By Tyrone Bennett | CEO of Action Change
G'Day to our eco-warriors and champions of the planet,
There is a breath of fresh air today that I just have to share with you. For years, we have been sounding the alarm about our environment, but here is a massive win that we can all celebrate together: the ozone layer is officially recovering faster than expected and new projections are for it to be recovered by 2040 (10 years earlier than expected!) It is not often that we get to celebrate such a significant environmental victory, and it is proof that when we work together, we can actually turn the tide.
However, as much as we celebrate this win, we cannot afford to slow down. While the ozone is healing, my daily travels through townships in South Africa and Zimbabwe tell a different story. The amount of plastic and waste I see accumulating is a stark reminder that our work on the ground is more critical than ever. We need to turn that local momentum into a global movement.
Building on the foundation we laid last year, we are ready to scale our zero waste ambition. Our goal is nothing short of revolutionary: we are transitioning our entire feeding program to be completely zero waste. That means replacing single-use plastics with durable plates, bowls, cups, and water bottles for over 20,000 children. Every veggie garden we plant and every chicken farm we launch at our partner schools is another step away from the grocery store packaging that fuels this waste crisis.
We have identified five schools across Latin America and Africa where we will be installing brand-new recycling centers. But we are doing this the smart way. We are conducting intensive outreach and education first, ensuring that these centers will be loved, used, and effective from day one. An empty bin is a missed opportunity, so we are committed to building the culture before we build the infrastructure.
We have a massive opportunity to fuel this momentum next week. From March 17th to the 20th, we are participating in the Little by Little campaign. Because GlobalGiving is matching donations up to 50 dollars at 50 percent, your gift makes a disproportionate impact. A 50 dollar donation turns into 75 dollars, which is enough for us to train a new local waste management expert and give them a kickstart pack to run two high-impact workshops in local schools. That is 50 to 100 children and their teachers gaining the tools to change their community forever!
Please mark your calendars for March 17th and consider sharing our mission with your network. And remember, you do not have to just donate to be a part of this. We are looking for people to host quiz nights, run a local marathon, or organize a fun run in their own communities to help us reach our goals. Let us make 2026 the year we truly take ownership of our environment.
Together, we are making a difference one item at a time. Thank you for always being in our corner.
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