Give to safeguard. By tracking daily action, the new APP teaches young people and adults, how to take care of the planet and of communities afflicted by climate change Track your consumption, on your own or in groups, learn small-large daily actions to save water and energy and not waste food, and provide concrete help to the poorest countries. These are the goals of EcoGive – Dare to Safeguard, a new App which is available on AppleStore and GooglePlay. It was born thanks to the support of the New Ways for a United World Association linked to the Focolare Movement. Our world is now digitally contained in our mobile phones.  Being able to see our daily behaviours reflected in the digital dimension helps us to become aware of how much we really need to consume and how much we waste. This App allows us to track any of the following actions, from the reuse of water used to wash fruit and vegetables to switching off unnecessary lights, to the recycling of used clothes or less wasting of food. Each participant can register their “green deeds”, committing to carry out at least 200 for each school year. There are five thematic areas: electricity, water, gas, recycling/reuse and reduction of food waste. You can then follow the tally of your own deeds and those of your group or school class. You can also see the impact of the project measured in CO2, MWh and water saved. Marco Livia, president of the New Ways for a United World Association (APS), which supported the project and brought it onto an international level, said, “It is a very important project, a contribution to a real cultural change towards a sustainable lifestyle. We are aware of our generation’s great responsibility to the environment and we strongly believe in the power of change that we can transmit to children, and that they can imprint on their peers and in their own contexts.” The idea started in 2008 in Palermo (Italy) on the initiative of Elena Pace, a teacher. The aim is to combine environmental protection and solidarity. The experience then developed over the years thanks to the commitment of the students of various Italian schools. In the 2021-2022 school year, the initiative involved 50 schools worldwide and reached more than 10,000 students. In 2023 its international scope continues to grow. Schools from 12 countries now participate: Italy, Burundi, Benin, Madagascar, South Africa, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Brazil, Colombia, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The project is inspired by the United Nations 2030 Agenda Goals, focusing in particular on three of them: 13 (fight against climate change), 4 (promote quality education) and 2 (defeat hunger). Support for developing countries The energy-saving measures can also be transformed into concrete support for the populations of the countries most affected by adverse climate-related events. How? Parents, relatives, friends and sponsors are invited to donate. The resources generated will allow the implementation of solidarity actions in developing countries. These actions are chosen by the students, who will learn in this way to give to safeguard the environment. Solidarity projects chosen include the construction of a social vegetable garden in Nairobi, Kenya, the planting of trees in a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Mumbai (India) and the promotion of plant nurseries in the city of Carice (Haiti). The project has been supported by several institutions including the Italian Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Environment of the Dominican Republic, the Sapienza University of Rome, the Italian Space Agency and the Municipalities of Rome and Priverno. The EcoGive App was created thanks to the support of Mauro Atturo, CEO & Founder of Problem Solving S.R.L. and of Carlo La Mattina, Sole Director of Innovation Lab S.R.L.

Lorenzo Russo