Volunteers have begun a weekly cleanup of Dili’s beaches in an attempt to reduce the amount of rubbish going into our oceans.
The event was started five weeks ago, when Conservation International, Dive Timor Lorosae and government organisations spent a day cleaning up dive sites and beaches.
“It worked pretty well, so we thought why not keep it going and make it a weekly thing?,” Dive Timor Lorosae instructor Stephanie Lecoeur said.
Since then, the dive shop has encouraged Dili residents to join them in a different location every week to clean the beach.
Interested people are able to meet the team at the Dive Timor Lorosae shop at 5pm on Mondays.
The evening usually begins with a small group of people, but “the nice thing is usually some kids that are around the area all just see it and join in,” diving instructor and manager Luke Hessler said.
Hessler and Lecoeur have made information sheets in Tetun, which they hand out to children who are interested in what they are doing.
Marine scientists estimate plastic pollution kills more than 100,000 sea creatures every year.
They are often killed by plastic bags and bottles, which often flow into the sea from rivers and take thousands of years to decompose.
“We’re getting a little bit of rubbish off the beach, which prevents it from going in the sea,” Hessler said. “But a part of it is to see kids get involved, it makes them maybe think a little bit about what they do with the rubbish.”
Jennifer Godfrey, a tourist visiting Dili from Australia, said she picks up rubbish at home and thought it would be a good thing to do whilst visiting.
“All the children joining in and everyone doing it, it was fantastic. It leaves you with a good feeling and a clean beach,” she said.
