On Friday, the 6^th of January 2023, four staffs from the Red Cross and ECD visited Tobwaraoi Community at Nanikaai. The purpose of the visit involves a consultation meeting on how the community has maintained the cleanliness of their beach.

Tobwaraoi Community has one of the cleanest beaches on South Tarawa and the community has been sustainably managing the cleanliness of their beach for a commendable period of seven consecutive years. With the community’s full cooperation and perseverance as well as having their own constitution for designating each community member with a beach boundary to clean up, Tobwaraoi has been able to maintain a reputation for the cleanliness of their beach.

The community’s targets in maintaining their beach clean-ups include the protection of the ocean and marine life especially fish, which is their major food source, and preventing open defecation from the general public. Tourism is one of the main goals of this small community which they hope to achieve in the near future. By maintaining their coastal clean-ups, the practice has now become part of their everyday lives and has changed their behavior in relation to their waste management.  

ECD acknowledges and appreciates the community’s persevering efforts as it is from their full cooperation that a unique and good example is set, on how a community can get together to make a cleaner and healthier environment.