ASEZ WAO in Namibia Introduces “No More GPGP” Campaign on Broadcast

On January 14, 2020, the ASEZ WAO (World Mission Society Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group) was invited to appear on Namibia’s local radio station National Radio. The ASEZ WAO members introduced their activities to combat global warming and their effort to decrease pollution within the global environment.

During the broadcast, members announced their next cleanup which would focus on eliminating plastic waste. This cleanup, as part of the “No More GPGP [Great Pacific Garbage Patch]” campaign, would take place two days later in Okahandja. On January 16, thirty-two volunteers, composed of ASEZ WAO members and local citizens, gathered at Okahandja Five Rand to participate in the cleanup. One local citizen who joined the cleanup after hearing the radio broadcast remarked, “I was very intrigued, hearing about ASEZ WAO’s actions. I also wanted to join in saving the planet.” Another resident who observed the volunteer activity and noticed ASEZ WAO members from Korea expressed, “No one has ever thought of doing this. It’s amazing and impressive to see people from another country come here and do this type of volunteer service.” At the culmination of the event, the enthusiasm and tireless efforts of all the participants led to the successful collection of 105 bags of plastic waste.

Four days later on January 20, the ASEZ WAO members appeared on the TV program Good Morning Namibia to introduce the “No More GPGP” campaign and promote public awareness to the serious topic of global plastic pollution. Bae So-Jeong from Suwon, Korea, who was the spokesperson of the ASEZ WAO expressed her excitement in speaking on behalf of the organization and its efforts in Okahandja. When asked about her experience that solidified her commitment to ASEZ WAO, she said, “It was a phenomenal experience for me to appear on TV in Namibia as a Korean person. All environmental issues must be dealt with together. ASEZ WAO will continue to take steps to solve environmental problems with a unified mind through various activities such as campaigns, seminars, and forums.”

The Ministry of Environment in Namibia was also greatly moved by the ASEZ WAO activities. They were so encouraged by their efforts that they agreed to actively support ASEZ WAO activities in the future. As a result, Windhoek City Hall held a meeting with the ASEZ WAO members on the 21st to discuss their shared vision and future collaborative opportunities.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch [GPGP] is a large, plastic island in the Pacific Ocean where 1.8 trillion plastic wastes are piled up. ASEZ WAO carries out street cleanups and conducts environmental awareness activities based on the slogan “No More GPGP.”