Group Cleans up Saweni Beach
Rubbish thrown along the Saweni beach in Lautoka has become an eyesore for Catriona Ainsworth that she decided to do something about it.
Having lived in Fiji for five years, the Australian national considers Fiji her second home. Ms Ainsworth said the broken bottles and rubbish scattered along the beach was an unbearable sight.
“Back in Australia they don’t even provide rubbish bins anymore on the beach, everyone has to take their rubbish home so I’m not used to seeing so much rubbish strewn around,” she said.
“If you come here and sit, you’re just surrounded with rubbish and broken glass and I kept saying I would never be able to bring my grandchildren here because of the broken glass and the other thing is the plastic in the sea, that’s not good for the marine life.”
She said her husband, Sunia Ramatau, posted a poster on Facebook appealing for assistance and a group of nine joined the cause from 8am until midday last Friday. “This was my little way of serving two purposes to clean up the beach and give them $20 each, lunch and transportation, but I really wanted to get this beach cleaned up. So we thought to set up a barter system and do Wailoaloa beach next, but we will get this one done first then we’ll see,” she said. Ms Ainsworth said she considered herself lucky to still be working during this COVID-19 period.
“I work remotely for multicultural aged care and I do marketing and communications, it doesn’t matter where I am, I can still do my job so I’m lucky I can continue to work,” she said.