Day 1 of Africa’s Biggest Cleanup

Two months ago Pascale Henke and I sat in a meeting with Shoprite Group discussing Mandela Day and how Brownie-Points can help encourage, track and reward staff for taking part in good deeds.

The meeting ended with the question, “Do you think we have enough time to host a continent cleanup?”

Actions are bigger than words and today we saw hundreds of Africans unite in Africa’s Biggest Cleanup #Actforchange.

It has been an amazing day, receiving messages and pictures from all over the continent of people hard at work on cleaning up our environment. Who thought picking up litter could be so much fun?

Some of Actforchange Day1 highlights:

CN&CO

Thanks to Emi and the CN&CO team for sharing their passion for people and our country, bringing friends, family and clients together to clean the streets of Johannesburg, collecting over 40 bags of litter in just over an hour. Read all about their experience HERE.

Mauritius

Yes, Mauritius is part of Africa! My good friend Heather Drummond, who has a massive heart and passion for our planet (just look at her website to see what I mean), hosted a cleanup at Tamarin Bay. Take a look at this short video.

Namibia

From islands to deserts, Christiane Henke sits in the background of Brownie-Points and gets very little recognition, but plays a huge role. Today she hosted her own Actforchange cleanup in Namibia.

Mozambique

Receiving these pictures from Willa (another amazing Brownie-Points hero) brought back so many memories from the Put Foot Rally and our last few days road tripping in parts of Africa. Take a look at these pictures; the people and beaches are truly special.

 

Nigeria

We saw Shoprite staff joining hands with the shopping centre security and other retailers in an effort to join Africa’s Biggest Cleanup.

Sea Point

The roads were surprisingly clean, probably because of the heavy rains Cape Town has been receiving, but the team of volunteers heading to the beach took in some sunshine while making a difference.

 

Langa Shoprite Actforchange activation

It was incredible to see this boardroom conversation come to life. A stage was set up with music and an MC getting people involved. Kids, parents, Shoprite staff and even the police got involved collecting gloves, bags and a shirt and heading out into the streets to pick up litter.

The real magic was when these volunteers returned with full bags of litter giving them access into the entertainment area, a full bag of litter gave them a voucher to get something to eat or a coffee among other things. These volunteers got to engage with organisations like Eco-Brick Exchange and Packa-ching to learn more about waste, recycling and upcycling.

Join the #Actforchange movement HERE.