EcoAction Picnic: Transforming rural youth into environmental advocates is an initiative implemented by KAZUS Center in the Municipality of Maliq, eastern Albania, to empower young people to become active champions of environmental protection through digital engagement and civic participation.
In November 2025, southeastern Albania experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall that led to severe flooding across much of the Korçë region. Maliq was among the hardest-hit areas. Homes, livestock farms, and hundreds of hectares of agricultural lands were affected, leaving many families facing significant losses.
One of the main factors that intensified the flooding was the blockage of drainage channels caused by large quantities of improperly disposed waste.
At the same time, the Devoll River, flowing through Maliq, has been facing a growing environmental crisis. Plastic, metal, and other waste materials had accumulated along its course, obstructing river infrastructure and contributing to widespread flooding.
For years, illegal waste disposal along the riverbanks has remained a challenge for local authorities, despite continuous efforts to improve waste management and clean up the river.
Empowering youth
Faced with this reality, KAZUS chose to place young people at the center of the solution.
Our project was designed to empower youth from Maliq as active actors of digital democracy, using technology and storytelling to advocate for the protection of the Devoll River and promote the right to a clean and healthy environment.
We created Mobile Journalism (MoJo) training sessions, where 40 young people aged 15–22 developed practical skills in digital storytelling, filming, content creation, and visual communication.
Equipped with these new tools, they conducted field visits in Albania’s Pojan and Lozhan — locations previously identified for their high levels of environmental pollution.
In May 2026, the participants documented their observations and turned their findings into social media reels, visual messages, and advocacy content designed to raise awareness among local communities.
Their field visits took place through a series of Digital Picnics, interactive outdoor activities that encouraged them to experience the river not only as observers but also as citizens with a shared responsibility for its future.
As they stopped at different points along the Devoll River, many reflected on how these locations could have been vibrant spaces for recreation, relaxation, and connection with nature.
Instead, they encountered waste scattered along the riverbanks and trapped among the vegetation. Through these experiences, they realized that environmental degradation directly impacts their quality of life and limits their ability to enjoy public natural spaces.
Rather than remaining passive observers, the participants became active advocates. Using creativity, digital tools, and their own voices, they produced content that will support an online advocacy campaign aimed at encouraging responsible waste management and stronger environmental action.
The campaign will culminate in a youth-led petition addressed to the Municipality of Maliq, calling for increased environmental awareness initiatives, more systematic river-cleaning efforts, and stronger enforcement of regulations against illegal waste disposal.
From skepticism to action
At the beginning of the project, some participants found it difficult to fully grasp the scale of the environmental problem in their community. Although they had seen images and discussed pollution during the training sessions, witnessing the reality firsthand transformed their perspective.
While documenting construction debris and burned tire waste near the Pojan Bridge, one participant, Igli, noticed a plume of smoke rising in the distance and immediately moved closer to investigate.
“As I looked at the calm river on a warm day, surrounded by beautiful nature on one side and piles of waste on the other, I started filming. Then I noticed smoke in the distance and rushed to see what was happening. At that moment, I kept asking myself: what are we doing to our environment?” he recalls.
In Lozhan, participants encountered a powerful contrast between the beauty of the natural landscape and the visible signs of pollution.
“While our trainer was reminding us about the filming techniques we would use, we could hear birds singing and the sound of the river flowing nearby. Then, right behind him, a plastic bottle floated downstream, almost as if the river itself was asking us to protect it,” says Esia, another participant.
These moments became turning points for many of the participants. What began as a training activity evolved into a personal commitment to environmental advocacy.
Through the online campaign, young people are transforming from passive consumers of social media into active voices for change — individuals who document realities, raise awareness, and inspire action within their communities.
At the same time, the campaign provides the wider public with a powerful visual reminder of the environmental challenges affecting the Devoll River and encourages collective responsibility for its protection.
The project’s most important milestone will be the presentation of the youth-led petition to the Municipality of Maliq. Beyond this moment, however, the true impact lies in the lasting engagement of the young people involved.
By combining digital skills, civic participation, and environmental advocacy, they are demonstrating that meaningful change can begin with informed, motivated, and empowered youth.
