The river had always been there, flowing through their town like a silent witness to time. But over the years, something had changed. Plastic, old furniture, even construction waste had turned its banks into a dumping ground. It was easy to look away—until a group of young people decided they wouldn’t.
They weren’t waiting for someone else to fix the problem. They were stepping up to lead.
The Call for Local Ambassadors
In the framework of the MELI Project, supported by Leviz Albania and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), RESU launched an open call for local ambassadors—young people who would become the voice of their community and the first line of defense for their environment.
The mission?
✔ Raise awareness about pollution in their own neighborhoods.
✔ Work directly with residents to find solutions.
✔ Monitor illegal dumping sites along the Ishmi River.
When the call went out, the response was overwhelming. Youth from Laknas, Kamëz, and surrounding areas signed up, eager to be part of something bigger than themselves.
The First Task: Mapping the Problem
Before solutions could be found, the problem had to be understood. The newly selected local ambassadors, together with the RESU team, set out on their first field mission: walking the riverbanks to identify illegal dumping sites.
With notebooks and phones in hand, they recorded everything.
- Where was the waste coming from?
- What kind of waste was being dumped?
- Who was responsible?
Over the course of several weeks, the team mapped 12 illegal dumping sites, marking locations that had become hotspots for waste. Some were ‘source points’—places where businesses or families regularly dumped trash. Others were ‘non-source’ sites, areas where the river itself had carried waste from upstream.
The more they walked, the more they realized how deep the problem went. Some of these sites had been ignored for years.
Beyond Data – Taking a Stand
This wasn’t just about collecting information. It was about changing mindsets.
When residents saw young people walking through their neighborhoods with purpose—asking questions, taking notes, discussing solutions—they started paying attention. For the first time, many of them saw that this wasn’t just a government issue. It was a community issue.
The ambassadors weren’t just observers; they were becoming leaders.
This Was Just the Beginning
With data in hand and a team of motivated young people, the next steps were clear:
- Use the findings to push for action.
- Work with local residents and authorities to clean up the identified sites.
- Ensure that waste management solutions were put in place.
These young leaders weren’t waiting for someone else to clean up the mess. They were the change-makers their communities needed.
And the river? It had new guardians now.