STORY PREVIEW

2025

H!3 the Eco Hero

ABhome Education and Palakali Creative

West Java

MENTOR

Ary Okta

Step 1 FEEL

List the challenges or problems in your surroundings (school,neighbourhood etc.) that bothered you.

The problems in my surroundings that bothers me usually correlate with trash, irresponsible consumption and the lack of awareness of environmental conditions.

State the problem chosen to work and why.

I chose the problem of trash, especially ones we constantly use everyday because trash has always been like a childhood friend of mine. Since elementary school, I was taught to always sort trash, recycle my waste into something useful and to not waste food. I chose trash because this is an issue that personally felt close to me. In Indonesia, trash has become an issue that we face everyday. Yet somehow, people still lack awareness of recycling and the impact it has on our environment and health is still not taken that seriously. I want to raise awareness for the younger generation to care and be aware of environmental problems like trash, because children are the next generation of change makers.

Who were the people affected by the problem? What were their primary concerns?

Everyone is affected, because trash doesn’t choose where it goes. In 2024 alone, Indonesia produced more than 76 million tons of waste, according to the Waste Management Information System. The worst part is, that number only came from half of the cities and regencies that reported. Imagine how much more there actually is. People worry about floods, health risks, and how this mess is becoming part of daily life. But for children, the problem is even more concerning. They’ll grow up surrounded by trash, play near polluted rivers, and breathe air filled with the effects of unmanaged waste. If nothing changes, they’ll inherit an environment that’s unsafe, unhealthy, and harder to fix.

Step 2 IMAGINE

List ALL the different solutions you came up with.

Because of that problem, I wanted to raise awareness about environmental issues like trash, especially to children. I intended to make the message fun, so I came up with several ideas such as: making a H!3 themed children’s storybook about taking care of the environment and use the book as a method of storytelling to children, organizing a recycling workshop where children can turn waste into toys, hosting an open donation for materials like bubble wrap and textile waste for the workshop, and setting up a project booth at a public event to share the project with more people. These ideas hope to help children build a real connection to this issue while making them feel like they can do something about it.

Which solution from those listed above did you choose to implement and why?

I decided to combine all my ideas into one creative project by designing a character named H!3, a monster created from recycled waste that wants to show the world that even trash can be beautiful. Through H!3, I was able to bring the storybook, workshop and project booth to life in a way that felt fun and engaging for children. I also had the opportunity to share H!3 in an art exhibition twice and made merchs like keychains, pins and toys. I chose this approach because I wanted the message to be memorable, something children could connect with emotionally, while also learning about the impact of trash and how they can be part of the solution.

Step 3DO

Describe very briefly the process of implementing your solution(s).

The idea first came during my internship at Palakali Creative, an eco art space in Depok. I wanted to design a character made from trash to show that waste can be turned into something beautiful. That was when I first created H!3. As the idea grew, I aimed to raise awareness, especially among children about the trash problem by combining art with recycled materials. Then, I reached out to my former elementary school, Sekolah Alam Bogor, and was given the opportunity to run a toy recycling workshop for students, encouraging them to minimize waste by creating characters from trash. I also opened a booth at an event hosted by Sekolah Alam Bogor, allowing not just students but also their parents to learn about the project. On top of that, I wrote and illustrated a children’s book about H!3’s journey protecting the environment, which I had the chance to read aloud to a daycare during a storytelling session. I hope this journey continues and inspires more people to care for the planet and be more mindful about waste.

What was the result or impact of your project?

Throughout this project, I teached over 70 children how to turn trash into toys through an eco toy workshop, wrote and illustrated a children’s storybook about H!3’s journey to protect the environment and shared it through a storytelling session at a local daycare. I also showcased H!3 in two exhibitions (the second one is ongoing this August) and set up a project booth at an event with more than 450 participants to spread awareness about H!3, environmental issues & creative recycling. To grow the movement beyond me, i made a volunteer program for high school students in Bogor. Giving them a chance to help with workshops and inspire other people to care about the environment.

