To Clean a Creak!😄

The Araguaia River is one of the biggest rivers in Brazil. It is the home to thousands of animals, like bright blue and yellow Macaws. River dolphins swim and play in the water, and there are many different colored fish.

In one town, a 13-year-old boy named Rhenan walks along the river every day. But looking at the river makes him worry because there is trash everywhere. He sees plastic bottles, old clothing, and empty food packages. The water looks dark and ugly. 

At school, Rhenan asks about the dirty river. “You wouldn’t want trash in your house,” says his teacher. “Think about the poor animals!” For days, Rhenan couldn’t stop thinking about the river. It doesn’t seem right to him that this big, powerful river is filled with trash. “It’s hurting the animals in my area,” he thinks. “And it’s also hurting the families who live here.” Then Rhenan has an idea. 

The next morning, Rhenan talks to his mother about his plan for the river. He wants to go around his town and ask for everyone’s help. Maybe if they all work together, they could clean up the river! Rhenan’s mother loves his idea, “I believe the most important thing for you, Rhenan, is learning how to change things that you care about. That will stay with you forever.” She tells him she will help him all along the way.

The next day, Rhenan goes to the police department. And then he goes to the Mayor’s office. He visits other schools, and offices, and businesses. Soon he has a very big group of people who like his idea! They all decide to meet at the river the next week. On the day of the river cleanup, Rhenan is excited - but he is also nervous. What if no one shows up? But when he and his mother arrive, there are almost a hundred people there, including many of Rhenan's friends.

Over an entire day, they all work together to clean up the trash. They pick it up off the shore of the bank and pull it out of the water. When they are done, they have picked up almost a tonne of trash - that’s the same weight as a car! As they work, Rhenan notices how everyone is laughing and smiling. “It feels good to help our community,” he thinks.

Once they have finished cleaning, they all talk in a big group. “We want to stop this problem from happening again,” says one woman. The town decides to start with education. They want to teach everyone why throwing trash in the river is harmful. They also plan to help the river by planting more trees along the riverbank for birds and insects to live in.

At the end of the day, everyone starts to applaud. They’re proud of the change that they’ve made - and the river rushes along beside them, clean and clear. “We wouldn’t have done it without you,” they say to Rhenan. “Thank you for inspiring us to create change! What should we do together next?”