His early worries about waste made Giri Marhara one of today's most inspiring environmental activists.
This young guy, often called Hara, inherited his passion for the environment from his parents.
"My mom teaches at IPB in the conservation field, so from a young age, I was taught not to litter and to protect ecosystems," Hara shared, quoted from Tribun Lampung.
So, how did Marhara’s journey as a clean-up hero begin? Let’s dive into his story, Seasians!
Marhara’s Journey and Challenges as a Clean-Up Enthusiast
Giri Marhara’s clean-up journey started as a junior high school student.
According to kumparan.com, Hara was shocked to see how disrespectful people were towards cleanliness.
His classmates often skipped cleaning duties and didn’t care about keeping the environment clean. This habit stirred something inside Hara.
So, he took matters into his own hands, cleaning the school outside his assigned schedule.
Then, during a school assembly, he rallied all his friends to help him tackle the trash problem.
Read also: Pandawara Group Named People of The Year 2024: The Environmental Guardians from Indonesia
The movement received a positive response! Soon after, more students joined the cleaning roster, and the Avian Sanitizing Force (ASF) was born—a team with a mission to sanitize and manage waste properly.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Hara faced different reactions: some people were super supportive, others just ignored him, and a few responded negatively. Still, he never gave up.
Marhara’s Environmental Initiatives
With big dreams and even bigger determination, Giri Marhara started several community-driven programs and projects. Here are some of his awesome initiatives:
Founding the Alcedo Sanitizing Force (ASF)
Alcedo Sanitizing Force was Hara’s first non-profit organization. He created it with his junior high friends to focus on sanitation and waste management. By 2020, ASF had collected over 2 tons of waste!
Cleaning Up Lake Situ Gede
Armed with just a kayak and a trash grabber, Hara built the Situ Gede Clean-Up Warriors community.
They didn’t just pick up trash — they also sorted it for recycling.
Hara and his team collected more than 2,700 kg of waste from this effort alone!
Plogging Around Situ Gede
Hara also took plogging (picking up trash while jogging or cycling) to the next level!
He shared his adventures on his TikTok account (haramarhara), showing that cleaning up can be fun too.
“And don’t forget to have fun — always enjoy what you do!” he said at the end of his 1-minute video.
Campaigning Through Social Media
Hara is not just active on the ground; he also uses social media to spread his message.
By using hashtags like #cleanupculture and #plogging, he reaches and inspires even more young people to join the movement.
Collaborating in Muaragembong, Bekasi
Hara also joined the Clean Up and Dissemination project in Muaragembong, Bekasi, helping communities build better waste management facilities.
He participated in a massive clean-up in the Saung Alas mangrove conservation area, where around 500 kg of trash was removed!
“There’s a substantial amount of waste entangled in the mangrove roots. It’s deeply embedded into the landscape, meaning it’s been there for a long time. It requires substantial effort to remove it— the efforts that wouldn’t be necessary if we disposed of waste correctly from the beginning,” Hara said, as quoted from tempo.co.
So, what do you think, Seasians?
It turns out that change can start with the smallest actions, just like Giri Marhara did—picking up a single piece of trash can grow into a powerful movement to save our planet!
References:
TikTok. (n.d.). Giri Marhara cleaning up Lake Situ Gede. https://www.tiktok.com/@haramarhara/video/7120834600464551195
DAAI TV. (n.d.). Unik, Pemuda Asal Bogor Kumpulkan 2.700 Kg Sampah dari Danau Pakai Kayak. https://daaitv.co.id/DAAI-WP/unik-pemuda-asal-bogor-kumpulkan-2-700-kg-sampah-dari-danau-pakai-kayak/
Geograph ID. (n.d.). Marhara the Sanitizer: Dedikasi Tinggi untuk Bersih-Bersih Lingkungan. https://geograph.id/marhara-the-sanitizer-dedikasi-tinggi-untuk-bersih-bersih-lingkungan/
Tempo English. (2024). Impactful Steps for a Sustainable Coastline: Clean Up and Dissemination in Muaragembong, Bekasi. https://en.tempo.co/read/1944477/impactful-steps-for-a-sustainable-coastline-clean-up-and-dissemination-in-muaragembong-bekasi
Kumparan News. (n.d.). Giri Marhara, Hidup Berkubang Sampah. https://kumparan.com/kumparannews/giri-marhara-hidup-berkubang-sampah
