Living in Taganga these past few months has been an eye-opening experience. To be completely honest, I imagined myself feeling more connected to the community and making a more meaningful impact.
I’ve been reflecting on where I’ve been showing up as mediocre in my life, and I have to admit that my focus on our non-profit has been one of those areas. Despite my commitment, I felt like I wasn’t living up to the vision I had for our mission.
Yet, when I recently spoke to a close friend, my soul brother, and my right-hand man in our non-profit, Andy Bayon. We took a moment to reflect on our journey. Over the past six years, we’ve sponsored and created a minimum of 300 clean-ups in 11 different countries, involving over 200 volunteers at our peak. Even with these accomplishments, I still found myself yearning for more—more connection, more impact, and a greater sense of purpose. This realization sparked a renewed commitment to show up fully, starting with our latest CleanPlanet Day in Taganga.
Clean-Up Hike in Taganga
This past Saturday, I promoted our clean-up hike through various WhatsApp groups, inviting people to join our local clean-up community. I’m excited to share that our group is growing, now with 35 dedicated members! We started our day bright and early at 7 a.m., ready to make a difference in our beautiful town of Taganga, Colombia.
Joining us was Ms. Alejandra from @transformado_3d, an incredible artist who specializes in creating art from trash. Alejandra guided us on how to better separate our collected waste, turning our clean-up into an educational experience.
Each volunteer was assigned a specific type of trash to collect, and together, we tackled the streets and trails of Taganga, cleaning as we hiked.
By 8:30 a.m., our small but mighty group of seven had filled 10 bags with waste, carefully sorted and separated. This time, our efforts went beyond just picking up trash.
Thanks to a new local recycling organization, the recycled goods we collected were repurposed or sold instead of ending up in landfills. Alejandra also collected plastic caps for her creative art projects, turning what was once waste into something beautiful.
Building Community and New Traditions
After the clean-up, I invited everyone to share a traditional regional snack called arepa de huevo. It was a simple yet heartwarming way to connect and celebrate our efforts together.
As we parted ways, I did something I’d never done before—I created a feedback form, thanking everyone for their participation and encouraging them to share their thoughts on how we could make an even bigger impact.
In the feedback form, I invited participants to join our leadership team, which meets every Monday for 30 minutes to brainstorm and support each community leader. I also asked for suggestions on how to better engage with the community and how we could expand our efforts in the future.
My hope is that this CleanPlanet Day marks the beginning of a larger movement in Taganga, with more leaders stepping up to work in their local areas.
Looking Ahead: A Call to Action
This CleanPlanet Day was a reminder that even small actions can have a profound impact. It was about more than just picking up trash; it was about connecting with others, learning, and building something meaningful together. It felt good to finally get the logistics right, to support local recycling efforts, and to see our waste separated and repurposed.
As I reflect on this experience, I am reminded that the journey to making a difference is often slow and full of challenges, but it is also filled with opportunities to grow, learn, and inspire. This clean-up hike may have been just one small event, but it represents a renewed commitment to our mission and a vision of what we can achieve when we come together as a community.
Thank you to everyone who participated, and to those who have supported our efforts from near and far. If you’re interested in joining us, contributing ideas, or becoming a leader in your local area, please reach out.
Together, we can make a lasting impact, one clean-up at a time.
Let’s continue to show up, take action, and inspire others to do the same. May this be the start of something even bigger for Taganga and beyond.
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