After spending my first week getting to know Hagamos Composta and understanding our project, this week our focus shifted towards developing practical recommendations that could help the organisation continue to grow. As our understanding of the organisation has improved, so has our appreciation for the incredible work being carried out by the team.

One of my highlights of the week was visiting one of Hagamos Composta’s composting sites. Seeing the process in person, from food waste arriving on site to the production of compost, gave our team a much clearer understanding of the organisations day-to-day operations. What stood out most wasn’t the process itself but the people behind it. It was clear how close-knit the Hagamos Composta community is, with everyone working together towards a shared purpose. Experiencing that sense of collaboration first-hand reinforced just how much passion is behind the organisation’s environmental mission.

Our work has also progressed significantly this week. We have continued researching grant opportunities and corporate sponsorships while working closely with both the Hagamos Composta team and the volunteers supporting our project. Building these relationships has been invaluable, allowing us to ask questions, test ideas and better understand the realities of the organisation before making recommendations.

Alongside this, we have spent a lot of time analysing Hagamos Composta’s operational processes. A particular focus has been communication, where we identified several friction points and opportunities to streamline existing systems. I have begun developing a visual process map to capture Hagamos Composta’s operations and highlight where inefficiencies currently exist. Mapping these processes has helped us move from identifying challenges to thinking more critically about realistic, practical improvements that could make day-to-day operations more efficient.

Outside of the project, this week also provided plenty of opportunities to experience more of Mexico City. On Saturday we visited an artisan market, before finally discovering the ‘white girl bangers’ club we had been trying to find since arriving in Mexico City. We ended the weekend in the city’s fan zone for the World Cup Final. After an incredible mariachi performance, loud boos echoed throughout the crowd at the sight of Messi appearing on the big screen. With thousands of people gathered in the historic centre, the atmosphere was incredible! On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to visit the Pernod Ricard Mexico office, where I am currently undertaking my placement year in London. It was great to tour the office, sit in on a meeting about the Australian Open and meet some of the team. After hearing where we had been eating, they quickly informed me that our taco choices needed some improvement and filled my Maps app with recommendations for the rest of my time in Mexico! Later in the week, we visited the National Museum of Anthropology, where the Mayan exhibition was a particular highlight and offered a fascinating insight into Mexico’s history and heritage. Like most evenings, we rounded off the day with rooftop chats, games, music and drinks, which have quickly become one of my favourite parts of the experience and a great way to get to know everyone better.

Reflecting on the week, I think the value that has stood out most has been curiosity. Rather than rushing to propose solutions, we have continued asking questions, challenging our own assumptions and taking time to understand why existing systems operate as they do. We originally approached the project with a purely business mindset, but we have come to realise that our recommendations also need to align with Hagamos Composta’s values and the community that makes the organisation so successful. Working closely with the team has reminded me that the best recommendations are rarely the most complicated, but the ones that genuinely fit the organisation and the people behind it.

This week also reinforced the importance of collaboration and judgement. Whether working alongside the volunteers, discussing ideas with the Hagamos Composta team or developing recommendations within our own group, progress has come from combining different perspectives rather than working independently. Equally, using good judgement has meant recognising that effective recommendations are those that balance ambition with practicality, ensuring our work can continue to support Hagamos Composta long after we leave Mexico.