Waterway Cleanup

TRANSCRIPT
Waterway Cleanup

NARRATOR:
At a lake in Bogor, a city in Indonesia, a group of young people go out in kayaks to collect rubbish from the water. This clean-up group started with just one person: Giri Marhara. He was only 16 years old when he decided to clean the lake. He enjoyed working alone but some children wanted to help him. Giri decided to include them.

SOUNDBITE - Giri Marhara: 
“I don't want to miss the opportunity to educate kids that this is something that's positive, something that you should probably try making a habit too.”

NARRATOR:
Now, many young people work with him to clean the lake and protect the environment. Some paddle across the water. Others help on the shore, sorting the rubbish into what can be recycled or reused. Local groups also support them by lending kayaks. Together, they have collected over 2,700 kilograms of rubbish. The lake is cleaner now than it was before. But for Giri, cleaning is not enough. It's important to change how people think. 

SOUNDBITE - Giri Marhara: 
“What I am trying to do is I am trying to counter the behavior that is the cause of trash to be out there in the environment, which is littering. Littering is, I believe, to be a habit that repeats itself and is embedded into society."

NARRATOR:
Giri believes that if people create new habits, they will stop littering. His clean-up group shows how one small choice can grow into something big and make people happy. Together, these young people are helping to protect nature for future generations.