Jim McMahon

Five young men—known collectively as Pandawara—are going viral on TikTok as they fight pollution in Indonesia. Last year, after trash-clogged rivers caused flooding, the group rolled up their sleeves to clean up rivers and beaches. Most of Indonesia’s landfills are overflowing, and vast amounts of waste often ends up in rivers. That’s why the group began raising awareness about the problem on social media. Pandawara’s call to action quickly led to results: TikTok videos of their cleanups have received millions of views and more than 135 million likes. And as their fame grows, so do their efforts. In August, 10,800 volunteers banded together to remove truckloads of rubbish from a beach in honor of Indonesia’s Independence Day. Although there’s still much work to be done, the group celebrated everyone’s hard work in several videos. “We hope,” they noted, “the community and local government will continue to work together and be consistent in preserving nature.”