Every year the 3rd Saturday of September is celebrated as International Coastal cleanup day. On World Coastal Clean-up Day (September 17, 2022), the world’s largest beach cleaning activity takes place in India. This campaign will start our journey as individuals, as citizens, and as champions of change to transform our country – one small step at a time. As a part of the activity, we went to Dumas beach also known as Golden beach. The event was organized by SMC(Surat Municipal Corporation). During the the clean up Surat’s mayor -Hemali Boghawala and our city’s deputy commissioner-Shri Aayush Oak, IAS were also present.

LO 2:Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process 

The difficult obstacles faced in this experience was taking out trash from ground. Some trash was inside the soil and we had to dig then take it out. Also it felt disgusting and messy to pick up someone’s trash. I have never done something related to beach clean up before. But at the end felt proud of myself that I overcame and did something out of my comfort zone.

LO 5:Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively 

Dumas beach is a humongous beach. Cleaning the beach in group was more convenient then doing it alone. We in group disturbed roles, like 2 holds the bag and others pick trash and throw it in bag. It was easy to work in group for clean up. In our group we were devoted  and desperate for this clean up. It was easy for me to work collaboratively in group with my friends.

LO 6:Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

This experience is one step towards achieving SDG 14- Life below water. The issues focused for beach clean-up is water pollution, Marine habitat destructuction, and plastic waste. Water pollution is important all over world because it destroys important food sources. Marine habitat destruction is caused by pollution, logging, dredging, draining of wetlands and coastal development. As learned from 6th grade about SDGs and saving world and making world a better place to live. I also wanted to be something so got chance and enjoyed. Doing something for community and environment made me feel happy and content.

LO 7:Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and action

As a youth, my actions influences my decision in future. For me it was a choice to enroll in beach clean up or not. But I choose to opt in and take a step towards cleaning beach. The ethics says “pollution is directly responsible for human suffering”. It is our responsibility to perform environment friendly lifestyle.

 

At the end of it all, I developed caring Learner Profile in the process. Caring for environment and doing things that will keep earth healthy is responsibility as a individual. Caring for earth because it provides us everything we want and need to survive. In this activity we catered SDG 14 – Life below water. Cleaning beach helps public health . Many beaches have broken glasses, sharp metals, hard plastics, cigarette filters, surgical masks and etc. These things could injure humans and marine animals too, cleaning them for society is must. And at the end I glad to be part of Dumas beach clean-up.