A strong show of community spirit was demonstrated on Saturday, 16 May, when the International University of Management (IUM) Swakopmund Research, Training and Conference Centre hosted a large-scale coastal clean-up campaign under the theme “Small Actions, Big Impact.”
The initiative focused on addressing pollution, which organisers described as a significant global threat facing both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The campaign brought together 258 registered participants from across the Erongo Region, including volunteers from more than 20 organisations, schools, environmental groups, mines, and community organisations, all united in a shared effort to promote environmental sustainability and protect Swakopmund’s coastline. Participants were divided into three groups and deployed across designated cleaning routes covering approximately 16.19 kilometres along the Swakopmund coastal beach and surrounding areas. The Blue Group collected 27 bags of waste, the Pink Group collected 97 bags, and the Green Group collected 94 bags, bringing the total number of waste bags collected to 218.
Following the clean-up operation, participants returned to the IUM Swakopmund Research, Training and Conference Centre, where Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN) presented an environmental awareness talk focusing on the importance of environmental protection, marine conservation, and reducing pollution along the coastline. The session was followed by a question-and-answer discussion before volunteers were served a light meal. Organisers described the event as a major success and praised the strong public support received from community members and environmental stakeholders. “This turnout is proof of our community’s commitment to our environment,” organisers said. “To everyone who came through on Saturday, thank you. Let’s continue to do this again.” IUM Swakopmund Research, Training and Conference Centre extended sincere appreciation to all volunteers, schools, organisations, environmental stakeholders, and community members for their participation and commitment toward building a cleaner coast and healthier environment. Special appreciation was also extended to the campaign sponsors and supporters, including the Swakopmund Municipality, Plastic Packaging, Namaqua Meat Market, Mr Edwin Kamatoto, Dr Stanley Ndara, Sassa Investment CC, and Mr Ivan Marshall. Organisers additionally thanked NBC Television and various radio stations for assisting in spreading awareness ahead of the event.
By Eileen van der Schyff
