But this coming weekend about 35 million people in 120 countries
around the world will get out there and clean up their surroundings.
Initiated in 1993 in Sydney, Australia in partnership with
the United Nations Environment Program, the campaign continues
to grow each year. Its goal is to engage community groups,
schools, governments, businesses and individuals in activities
to improve water quality, clean up local environments, plant
trees and raise awareness about waste issues.
This year, Bali is embracing the concept with new energy.
It’s heartening to witness the slow but sure increase
in environmental awareness on our island. The commitment
of hotels and other businesses as well as the dedication of
committed individuals is beginning to make a mark.
The activities in Bali are spearheaded this year by the Bali
Hotels Association supported with groups like Clean Up Seminyak,
Clean Up Tuban, Tri Hita Karana, Lestari, Temesi Recycling
Centre and many community organizations. The long list of
participating hotels sending teams to help clean up their
areas, streets and beaches is impressive. Sanur, Tuban,
Benoa, Jimbaran, Seminyak, Ubud, Candidasa, Tulamben, and
Padang Bai will all get a thorough clean-up over the weekend
with 52 hotels and about 10,000 volunteers participating.
Ku De Ta is taking a leading role in the campaign’s
activities by hosting a Clean Up the World awareness day for
families on Sunday September 17. Everyone is welcome
to join the fun, which includes games with an environmental
flavour, paper-making, colouring, poetry and poster-making
competition, face painting and other activities. Ku De Ta
has invited the students from Sunrise School will perform
their play “Is it Really Rubbish?” at the event.
Sunrise School in Kerobokan is committed to an environmental
education platform. For Clean Up the World, it is leading
several activities targeting expat and local children.
Besides its activities at Ku De Ta, it is also holding a Friendship
Day with a local Muslim school which will include the play
and environmental games. This month the school will
also be taking the play to the grounds of the Alila Hotel
in Karangasem, where it will be performed for several schools
and the heads of local banjars.
The play, which was launched about two years ago, has reached
hundreds of children in Bali. “Is it Really Rubbish?”,
written by teacher Kayti Denham and her class, is performed
in English and Indonesian. Kayti and her students created
the play as a vehicle to help school children take a closer
look at ‘rubbish’ before it is thrown away.
The script illustrates the types of rubbish children encounter
in their daily lives such as paper, plastic and food scraps,
and poses the question, “Is it really rubbish?”
Then it presents ways that the materials can be re-used or
recycled. The play includes a poem, a song and a skit
and is about 10 minutes in length. It’s followed
by a question and answer session led by the teacher to ensure
that the message is understood. Along with the performance
is a display of items made from recycled rubbish like wrapping
paper, seedling pots, paper clip containers and compost.
“When things are put in the right way, it becomes a
habit,” Kayti explains. “I’ve noticed
that family behavior changes when the children are more aware
of waste issues. Even though parents may have good intentions
about waste management in the home, kids really make us follow
through.”
The aim of the presentation is a brief, enjoyable introduction
to the concept of being responsible for one’s own waste,
and providing fun and creative solution to students.
Local students often express their dislike of the rubbish
they see on the side of the road or in the rivers. The
problem seems overwhelming to a child, but broken down into
small components empowers them to take part in the solution.
The play has been performed at almost all the international
schools in Bali. With support from the Bali Hotels Association
for transportation costs, local schools in Ubud and Benoa
have also seen the play. Recently the Westin donated the use
of its convention centre and the play was performed there
for over 200 children from local schools in the Nusa Dua area.
When performed in the garden at Kartika Plaza for local students,
the hotel guests were impressed that children were learning
to help manage Bali’s waste problems.
The students from Sunrise school have taught local children
from the Jodie O’Shea Children’s Home to perform
the play. They will be joining in the performances this
month and then they will take it into their schools and communities.
This is probably the most important part of the process.
Most of Bali’s solid waste pollution in rivers and coastal
areas originates in towns and villages inland. Important
as it is for high-profile tourist destinations to show a clean
face to the world, basic waste management concepts need to
penetrate into the upstream hinterland where much of the rubbish
comes from. A villager tossing a plastic bottle into his irrigation
canal has little understanding that thousands of people tossing
thousands of bottles create a hideous pollution problem downstream.
Children are the key to change in this and so many other issues.
Cleaning up the world. It’s indeed a big job,
but if we all play a part and set an example to others, the
situation can’t help but improve. If you’re
interested in helping Sunrise School bring its message into
your community by paying the transportation costs, contact
Kayti at kayti_denham@telstra.com
