Kiribati SDA Youth Take Action for a Cleaner Environment

On Sunday, March 26th, 2023, around 50+ youths from the Tarawa Adventist Church on South Tarawa and Betio, along with members of the SDA Kiribati Mission, participated in a clean-up at the Ananau Causeway. The event was part of their community service and a way to demonstrate their love and commitment in keeping their environment clean.

In total, 120 green bags were used to collect waste and debris from the area. The clean-up initiative was supported by the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development - Environment and Conservation Division (MELAD-ECD) in Kiribati, which provided cleaning gloves and staff to attend and take part in the event.

The clean-up was also a closing activity for the Week of Prayer theme, "Love Is a Verb," which encouraged youth to act on their love for the environment and take responsibility as good citizens of Kiribati. The youth emphasized the importance of reminding and encouraging their peers to cultivate and protect the environment, citing the biblical mandate from Genesis 2:15 to "cultivate and keep" the Earth.

The SDA Kiribati Mission President, Pastor Taabua Rokeatau, and Secretary, Pastor Titau Tavita, along with church ministers, laymen, and youth advisors from each SDA church branch on Tarawa and Betio, also participated in the event.

The initiative is one of several clean-up activities supported by MELAD-ECD, and the organization expressed its gratitude towards the SDA youth for their efforts in keeping the environment clean. The organization also expressed its eagerness to work with the SDA youth in the future.

The MELAD-ECD team thanked the SDA youth and noted that the event was a success which demonstrated the youth's commitment to the environment and their community. The MELAD-ECD was encouraged saying that the SDA church and its members were an excellent example for other organizations and individuals to follow in their efforts to keep the environment clean and safe for all.