The Paddle for Hope team has reached Nanukuloa Village in Rakiraki, where it will participate in the signing of a covenant between the church, Vanua and the Provincial Office to protect the land and sea from single-use plastic waste.
The team will leave for Tailevu later today, carrying out clean-up activities along the way and sharing a message that protecting Fiji’s ocean begins with the actions people take in their homes and communities.
The stand up paddlers also took their SUPs ashore for a clean-up at Ellington Wharf last week, where they spent 45 minutes collecting waste along the waterfront.
In that short time, the team filled 12 bags with aluminium cans and plastic waste, which were then collected by the land team for proper disposal.
The Paddle for Hope stand-up paddlers began their more than 500-kilometre journey around Viti Levu earlier this month from the National Sailing Centre in Suva. The journey has taken them through Suva, Navua, Pacific Harbour, Sigatoka, Nadi, Lautoka, Ba, Tavua and now in Rakiraki.
The initiative is part of SUP Against SUP, which stands for Stand Up Paddling Against Single-Use Plastics. It uses the Paddle for Hope journey to raise awareness about plastic pollution while promoting cleaner oceans and healthier communities.
The Paddle for Hope team says the journey continues to encourage communities to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics and take greater responsibility for protecting the environment.
The team is now entering the final week of its journey and is expected to return to Suva this Sunday.
