Instead of staying on the sidelines, a 13-year-old girl from Norwich, England, took matters into her own hands and participated in cleaning up the city’s waste.
Nadia Sparkes would cycle two kilometers from her home in Norwich to Hellesdon High School.
She would pick up litter along the roadside and deposit it in the bike’s container on her way back from school.
Over 1,100 liters of waste have been collected since the start of her initiative, with the vast majority being recycled.
Nadia is an example of a young woman who recognizes the global waste issue and takes immediate action to address it.
Bullies at her school insulted her cleaning efforts, labeling her as the “trash girl” as a result.
Nadia’s mother, Paula, claims that the bullies physically assaulted her daughter, hitting her on the head, throwing orange juice at her, and even threatening her with a knife.
After a series of terrible and upsetting incidents, Nadia’s family felt compelled to move her to another school where she would be more likely to be accepted and supported for her goal..
They were fortunate to find Reepham High School, located 21 kilometers away.
Local teacher Matt Willer had already met Nadia at an environmental award ceremony where they were both nominees.
She turned the nickname given to her by her bullies into a positive by creating a Facebook group called “Team Trash Girl,” where she encourages like-minded individuals to clean up their neighborhoods and share images of their work.
