We cleaned up our village - two weeks later, the trash is back

A few weeks ago, my wife and I sat down with local officials here in Jambiani, and showed them a clear picture, plastic in front of houses, trash in the bushes, rats feeding off it, burning plastic whose smell drifts through the whole village.

They listened - and they joined in.

On a Saturday, we organized a clean-up together with local residents and authorities around LITTLE POMPEJI Villa and in the surrounding bush. Bags, gloves, everyone pitched in. A strong effort, honestly better than expected.

Two weeks later, the trash is back!

That is the uncomfortable truth behind actions like this. Not because there is a lack of goodwill, but because waste management structures and broader awareness of what plastic actually does are still being built here. What it does to the soil, the groundwater, the rats, and ultimately to tourism deserves more attention.

We will keep going. But without long-term education and without real structures, every single clean-up stays a band-aid on an open wound.

Zanzibar markets itself as a dream destination. The trash in the bushes right next to it is part of that truth too.