Tanzanian young women collect plastic wastes to protect Indian Ocean

DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- A group of Tanzanian young women on Saturday collected one ton of plastic wastes along the Indian Ocean beach in Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam, a move to save the ocean from pollution.

Hellen Silas, chairperson of the Women in Recycling Foundation, led her fellows in collecting the plastic wastes at Kawe beach along the Indian Ocean coastal line.

"We are here today to do beach clean-up activities that we have organized together with other environmental organizations and volunteers across the country," Silas told Xinhua in an interview at the end of the clean-up exercise.

Silas said the collection of plastic wastes along the beaches will be carried out at least once every three months. "The issue of dumping plastic wastes in the ocean will end if we continue raising awareness and changing people's mindset."

Madina Kimaro, UNICEF's youth advocate in climate action, said the aim of the event is to raise awareness among people on the importance of protecting the water ecosystems. "Because the more we pollute the water ecosystems, the more lives of the marine animals are in danger."