During Hari Bersih Indonesia or national cleanup day, every concerned citizens of Indonesia gathered together with local leaders and volunteers to clean up waste in cities, rivers, seas, underwater and mountaintops.
In conjunction with the second World Clean Up Day on 21 September, for the first time, Indonesia has done a similar activity simultaneously in all of the provinces in Indonesia—excluding Riau as it is going through serious haze situation. Organised by the Indonesia Indah Foundation, the purpose of the national cleanup day is to clean up the country from waste as well as to raise awareness of the country’s increasing garbage problems.
The foundation cooperated with Forum Rintara Jaya to mobilize more than one million volunteers across the country who registered on Indorelawan’s website. They engaged with diving communities and mountain climbing groups to help restore the natural beauty of Indonesia that is currently strewn with garbage. In addition, they also worked together on the field hands-on with governors, regencies, mayors, environmental services, educational services and schools.
There were 125 spots, including the area of Bundaran HI, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Sabira Island in the Kepulauan Seribu, Depok beach and Malioboro in Yogyakarta, Matapura in Banjarmasin, Bajo village in Wakatobi, Desa Poka beach in Ambon, Watu Klotok beach in Bali and many more.
“We had the biggest number of volunteers and spots that needed to be cleaned in mainly three provinces, namely Lampung, Gorontalo and Central Sulawesi. So, it’s a big movement because the local regions pushed the community to participate. While in Jakarta this year, there were only a small number of volunteers. Next year it has to be bigger as we want more regions to push their communities to participate with this activity to create a waste free Indonesia,” according to Angela Richardson, Founder of Indonesia Indah Foundation.
The garbage cleanup action started from six in the morning, where volunteers together with their team leaders went to the appointed locations equipped with gloves, first aid kits, hats and sacks to pick up and collect garbage littering the streets, gutters, parks, residential areas and public spaces. They then separate recyclable and non-recyclable waste.
The national cleanup day in Jakarta finished at the shady area of Taman Honda Tebet in East Jakarta as a chance for the volunteers to gather and share their experiences while enjoying live performances and games as well as ending the productive day with a documentary film screening of Blue the Film.
Indonesia Indah Foundation
Jalan Mimosa IV Blok E No. 17
T: +62 81 3815 26860
FB: @IndonesiaIndahFoundation
www.indonesiaindahfoundation.org
