The Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA) successfully organized a Beach Clean-Up Campaign at Girgaon Chowpatty post Ganapati Visarjan, drawing participation from over 150 children, 8 Teachers and 10 CMCA volunteers. Armed with gloves, masks, and determination, CMCA students and volunteers cleared several tonnes of plastic waste, bottles, and non-biodegradable items from Mumbai’s shores. Beyond the clean-up, the campaign ignited meaningful conversations on marine pollution, waste segregation, and responsible civic behaviour. Participating schools included Navy Children School, Rajasthan Mahila Mandal School, Shishuvihar Madhyamik Vidyalaya. Reflecting the experience, CMCA student members shared: “When I saw so much plastic and flowers left after Ganpati Visarjan, I felt sad for the fish and turtles. Today I realized how important it is to celebrate in an eco-friendly way.” “This was my first time joining a beach clean-up. I never thought students like us could make such a big difference in just a few hours.” “We all enjoyed Ganpati festival, but now it is our duty to clean the beaches. I will tell my family to use clay idols next year.” “Picking up waste was not easy, but I felt proud that we are helping Mumbai stay clean.” “I understood that waste segregation at home can reduce so much garbage that ends up on our beaches.” The event saw active collaboration with schools, local community groups, and civic authorities, making it a true example of collective action. CMCA thanked all volunteers and partners who joined hands to protect the environment and urges citizens to continue practicing sustainable habits in their everyday lives. Brief about CMCA: Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA) is a 25-year-old non-profit, headquartered in Bangalore and a pioneer in Citizenship Education in India. Its mission is to transform the young into concerned, thinking and active citizens. This is done by engaging with young people at the grassroots in educational institutions (schools and colleges) and community spaces (libraries, skilling centers, etc) through citizenship and life skills programmes. This year alone, CMCA reached over 2.1 lakhs children and youth in over 2,681 educational institutions and rural libraries across 4 States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Odisha. For more queries, please contact: Vinodini Lulla, Trustee-CMCA, Mob: 9820638439; vinodini@cmcaindia.org Nita Ghadge, Senior Program Officer, Mob: 90288 xxxx nita.gadge@cmcaindia.org Prachi Gupta, Senior Program Associate, Mob: 9833xxxxxx prachi@cmcaindia.org to maintain
