Ratu Balqis wins 1st place at "Ideas for Indonesia 2045"
Ratu Balqis, a Master of Energy Systems student, accessed a FEIT Student Enrichment Grant to participate in the “Ideas for Indonesia 2045” competition held in Sydney.
“I had the privilege of presenting my business concept at the ‘IDEAs: Innovation, Development, and Excellence toward an Advanced Indonesia 2045’ competition. This competition was organised by the Department of Academic and Strategic Studies of PPI Australia and served as a platform for Indonesian students in Australia to showcase their ideas across diverse fields, including science, technology, education, environment, humanities, economics, and more. I was among the fortunate five to be selected out of 120 proposals submitted to advance to the pitching stage. The panel of judges included the Consul General of KJRI Sydney, Vedi, Associate Professor Brahm Marjadi from Western Sydney University, and George Roditis from UNSW Founders.
The concept I presented is known as "Maggot farming," where maggots play a pivotal role in organic farming. They are a rich source of nutrition and serve as feed for organically raised animals, including fish, ducks, pigs, free-range chickens, birds, and other pets. The idea behind maggot farming is to transform food waste into maggot feed. This idea promotes climate action by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, specifically methane resulting from food waste, and simultaneously produces animal feed, making organic feed more affordable for farmers and indirectly contributing to food security.
As per the judges' verdict, my project titled "Maggochamb, Natural Alternative to Food Waste Management" was chosen as the first-place winner. The ideas presented by the other four finalists were diverse and provided valuable insights to kickstart my own project. Furthermore, I received advice and encouragement to persist in presenting my ideas and explore additional opportunities.”