Build a Small Team

Start by forming a small organising team that will coordinate your repair workshop. This team should include people responsible for logistics, communications, and workshop facilitation. At least one person should have basic repair knowledge or be willing to learn alongside participants.

Define clear roles early. One person can manage the venue and logistics, another can handle marketing and participant registration, and others can support workshop facilitation.

If possible, recruit volunteers interested in becoming Repair Cadets. These volunteers will learn repair basics and help guide participants during the workshop. A team of three to six volunteers works well for small community repair sessions.

Agree on your workshop goal, such as teaching basic appliance repair, reducing waste, or building repair skills within your community. This shared purpose keeps everyone aligned and motivated throughout the process.

Become Repair Cadets

Before hosting your public workshop, you will need to join a training session to become Repair Cadets hosted by Zero Waste Malaysia. This training introduces the fundamentals of electronic appliance repair and basic safety practices.

This will be a full‑day training session that is suitable for beginners. Cover essential topics such as identifying common appliance faults, safe tool usage, simple electrical diagnostics, and repair troubleshooting.

The goal is not to turn volunteers into professional technicians but to equip them with enough confidence to guide participants through basic repairs. Encourage volunteers to practise with simple appliances like toasters or rice cookers. Hands‑on learning builds confidence quickly.

After attending this training, Repair Cadets can support community workshops and continue developing their skills through repeated facilitation. Over time, they may progress to become Repair Specialists or Repair Masters who train others.

Plan Your Workshop

Choose a suitable venue that can host a small repair session. Community centres, libraries, maker spaces, or schools often work well. Ensure the space has tables, power outlets, and safe working conditions.

Limit workshop size to something that the Repair Cadets can handle comfortably through staggered timing to ensure everyone receives guidance. Ask participant to bring broken small appliances from home.

Prepare repair tools and safety equipment in advance. Basic toolkits may include screwdrivers, pliers, multimeters, and spare connectors.

Duplicate a provided registration form to manage participant numbers and gather basic information about the appliances they plan to bring.

Communicate clearly that the workshop focuses on teaching repair skills rather than providing a free repair service. Participants should be actively involved in diagnosing and fixing their own items with guidance from Repair Cadets.

Run the Repair Workshop

During the workshop, begin with a short introduction explaining the goals of the session, safety guidelines, and the principles of repair and reuse.

Divide participants into small groups and assign Repair Cadets to guide each group. Participants should examine their appliances, identify possible faults, and attempt simple repairs with guidance.

Encourage learning and experimentation rather than perfection. Some items may not be repairable, but the learning experience remains valuable.

Keep the atmosphere collaborative. Participants often help each other diagnose issues or share repair tips.

Allow time at the end for reflection and discussion. Ask participants what they learned and encourage them to continue repairing items at home or at future workshops.

Track Impact and Grow

After the workshop, record basic impact data. Track the number of participants, number of appliances repaired, and estimated cost savings from repairs.

You can also document the experience through photos and short participant feedback. These stories help demonstrate the value of repair initiatives.

Share your results with your community to inspire others to organise similar workshops.

As the programme grows, consider expanding with additional repair events, informal repair clinics, or tool‑sharing systems. Communities can also create tool libraries so equipment is shared rather than purchased individually.

Encourage Repair Cadets to continue facilitating workshops and mentoring new volunteers. This helps build a sustainable repair culture within your community.