CleanUp, Bahrain

Project name: CleanUp Bahrain

Project location: Kingdom of Bahrain

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cleanupbahrain

Project description:

CleanUp Bahrain is an enthusiastic and proactive group of Bahraini and expatriates volunteers that aim to make a difference in our society by actively hosting beach clean-ups all over the country to gradually gain the acceptance of voluntary work for an environmental cause as well as raising awareness in whole Bahrain of current local and global levels of pollution and the importance of making a behavioral change today. We started in January 2016 as 2 young individuals and by today, we have over 500 participants and are growing.

CleanUp Bahrain conducts consistent beach clean-ups to raise awareness on the condition of our shores. It also allows us to lead by example, create an image that encourages locals to become environmental heroes to save our shores and environment, and it is the perfect setting to educate the younger generation of today’s global crisis.

In 18 months we achieved

• 35 Cleanups collecting over 20 tons of waste in collaboration with governmental entities
• Managed Bahrain’s biggest clean-up, with more than 350 participants from various nationalities and collecting 6.5 tons of waste in 2 hours
• Joined the global wave of change initiative of screening “A Plastic Ocean” documentary by organizing the first screening in MENA region following by Q&A session for the audience to raise environmental awareness under the umbrella of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kingdom of Bahrain with continuing screenings and sessions
• Supporting Government goals, e.g. greener and cleaner Bahrain by Capital Governorate, restore beaches a recreation area by Northern Governorate
• Zero Waste Proposals for University Campus / Mall Food Court
• 1st place in a local volunteer competition
• Conducted School Workshops to initiate environmental awareness
• Collaboration with local and international NGOs

Goal and purpose of the project:

Our goal is to transform our society to be a environmentally responsible one.
We aim to inspire environmental change and encourage a paradigm shift towards an environmentally
sustainable future. We strive to actively engage in social environmental activities by setting a constructive path
for communities to follow by raising environmental awareness, highlighting the importance of maintaining our
environment, increasing the country’s utilization of recycling opportunities and its added value to the economy.

Motivation of the applicant / applicant team:

Our planet is crying for help. Oceans are filled with plastic, temperatures are soaring, and it is all our doing. It is a global issue, and we know for a fact that we aren’t alone in this fight. This isn’t just a motive, but a sense of responsibility towards our planet. Our home.
We wanted to take immediate action, and so we started promoting the idea of beach clean-ups to our community. With this, we hope to keep the public aware of the status quo, and underline their role in damaging our planet, or ultimately saving it!

Use of prize money:

The Green Mobil

The prize money will be invested in developing the Green Van. A green vehicle that is turned into a portable recycling station to encourage the society to properly dispose of waste at any occurring social event. At those events we will ensure waste segregation and its proper disposal. The significant sight of the Green Van in these events encourages greener habits, raise awareness and acts as a visual reminder of our global environmental responsibilities.