Najwa Womack Sistained8 Founder

By Jessica Harden

Inspired by her grandmother, Najwa Womack founded the educational composting company, Sistained8, to reduce litter and waste.

Can you tell us about you and your background?

I am a Washington, DC, native who was born and raised in the city. DC is a very diverse city, so I was inspired to take up international studies and development for my undergraduate degree. Later, after studying more about composting, I came to realize that composting is an international activity. From that point, my interest in the art of traditional community composting skyrocketed. I went on to obtain a Master Composter certificate with DC’s Department of Parks and Recreation, then joined the United States Composting Council as a soil advocate.

What inspired you to start SiStained8?

Still to this day, if you really observe our fellow humans, you may realize that there is a grave human-earth disconnection. Furthermore, it was the amount of litter and pure waste I began to take notice of that ignited the inspiration behind SiStained8. I essentially wanted to create a cool culture around bridging the gap in how our human activity affects our planet and the result of that was SiStained8 and our famous saying, “Think Like a Boss, Watch What you Toss.”

How did you get started on that journey?

The journey for me started as a young girl, watching my dad incorporate trench composting into his daily activities.

Then, later in life and after eight years of planning and sitting still, I decided to be the change I wanted to see. Along with a few other community members, I settled on the name SiStained8 in 2016 and transformed it into a business about two years ago. From this, I started composting regularly as well as receiving community scraps in my residential neighborhood for routing to be composted.

What are your biggest accomplishments so far?

My biggest accomplishments so far include being invited by the U.S. National Arboretum to teach a 30minute lecture on the basics of traditional composting, in 2021 and again in 2022. I felt very aligned in my purpose—carrying out these presentations at a very prominent and treasured nature-based arena in Washington, DC.

Next, teaching Maryland’s Baltimore city youth the basics of composting on Earth Day 2022 was a major accomplishment because I had the opportunity to witness just how intrinsic compost knowledge can be for even the youngest of students (grades 1–5).

What does a typical work day look like?

It varies depending on the season, but a day centered on composting can look like checking communications after a quick nutritional breakfast around 9am, then picking up a community member’s SiStainer Container between 10am and 11am. I’ll then route, chop, and offload containers into the community bins for the next one to two hours of a day. Next, maybe a quick munch on a small lunch, some snacks, and water. Then I’m off to sift compost, monitor temperatures, scents, and moisture (if community members are available, they’ll volunteer assistance).

Lastly, I water the bins after they’ve been turned and reinstate the compost thermometer. From that point on, I incorporate cleaning, relaxation, and reading into my schedule before taking an early bed.

Who are your personal heroes?

My maternal grandmother fought through a variety of health issues, but still managed to grow her own crops in her backyard. I remember her producing loads of turnips, tomatoes, and collard greens on a very small patch of land. To this day, she is one of the reasons I am inspired to continue my work in soil.

What do you do in your free time?

I like to travel, listen to music, dance, cook, and spend time with my family in my free time.

What plants do you grow in your personal garden?

‘Abundant Bloomsdale’ Spinach is without a doubt an almost year-round favorite plant/crop in my personal garden. It withstands so many temperature changes and tastes delicious...oh, and rosemary, too!

Is there anything else you want to add for our magazine readers?

SiStained8 has plans to release a new T-shirt called the “Compost Ampersand Tee” that joyfully lists a host of amazing organisms associated with the soil food web. Look out for the shirt anytime before Earth Day 2023.

How can our readers contact you?

Readers can visit our website at https://sistained8.com, follow our Instagram @sistained8 (direct message us), or email us directly at info@sistained8.com or sistained888@gmail.com. We’d like to encourage readers to sign up for the newsletter on the website under “Claim your free copy of 8 Ways To Step Into SiStainability.” o

Jessica Harden is a junior journalism major minoring in law and society, with a concentration in criminal law, at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD. She is an intern this semester with Washington Gardener and is from San Antonio, TX

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.