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Indonesian youth group goes viral by getting down and dirty to clean their rivers

The river cleaning group who go by Pandawara has racked up more than 23 million likes on TikTok

Updated 3 years ago · Published on 05 Dec 2022 1:00PM

Indonesian youth group goes viral by getting down and dirty to clean their rivers
Members of Pandawara pose for the camera after a successful cleanup effort. – Instagram pic, December 5, 2022

by Adam Ayzzat

KUALA LUMPUR – A group of youngsters in Bandung, Indonesia, have gone viral for their philanthropic initiative in cleaning local water channels of waste.

The group, which goes by Pandawara, often update their social media platforms with clips and images of their efforts in cleaning their local rivers and drains that were blocked due to massive piling of garbage and debris.

Pandawara’s TikTok account currently has a little over a million followers, and a whopping 23 million likes across 49 videos. The group’s videos mostly contain montages of the members’ cleaning process, complemented with upbeat background music. 

In its most recent video, Pandawara is seen to be cleaning a river bank teeming with rubbish, in between a residential area and a highway. 

Throughout the video, the group is seen to be untiring in their task to clean the river, even during a heavy downpour.

The aftermath shows the group successfully transferring the waste from the river into over a dozen trash bags. The video has 2.2 million likes and over 56,000 comments as of this afternoon. 

Numerous netizens have expressed their gratitude and support to the group, stating that these acts are rarely seen.

“Mashallah, hopefully when my child grows up, they will also love nature. Congratulations young men,” commented TikTok user Niena Samsir.

Meanwhile, @rahizamrazali from Malaysia also commended the group for their humanitarianism, and sends them his good wishes.

“A group of friends who are rich in good values. Hope (their good deeds) are returned with monetary riches. Support from Malaysia,” he said.

Pandawara also does not limit itself to minor cleanups, as the members get themselves down and dirty to clean stagnant rivers with no water visibility due to layers of trash mounting them.

In another promotional video, the group is seen to be washing their hair with a likely sponsored shampoo after successfully cleaning a trench, indicating that the water is cleansed following their thorough cleanup. 

Similarly, comments to the video include netizens commending their social conscience, and wishing them well.

– The Vibes, December 5, 2022

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