Shillong, Sep 27: It started with one man picking up trash in 2016. Ten years later, Project Clean Surrounding has cleared over 10 lakh kilograms of waste from Shillong.
The project, started by Jefferson Kynjing and registered with the Shillong Municipal Board in 2018, celebrated its 10th anniversary on Saturday.
Founder Jefferson Kynjing said the mission is simple – “We clean because we care.”
In a decade, the small team has collected 10,31,726 kg of waste, planted over 13,000 saplings, reached 62 schools and 15,000 students, cleaned 7 rivers and streams, and turned waste into help for the needy with food, ration and clothes.
What makes the story different is who is behind it – recovered and recovering alcoholics rebuilding their lives through service.
“Recovery is not only about leaving something behind, it is also about finding a purpose worth living for,” Kynjing said.
He told Highland Post that the journey was not easy. The team had no office, no storage and for long, no vehicle. The vehicle finally given by the Municipal Board was an old wet-waste vehicle that often broke down, but they managed.
His message to youth who say they are jobless – remove pride and laziness, start small and stand on your own feet.
He also warned that besides Wah Umkhrah and Umshyrpi, rivers like Umkhen in Happy Valley and Umthum Thum in Mawlai are now at risk due to careless littering.
His bottom line – if everyone takes responsibility for their surroundings, Meghalaya will be clean.
