073 / Wilayut, Sidoarjo, East Java
Ratih is one of activists of Gerobak Pustaka Wilayut Community, which is located at Wilayut Village, Sidoarjo, East Java. There are no structured waste management in the village yet like Waste Bank or Waste Management Center. That’s why, plastic waste is a big issue in the village currently.
The children in the village daily activities are quite busy. After they finished their school hours, they will continue to attend the praying course and learning support courses such as Mathematics and Science. The children arrive home tired and still have to do their homework before they go to sleep.
It’s a big challenge for Ratih to encourage the children to participate in the community’s activities. But, she doesn’t give up and keep passionate to educate and share knowledge with the children on the weekend or holiday time.
The Zero Waste School Program from Green-Books.org offered interactive activities, so the children weren’t bored and excited to learn about the danger of plastic to marine ecosystem and reducing single use plastic consumption on a daily basis. The guidelines are very clear, which helped Ratih in the learning process.
Ratih hopes the children in her village can play an active role on reducing plastic consumption, managing waste responsibly, and making a good habit of bringing their own water bottle and shopping bag.