On the early morning of 25 July 2026, from 6:00 am to 9:00 am, Nei Mom Uprising brought women and children together for a Coastal Cleanup, taking action to protect the beaches and ocean that sustain our island communities.
The cleanup collected an impressive 27 green bags filled with rubbish from the coastline—a reminder of the amount of waste that can accumulate along our shores and threaten the health and beauty of our marine environment.
But this activity was about much more than collecting rubbish. As people of Kiribati, we are custodians of the ocean. Our ocean is part of our identity, our food security, our livelihoods, our culture and the future we will leave to our children.
That is why involving children was especially important. Through hands-on participation, we taught our children that caring for the ocean is everyone's responsibility. Environmental stewardship begins at a young age, and when children learn to respect their beaches and ocean today, they can become the custodians and environmental leaders of tomorrow.
We ended the morning with refreshments and small gifts for the children who joined the cleanup—a simple way of recognising their contribution and encouraging them to continue caring for their environment.
Kam rabwa to everyone who made the activity a success, especially our young ocean custodians!
“Together, we can nurture our ocean, protect our beaches, and keep Kiribati Te Boboto healthy, clean and beautiful for tomorrow.”
Our Ocean. Our Responsibility. Our Future.
