I CREATE... Impactful Environmental Campaigns | Activist Filmmaker Gary Bencheghib

Meet the change maker who paddled down the most polluted river on earth, on plastic bottles…

Gary is a creative activist on a journey to save our world from plastic pollution.

His craft is nothing but a kayak made from the very material he’s waging war on. 

River savior and plastic sailor, he proves his words with actions. 

A decade ago, Gary and his siblings started beach clean ups here in Bali. As they quickly realised the need for a media weapon to spread the word, he thus studied video making at the New York Film Academy.

What started as a local student initiative became a worldwide organization solving a global issue: Make A Change World.

Among other Dantean projects, his brother Sam recently ran across the US, from NYC to LA. 3,055 miles from ocean to ocean, showing how every step matters in saving our oceans from plastic pollution.

Gary & Sam in their up-cycled kayaks, Citarum river, Indonesia

Sam running across the US against plastic pollution

Their vision “No idea is crazy enough to change the world”, inspires a change as big as their actions.

While Gary and Sam take on challenges around the world, their sister Kelly keeps them together and focused. Editing videos and running the media side of things from the french capital, big sister is watching the mission.

The family business’ coordination illustrates Gary’s best advice regarding activism and creativity: among all the ideas, pick one and stay focused. 

“If everybody out there chose one thing that they’re good at, we would make way more impact… So, for me it’s rivers.”

Indeed, the word is taken seriously.

They’ve created Sungai Watch: The first global open-source river clean up platform.

Sungaiwatch will be sharing blueprints and tutorial videos to teach how to build river barriers and share good practices to solve plastic pollution.

If that’s not worth spending your time doing, what is?

Watch Gary Bencheghib’s I CREATE feature:

 

The Bencheghib’s mission is as honourable as the means they employ are breathtaking.

If you want to take clean breaths in a bright plastic-free future, you can support their projects on the links below.