Walking the talk: Volunteers diligently collecting rubbish on a beach at Timba-Timba Island.
KOTA KINABALU: A clean-up campaign led by youths has managed to collect more than 3,000kg of trash from beaches and other areas in several Semporna islands so far this month.
In a collaborative effort with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, Reef Check Malaysia partnered with several community organisations in the east coast Sabah district to spearhead the series of environmental clean-up initiatives slated throughout September.
Facilitating these efforts are youth leaders who are undergoing rigorous marine conservation empowerment training provided by Reef Check Malaysia.
Adzmin Fatta, Reef Check Malaysia programme manager, said the programme serves as a platform for young leaders to acquire a hands-on experience and actively mobilise environmental initiatives within the confines of their communities and islands.
“This empowerment process is paramount as it instils leadership qualities that will ultimately empower these young leaders to become the catalysts for a substantial change within their communities,” he said yesterday.
A total of 405 individuals participated in these events, collectively amassing an impressive 3,763kg of waste from various locations.
“The clean-ups were executed at key sites, including Kampung Air Hujung, Timba-Timba Island, Kulapuan Island, Mabul Island and Larapan Island,” he added.
The community partners and supporters who participated in the clean-up included, among others, Green Semporna, EFSG Semporna, Amwil, Hartawan Stabil, Borneo Komrad and SCJ.
Jai Jericho, representing Sekolah Alternatif Semporna, and Mohd Ilsam, from Pemimpin Iklim Mabul, were delighted with the programme’s success in motivating environmental awareness among the participants.
Valuable data were gathered during the clean-up process, allowing for the identification of frequently encountered items such as plastic bottles, plastic bags, polystyrene and discarded clothing.
