A typical day at Justdiggit? There is no such thing! Cooling down the planet together requires flexibility to organize a movie roadshow in a Tanzanian village today and design German advertising screens tomorrows.
But some components and tasks reoccur. For example, managing our online community. Since Justdiggit has various social media channels, especially important are Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, we monitor our followers’ activities, answer their questions or thank them for their ongoing support. We can only regreen Africa thanks to them, so we prioritize the interaction.
Afterwards, I write social media or website posts. Did we present our children’s’ book in the Zoo of Rotterdam, join a partnership with a satellite company that monitors our regreening from space, or launch our new campaign? Don’t worry, I will let our followers know. By writing posts about these events, we let everyone be part of the change.
Justdiggit is on a mission to regreen Africa and cool down the planet. Together with millions of farmers, and together with YOU. All our efforts are geared towards spreading the word about nature based solutions. There are various ways to combat climate change. But many people, including rural African farmers, do not know about the techniques our ancestors used to foster their land. So we are here to inform everyone about easy and cheap ways to store rainwater in Africa, increase crop yields and improve locals’ livelihoods.
To spread the word, we collaborate with business partners, media companies or ambassadors. And I write newsletters and select the best pictures to engage our supporters in Europe.
Around 12.00pm, we will all gather in the tiny kitchen to enjoy lunch together. This is one of the work culture aspects I enjoy the most. I get to chat to everyone, improve my Dutch and eat unsatisfying Dutch bread. We all know the Germans are a bit particular about their bread preferences 😉
Afterwards, I often brainstorm ideas for our advertising screens in Germany. Coming up with short and snappy facts about regreening, that are also linked to the specific city they will be shown in, is quite a challenge. But rewarding, once I see my work on a big screen.
Everyone at Justdiggit works with a passion for this planet and the team managed to regreen over 10 million trees! This also relates to the question I answer most on social media: “You don’t plant trees?” No, we bring cut down trees back into bloom. These trees already have strong root systems that reach the deep groundwater. Whereas small and fragile newly planted trees might die under harsh drought conditions.
Additionally, we also dig water bunds, which capture rainwater so it does not flush away but infiltrates into the soil and let’s seeds sprout, as one of our best performing Instagram posts shows:
A personal highlight of mine included an interactive donation campaign in Utrecht’s mall Hoog Catharijne, which informed hundreds of visitors about the benefits of bringing back vegetation. For example, that plants store or cool down the micro climate.
In the evening, I bike home, feeling good about the fact environmental conservation does not have to be solely doom and gloom.
If you are passionate about the environment and would love to dig into a greener future, check out Justdiggit. And shoot me a message if you would like to know more about regreening, Justdiggit or my experience as an intern: Lydia.jach@student.uva.nl