“Plastic Man”
Madhesh, Nepal | Kayapalat | 2022
We are the Kayapalat youth group, a dedicated team of 20 young climate campaigners hailing from Madhesh Province. We're laser-focused on shining a light on the perils of plastic consumption and production, and their devastating impact on our environment.
The Right-Sized Problem
Plastic is more than just a nuisance; it's a ticking environmental time bomb. From cluttering our landscapes to poisoning our oceans, the dangers are real and immediate.
What did we do?
We launched our flagship campaign, "Plastic Man," on Chhath Parva—a significant festival that honors the Sun God and celebrates life on Earth. The symbolism was apt; we wanted to underscore the urgency of protecting our planet. Our team used a mix of DIY creativity and impactful outreach to address plastic pollution head-on. Dressed in garments made of plastic waste, we toured around the city to bring this issue to life—literally embodying the plastic crisis. "Plastic Man" serves as a metaphorical alarm, illustrating how humans are contaminating the Earth and urging for immediate action.
We also expanded our campaign's reach by engaging with local communities. With the support of over 60 young volunteers, we hosted multiple tree-planting events, adding more than 115,000 trees to the Madhesh region. Along the way, we formed 17 new partnerships, engaging three schools and 12 youth groups. Even parliamentarian members took notice of our efforts, providing their endorsement ahead of the national election.
Campaign Impact
Our social media efforts catapulted our message far and wide, resulting in 40 media stories across digital TV, radio, and online news platforms. These stories highlighted not only the dangers of plastic consumption but also the pressing issue of deforestation in our region.
Real-world change? We've got that covered too. The Gold-Star Showroom in Janakpur has pledged to replace plastic bags with cloth bags in collaboration with us. Members of the wider Janakpur sub-metropolitan city ward have committed to making cultural sites like Janaki, Janak, and Ram Mandir plastic-free zones. Our collective actions have awakened the people of Madhesh Province to the environmental repercussions of their everyday choices. We're building on this momentum through collaborations with like-minded initiatives like the Kayapalat Learning Hub and the Leadership Camp & Climate School. We're incredibly proud of our achievements so far and are energized for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We are the Kayapalat youth group, and we're just getting started.
Campaign Impact in Numbers
40,000 people reached on social media
40 media articles generated
12 key decision makers engaged
1 major retailer committed to ending use of plastic bags
Words from Kayapalat
“One of the most important lessons I have learned about the creative side of campaigning is that creativity is essential for making an impact and capturing people's attention...It's important to have a clear understanding of the target audience, as well as the values, motivations and behaviors that drive them, to create campaigns that resonate with them and inspire action.” – Kaiyum Rain, 21
“The people of our community liked this [campaign] idea very much, and when we do this work, they feel proud of us. And some of them even wanted to join our campaign because they felt inspired by our work and the Shift program” – Shruti Tiwari, 18, she/her
