Inspiring Figure: Afroz Shah
Let me tell you the story of a young Indian lawyer and environmental activist who lives in Mumbai, named Afroz Shah. I learned about him in 2023 from The Angry Clean Energy Guy Podcast, with Assaad Razzouk, and have been following his work ever since.
Versova Beach: An Unfortunate Sight
Afroz’s story is a testament to the power of one person's determination to make a positive difference in the world. A lawyer during the work week, in 2015, Afroz began singlehandedly cleaning Versova Beach, one of the most polluted beaches in Mumbai, India. At the time, the beach had become a public sewer and covered in thousands of pounds of mostly plastic waste and debris.
Initially, Afroz's mission was a mostly solo endeavor. Armed with a pair of gloves and an enduring persistence, he spent several hours every weekend picking up trash, removing plastic waste, and encouraging others to join him. The piles of decomposing waste that had washed up and completely overwhelmed the city’s Versova breach were simply unbearable.
After cleaning mostly alone or together with his 84-year-old neighbor for the first three months, his regularly showing up to do the work caught the attention of local residents and volunteers who slowly began to join him in the cleanup efforts.
What started as a one-man mission soon turned into a full-fledged movement. Afroz Shah's initiative, known as the "Versova Beach Cleanup," gained widespread attention and support. Volunteers from all walks of life, including students, professionals, and community members, flocked to the beach to lend a hand in the cleanup efforts.
Companies like Adidas and Dow started sponsoring, and some even provided machinery, trucks, and heavy equipment which was needed to sort through, collect, and transport the trash.
Through their steady work, Afroz and his followers eventually returned the beach to its natural beauty, and ocean turtles began to come back to the beach to hatch.
In just a few years, this grassroots movement had transformed the beach from a dumping ground into a pristine coastline, sparking a sense of pride and ownership among the local community. The transformation of Versova Beach became a symbol of what collective action and dedication to the environment can achieve.
While maintaining his day-to-day employment and career as a lawyer, Afroz Shah has since become a symbol of hope and change in the fight against plastic pollution and beach litter. He received numerous accolades and awards for his environmental work, including the United Nations' Champion of the Earth award in 2016. His story also inspired similar cleanup movements in other parts of India and around the world.
A Sense of Duty
Afroz Shah's work extends beyond the physical cleanup of beaches. He recognizes the importance of advocacy and education in the fight against plastic pollution. Through workshops, seminars, and public awareness campaigns, he educates people about the environmental impact of single-use plastics and the need for sustainable living, as well as a shared responsibility in civic engagement. One of his mantras is “Do more, talk less”.
Afroz Shah's journey from a single individual cleaning a polluted beach on his spare time to an international symbol of environmental activism is deeply inspiring. His dedication to cleaning up and his commitment to education remind us that every one of us has the power to make a difference. In his words, “there are people who sit with pen and paper in front of a camera their whole lives and nothing changes. Ten years later the problem is still there.”
The Afroz Shah Foundation
In 2023, Afroz started the Afroz Shah Foundation, to channel efforts toward on-the-ground action: their stated goals are tackling global warming, beating plastic pollution, promoting a circular economy, and creating leaders from the local community.
Importantly, Afroz raises awareness about the three main stages through which stuff and disposable items go through:
The pre-litter stage. At this stage, it is important to reduce what ultimately becomes garbage, through strategies such as buying products in refillable containers, or with limited to no unnecessary packaging.
In the litter stage, the emphasis is on creating waste management systems in communities, where there is no waste management and there is no human-ocean and human-animal conflict. Additionally, it is important to train local communities in keeping plastic uncontaminated, enabling the collection and segregation of plastic, and avoiding burning plastic.
Finally, in the post-litter stage, the foundation’s work is conducting beach and ocean cleanups, plus cleanups of mangroves, and specific areas.
Afroz Shah's story is a shining example of how ordinary people can achieve extraordinary feats when they are driven by passion and a sense of responsibility towards the world around us, and they consistently put in the work that is necessary to attract followers and lead to change.
Sources:
ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Episode 63 - May 2023
The HrishiKay Sessions Podcast - July 2022
