Have you ever visited Bali, enjoyed the gorgeous landscape and the energy of the beautiful people, and thought...I'll just pretend not to see the huge plastic waste problem? I'll just crop this section out of my Instagram photos. Happy days!
Many people travel to countries like Indonesia and ignore and/or contribute to this epic issue. That's what makes today's guest so exceptional...
Kelly Bencheghib, co-founder of Sungai Watch has dedicated the last 14 years of her life to solving this overwhelming problem. With her two brothers, these French-born siblings have organized over 550 community cleans ups and have installed 180 river barriers collecting over 1000 tons of plastic from Balinese rivers and are now turning that plastic into furniture. They have cleaned up mangroves, are seeing animals now coming back to their native habitats, and recently transformed an illegal dumping ground into a bed of 1600 toxin-sucking sunflowers that will clean up the soil.
In 2021 Kelly was selected as one of Grazia magazine's most influential women in the category of HOPE and her tranquil energy and persistence shine through this conversation. Sungai Watch's work is a testament to the power of running with her young idealistic visions and energy. It shows what can happen when you let your adult self take your idealism seriously.
MUSIC: Emma Davis & Aidan Roberts