A December holiday initiative by Hlanzekile River and Ocean Cleaning challenged Grades 4 to 7 learners to collect plastic waste, teaching environmental responsibility.
Soweto, South Africa (23 January 2026) – Over the December school holidays, young learners in Mzimhlophe, Soweto, got hands-on with environmental action thanks to Hlanzekile River and Ocean Cleaning’s second annual stationery drive. The initiative challenged Grades 4 to 7 learners to collect plastic waste in their community, linking everyday actions to environmental responsibility.
For founder Floyd Nyai, seeing the kids in action was a powerful reminder of the potential in young people.
“The youth are so important because early awareness creates lifelong environmental responsibility. We also teach them that items they see as waste can actually be an opportunity. Through our upskilling initiative, we turn collected plastic into products, like pens.”
As part of the initiative, learners who collected the most plastic were recognised with stationery vouchers valued at R500, R1 000 and R1 500, donated by Hlanzekile River and Ocean Cleaning. Beyond the clean-up itself, the programme aims to instil values that extend beyond schoolyards and into homes and communities.
“The earlier the better. Early awareness creates that lifelong responsibility. Along the way, we’ve also created educational programmes we hope to introduce to neighbouring schools as extracurricular activities. The work is ongoing, and the possibilities are endless.”
The impact is not limited to the children. Floyd observed that the parents and guardians played a key role in supporting the young participants, helping them collect and sort waste.
“You could tell it’s an effort done by the entire household, not just the kids.”
One weekend in particular highlighted the community’s growing ownership. Floyd recalled arriving for a scheduled clean-up to find the neighbourhood noticeably cleaner than the previous week.
“The kids told us the community took the initiative to clean during the week, even knowing we’d be there on Saturday.”
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This Dog Saw Humanity at Its Cruellest – Then Came a Little Girl With R15The programme also ties back to Floyd’s own journey. Two years ago, he took a stand against neglected waterways, founding Hlanzekile River and Ocean Cleaning after witnessing severe waste mismanagement and illegal dumping in disadvantaged communities. From those early clean-ups the organisation has grown to empower people to take care of their environment.
Sources: GTG Interview
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