How many people were impacted by your solution(s)?

500

What did the impacted people have to say about your project? Provide 2 quotes or testimonials:

Testimonial 1: Sachi (my best friend who helped me run the project booth, workshop, & storytelling event) Volunteering for H!3 has been such a memorable experience. This is truly my friend Myu’s coolest project. Starting from just doodles of H!3 to character merchandise, workshops and now a children’s book! All environment related. Speaking of stories, it reminded me of the time we visited a daycare for a storytelling session. It was my first time handling kids under six, and I was genuinely surprised by how much they loved the project. Some connected with the story, others were totally captivated by the characters, just like me! The message in the book resonates not only with children but with anyone who reads it. Helping Myu with this project also gave me and other high schoolers opportunities to do something good in their free time, which I had fun doing so! Side note… I’m a huge fan of Bombie! There’s something so sweet and silly about his journey, from an evil plastic bag we see every day to a little guy trying to be better with H!3’s help. It’s just adorable! Overall, this project is incredible, creative, meaningful, fun, and made with so much love. Testimonial 2: (Kids that visited H!3’s project booth) I really enjoyed visiting the booth. H!3 and Bombie are super cute, and the booth was so colorful! I never thought trash could be used to make something fun and creative, it made me want to try making my own toys from trash at home. I think it’s a good way to help the environment too.

What challenges did you encounter while implementing your project, and how did you overcome them?

Since this is an individual project, I didn’t have a team, so the amount of task often felt overwhelming. I guess that was one of the biggest challenges I faced. There were a lot of things I wanted to do, but I had so little time to make it all happen. But I felt really grateful because of the support that my family, friends and volunteers gave me. Because of them, everything felt more manageable and meaningful. I love that they somehow have this vibe of positivity and always do everything with heart. Working with them makes a huge difference and makes this project more fun to do.

How long did it take to implement your solution?

MORE THAN 30 DAYS

Which global goals does your story align with?

Responsible consumption and production

Please explain briefly why do you think so?

I chose Responsible Consumption and Production because in this project, I wanted to help build a mindset where trash doesn’t always have to be trash. Instead of throwing things away, H!3 encourages children to reuse and recycle materials in a creative and fun way. Like what we did in the “eco toy workshop”, where children turned bubble wrap filled fabric scraps into toys. Through workshops and storytelling, I wanted to make small habits that help children think twice before throwing something away. It’s a simple way to show that even small daily actions can make a difference in how we treat our planet.

Step 4 SHARE

How did you share your project with your school and community? Who did you share your project with? What was their response?

Most of my roadshow for this project was done in my elementary school called Sekolah Alam Bogor. At that time, they hosted their annual Earth Day event called “Literacy, Earth and Autism Day” (LEAD) and I thought that it would be a great opportunity for me to share H!3 to a broader audience. So, I applied to open a booth at LEAD and to host a workshop teaching children how to make toys from trash, such as bubble wrap and textile waste. I felt really happy because the children loved H!3 and Bombie and I got a lot of feedback from children and adults that visited my booth. I remembered a little boy staying in front of my booth just to roleplay a superhero fighting scene with H!3 and Bombie, that was one of the most memorable things that I remembered from the event, and it really warmed my heart.

Approximately how many people did you share your story of change with?

More than 100

Briefly share your plan to sustain the impact of your project?

I first came up with the idea of H!3 in early 2024, but at the time, I wasn’t sure where to take H!3 yet. When I discovered DFC, I realized that DFC could be the perfect platform to turn that idea into something real and meaningful. Moving forward, I want to keep growing H!3, both the character and the story so it can connect with even more children. I am also planning to open a bubble wrap and textile waste donations at school to support future workshops, and I hope to host more workshops in different communities. My goal is to keep the message going so that this project does not just end here.

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