During Vasco Saptah, students joined ARZ and the Rotary Club of Vasco Port Town for the “Save Environment, Save Vasco” drive, turning awareness into action against single-use plastic.

Instead of simply distributing awareness material, the young volunteers stepped forward and engaged directly with consumers and shopkeepers. They encouraged people to hand over their single-use plastic bags and immediately exchanged them for reusable upcycled cloth bags.

The initiative gave young people an opportunity to become active environmental ambassadors while showing how small, practical actions can create meaningful change.

Why every swap mattered

🌊 Protecting our environment
Through the POTI – Protection of Oceans, Trees & Inhabitants initiative, the campaign promotes reusable alternatives and encourages communities to reduce their dependence on single-use plastic.

👗 Giving old fabric a new life
Suitable community-donated fabrics were repurposed into reusable bags instead of being discarded.

👩‍🎨 Creating dignified livelihoods
The cloth bags were stitched by women at WISH, ARZ’s livelihood and rehabilitation unit, creating opportunities for women survivors of sex trafficking to earn and rebuild their lives with dignity and independence. The students showed that meaningful environmental action doesn’t always require big changes. One conversation, one swap and one less plastic bag can make a difference.