Picking Up Trash... In Dresses.


Sun, Sea, Sky and Rubbish (lots of rubbish) 

in Sri Lanka.


The other day Delogina a 10 year old girl from the children’s home comes to my door. She sits down in front of me and points at her wounded foot. I see a cut slashed into the middle arch. 

"Ouch” I said.


I went inside and pulled out one of the many trusty Project COLORS 1st aid kits and dress her wound.


I think back to South Africa and how I’ve encountered this same scene countless times before. Wherever in the world I go, children seem to have a 6th sense to know that I must be a walking pharmacy ,as they are always quick to show me any cut, bruise, fungus or lice they have. Oddly enough, I generally have some quick fix solution at hand, not sure if that’s lucky for me or for them.


I look at Delogina’s foot again and say “How did this happen”? She walked with me behind my little cottage on the path leading to the girl’s home I am working at here in Sri Lanka.


She points at a pile of broken glass and jagged metal strewn about the sand. I can just envision her, as well as the other children running through this danger zone each time they come to see me, which is several times a day. 



We both start to pick some of it up but I realize the shards are actually everywhere and I mean just everywhere.


Later on in the day the youth arrive for their leadership workshop.


In the workshop we are brain storming the many community projects that could be created here in their own community.  An exciting list of garden creation, teaching skills, street dog care and visiting patients in the hospital was created. I said “so what is a project we can take action on this week”?


They all look at me with blank stares, thinking like; ‘you mean something we actually do’?


Sujan then says “the trash sister….we can make here pretty”.The girls all agree, “Yeah we can do it now. Our project …right NOW sister” (apparently ‘sister ‘ is my name here).


‘Right now? OK perfect’ I thought. I quickly showed them the pieces of glass we picked that morning at the children's home and explained about Delogina’s cut foot. 


I suggested we start with picking up the glass and dangerous items in the walking/playing areas first.


You’re in for a shock when you see what we found in the children’s play yard! These images speak for themselves!


Broken glass, jagged metal can lids, a compass from a math setwith its pointy end peaking up from the sand just ready forimpaling some unsuspecting foot…..and a knife....yes a knife …and a not so threatening spoon among many other wonders ofthe play yard.




As there is no trash pickup in this area the kids go to throw it all in the trash pile in the bushes next to the home. I quickly explain that throwing it in the children’s home trash pile is still a danger as these items will not burn away like the other trash burned daily. You see in the air where we live in Sri Lanka everyone burns their trash. I taught them to dig a deep hole and bury these dangerous objects.


Once the final shovel of sand was tossed safely enclosing their treasures of pending foot doom, they looked at me so proud of themselves. They laughed and said “sister photo, photo of our community project!!!  Photo!”


I snap this proud moment and then we go back to the workshop and reflect on what they did and why it was important. I suggestthat this project is a very good one and perhaps should be an ongoing effort. I asked for ideas how they could expand their project. Sangitta says “the beach, the beach …many dangerous things, many children playing”.


The next day we expand our project to the beach….and oh the wonders we found there!


The piles of glass were endless and mounds of plastic bottles and old fishing nets in heaps as if they should be sea weed.


We decided to only pick up the broken  glass, syringes and jagged cans to safely discard….bury the fishing nets and have a separate bag for plastic bottles which we could reuse to make crafts with later.  


The amount of trash was very discouraging but the kids were now very excited about the musical shakers, planters, bracelets and watering cans we could now make from the bottles.



As the girls dresses flowed in the wind, tangling with the trash, sun, sea and sky… I thought what a beautiful yet disturbing scene. So much beautiful landscape entwined with the massive amounts of trash and also destruction from the tsunami.



Note: This project was apart of the Project COLORS, Agents of Change youth leadership program. 
Www.projectcolors.com

By Sunyata Choyce



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