In Cape Town’s Black River, a group of superheroes are hard at work. Slipping on their protective suits and sun hats, Georgia McTaggart and her crew don’t quite resemble the crime-fighting characters who frequent comic book covers. Yet, they’re equally courageous. Gripping an empty garbage bag and a rake, they probe the treacherous terrain and extract hazardous pollutants. After a gruelling couple of hours, they toss the last of the malignant material into a pile and grin. This isn’t just their job – it’s their duty.
After realising the damaging effects her lifestyle had on the environment, McTaggart began recycling, buying zero-waste products, and picking up rubbish wherever she could. But she knew she could do more. So in 2018, McTaggart founded Help Up, a community initiative that’s cleaning the city’s most polluted areas and creating economic opportunities for homeless and unemployed people at the same time. Each week, the Help Up team, known as Avatars, remove litter from catchment points in canals and rivers, as well as streets that have become dumping grounds. Toxic waste flows through the Black River, making these cleanups especially dangerous. Nonetheless, McTaggart and her team regularly brave the perilous streambeds to restore them to their former glory.
The cleanups have improved the quality of life of the indigenous flora and fauna, as well as the surrounding community. It has also provided over 300 destitute people with an income and purpose, instilling them with a passion for protecting nature. “It’s important for us to realise how important cleanliness is to our environment, but also for our self-worth,” McTaggart says. She demonstrates the impact lending a helping hand can have on both the earth and each other. A positive wave of change erupts from our most selfless acts.
Please sign in to leave a comment