Translator: Quyen Nguyen Reviewer: Giovannie Torres
City of Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities
in the world.
The sea, the sand, Table Mountain and more sea.
(laughter)
But today I have to bring you some sad news.
Cape Town is in danger.
Of what? Might you ask, sir.
Litter, littering, litter and more litter.
Who litters?
Look to your left. (laughter)
Look to your left.
What do we litter?
Plastics, packages, and paper.
(Takes a piece of paper out of his backpocket)
(Sound of paper being crushed)
So so easy to litter
and the devastating journey of the paper begins.
This piece of paper may land up at your doorstep.
This piece of paper may land up in your backyard.
And this paper will definitely land up in your Olympic swimming pool sir.
(laughter)
(whistle)
And the journey of the litter begins.
But... What can we do?
If one person picks up one paper per day, we can make a change.
That idea is not all too new.
It started already in the 1970s,
moved onto the 80s, moved onto the 90s, moved onto the 2000s
and then notably in 2008
was the Great American Cleanup
and then the Queen of Talk Oprah Winfrey
got hold of the idea and it was transcended into a whole global audience.
Sir you might ask me
we in South Africa, is there any local success stories?
And I would say 'yes'.
Once upon a time, 20 kilometers outside of Cape Town,
in a place called Bonteheuwel.
If you sir go to your holiday, taking the N2
to Cape Town International Airport, Bonteheuwel will be on your left.
Just follow the billboard.
Bonteheuwel was built as a garden city with street names like
Honey Blossom, Honeysuckle Wild Blossom and Blue Gum.
Bonteheuwel translated from Afrikaans into English means 'Colorful Hill.'
But Bonteheuwel let one one one big problem... Littering!
Well, let's hear what the Mail & Guardian
had to say about a project that changed
Bonteheuwel's whole existence and being.
Well, headline, (laughter)
'community cleans up
creating a buzz while doing it.'
Bonteheuwel is characterized by major gang wars,
high unemployment, poverty, and now even environmental degradation.
Changes we needed with one mess of cleanup campaign.
But they also needed to be a mindset change
that people had to realize that they do not have to live in a place
where people just dump without any sense of the neighbor
and the environment.
And seeing that litter is just a normal part of life.
Then 'No Messing in Bonteheuwel' was born.
And me, being the project facilitator for 10 years of the project,
sure the major changes in the environment
and into the mindset of the people.
But in the back of my mind while implementing this project
I knew this project will go and transcend far beyond
the boundaries of Bonteheuwel.
And yes, Bonteheuwel, 'No Messing in Bonteheuwel',
want the United Nations award for the best practice
in environmental citizenship.
(applaud)
But the success was major far beyond debt even,
because I had to bring the idea that could galvanize
young, old, female, male, I think just the whole community
to one idea that wouldn't sound mad
and really sir that wouldn't could let me getting killed in Bonteheuwel
taking that idea to the people. (laughter)
But we need action, action, action.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, for my left handside
that does not know how to pick up a paper
I will demonstrate.
(laughter)
(applaud)
First, look at the paper. (laughter)
Yes, I see it. (laughter)
Bend you knees real low.
How low can you go?
(laughter)
(picks up the paper)
(applaud)
Forward the idea of one paper, forward.
Forward the idea of one paper one person, forward.
(applaud)
And lastly I salute you,
one paper, one person, one planet.
I thank you.
(applaud)