By Nelet Kok

The green topic is a heavy one. How do we, as humans, clean up the mess that we’ve made over the past decades. The selling point of plastics, years ago my mum told me, is that it is indestructible and that it lasts forever. Now look at it.

I had to close a video about a story on the pollution in the Yamuna river, that runs through Delhi, India that I just watched. It makes me nauseous.
 
I try to be greener: I recycle. I’ve extended my laundry cycle. I drink from a glass bottle but I still drive a car, which I guess defeats the purpose of all of the above.
 
But I do believe that change is possible and that if every human makes the decision to change his/ her lifestyle to take the environment into account, it will create a snowball effect of change and hope, of nature and a future filled with wild animals, forests, mangroves and less pollution.
 
At Tshepo Community Development Initiative our decisions have big consequences. It’s ultimately supposed to influence, guide and support people, so no decision is an easy one. The decision to renew our car wash and establish a “green” carwash, was a well thought out process.
 
A waterless carwash uses less water, specific product and soft cloths to clean the cars. The product do not erode or damage the paint and is specially formulated to clean the toughest of car dirt.
 
This is another step for Tshepo, as we do try to take steps for a greener and more sustainable environment: we have an organic vegetable garden, we produce our own compost, we have a small nursery and the wood that Simphiwe and Devana uses for their furniture and planting boxes are many times leftover pallets.
 
Our attempt to establish a greener future is now in its second week: please support our waterless carwash and come meet Pumulani and his team!
 
This is a cool team with cool stories, but that’s a story for another day.