effective plastic waste management through education. Students are central to this effort, as Project CAP aims to not only address the immediate challenge of plastic waste but also to establish a framework for a future where environmental responsibility is a daily practice. By nurturing a generation of environmentally conscious individuals, the project aspires to inspire enduring change that extends from the classroom to the broader community.  Similarly, the marathon successfully facilitated the hands-on activities led by the Youth Cohort, which united local community members and authorities. These activities were crucial in advancing the project’s goals of raising awareness and promoting advocacy at the local level.

4. What could have been better?

It would have been beneficial if the marathon had been extended slightly to allow more time for gathering community insights, holding additional stakeholder discussions, and conducting reflection sessions with the VFC youth cohort. It would also have been useful to have more time with focal teachers to discuss their experiences thus far.

5. Was your component adequately addressed throughout the activities? If so, please explain why. If not, what are the reasons?

In my role as a MERL specialist, my primary aim was to collect comprehensive baseline data from Waste Smart Club (WSC) members to measure student behavioural changes towards the end of the project intervention. We achieved this by collecting data from club members across all six  (municipalities) during the trip. Another objective was to oversee the Waste Smart School and river clean-up activities, pinpointing areas for improvement and further monitoring, which have been effectively identified and documented.