Project Pick Up

Project Pick Up is a powerful and inspiring environmental documentary that chronicles an extraordinary journey of international partnership, environmental activism, and the belief that ordinary people can make a difference—even 10,000 miles from home.

The Trash Punx—a group of environmental activists from the San Francisco Bay Area—have built their reputation on direct action and community mobilization around waste management and environmental cleanup. But this project would be their most ambitious yet: traveling to Kenya to partner with Sabore Ole Oyie, a Maasai elder and warrior, to tackle a waste crisis that was overwhelming the small town of Ewaso Ngiro.

Ewaso Ngiro is located approximately 60 miles from the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve, one of Africa's most celebrated wildlife areas. But while tourists flock to the reserve to witness the splendor of African wildlife, few see what's happening in towns like Ewaso Ngiro. This small community serves as the lifeblood for thousands of people who attend the weekly livestock and produce market—a crucial gathering place where families buy their food, sell their animals, and engage in the social and economic life that sustains them.

But the town faces an environmental crisis that threatens both public health and the dignity of its residents. Ewaso Ngiro has no trash service. No municipal waste collection. No trash bins provided for public use. No infrastructure whatsoever for trash disposal. The result is predictable and devastating: garbage is simply thrown on the ground. Over time, the accumulation has become overwhelming. The town is filthy, buried under waste that piles up week after week, year after year.

For the residents of Ewaso Ngiro, this isn't just an aesthetic problem. It's a public health crisis. Uncollected waste becomes breeding grounds for disease. It contaminates water sources. It attracts vermin and insects. Children play among the garbage. Families live and work surrounded by decomposing refuse. The weekly market—which should be a vibrant celebration of community commerce—takes place amid mountains of trash.

This is where Sabore Ole Oyie comes in. As a Maasai elder and warrior, Sabore holds a position of respect and authority within his community. The Maasai are a semi-nomadic people known for their distinctive customs, traditional dress, and deep connection to the land and livestock. They are warriors, protectors, and custodians of tradition. And Sabore, witnessing the degradation of his town, decided to take action.

But tackling a problem of this magnitude requires resources, organization, and expertise that simply don't exist in Ewaso Ngiro. That's when the partnership with The Trash Punx was formed. Somehow, across vast geographical and cultural distances, these two groups—Californian environmental activists and a Maasai elder in Kenya—found common cause.

Directed by Faivale Atualevao and produced by Justin Imamura (who also appears in the film along with Vanessa Rogier and Therese Hjelm), Project Pick Up documents the entire journey. We see The Trash Punx preparing for their trip, gathering supplies, planning logistics. We see the 10,000-mile journey from the San Francisco Bay Area to rural Kenya—an enormous undertaking in itself.

Then we see them arrive in Ewaso Ngiro and confront the reality of what they're facing. The footage doesn't shy away from showing the extent of the problem. Streets literally buried in trash. Waste piled so high in some areas that it's difficult to pass. The marketplace, which should be a clean space for food commerce, covered in refuse.

But the documentary also captures something beautiful: the partnership between Sabore and The Trash Punx, and the mobilization of the community itself. This isn't a story of American saviors coming to rescue helpless Africans. It's a story of collaboration—Sabore's local knowledge and community leadership combined with The Trash Punx's organizational expertise and resources. Together, they begin to organize cleanup efforts, engage community members, and start the massive task of reclaiming their town.

The film shows the physical work—the picking up, the sorting, the hauling away of literally tons of accumulated waste. But it also captures the emotional and social dimensions of the project. We see residents gradually joining in, taking ownership of their town's transformation. We see children helping, excited to be part of something positive. We see the visible difference as streets begin to emerge from under the garbage, as spaces become usable again, as the town begins to reclaim its dignity.

At 21 minutes, the documentary is perfectly calibrated. It's long enough to tell the story fully—to establish the problem, introduce the key players, document the journey, show the work being done, and reflect on the impact. But it's concise enough to maintain momentum throughout. The PG rating ensures accessibility to family audiences, which is important given the film's potential educational value.

Project Pick Up raises important questions about environmental justice on a global scale. Why do some communities have sophisticated waste management systems while others have nothing? What are the long-term solutions when governments don't provide basic services? How can international partnerships address local problems without becoming exercises in colonialism or condescension?

The film doesn't pretend to have all the answers. The Trash Punx can't single-handedly solve Ewaso Ngiro's waste problem permanently—that requires systemic changes, government investment, and ongoing infrastructure development. But what they can do—and what the film documents—is show that change is possible, that communities can mobilize, that international solidarity is real, and that the distance between problems and solutions is sometimes just 10,000 miles and the willingness to care.

The documentary received an "Outstanding Excellence" award from Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival—a recognition that speaks to both the film's technical quality and its important subject matter. It's environmental activism as documentary, community organizing as cinema, international partnership as art.

What makes Project Pick Up particularly powerful is that it's fundamentally optimistic. Yes, it shows a serious problem. Yes, it demonstrates the challenges faced by communities without basic infrastructure. But it also shows that problems can be addressed, that people can work together across vast distances and cultural differences, and that caring about the environment isn't just an abstract concept but can translate into concrete action that improves people's daily lives.

For Sabore Ole Oyie, for The Trash Punx, and for the residents of Ewaso Ngiro, this documentary captures a moment of hope—the moment when a town buried in trash began to imagine and work toward a cleaner future. And for viewers around the world, it's an invitation to consider: What would you travel 10,000 miles to fix? What problem do you care enough about to tackle, even when it's hard, even when it's far away, even when success isn't guaranteed?

Project Pick Up reminds us that environmental activism isn't just about protests and policy—it's also about picking up trash, organizing communities, crossing continents, and partnering with people who share your commitment to making the world a little cleaner, a little healthier, a little more dignified for everyone.

Sabore Ole Oyie - Maasai Elder and Warrior (Kenya)

Justin Imamura - The Trash Punx (Producer)

Vanessa Rogier - The Trash Punx

Therese Hjelm - The Trash Punx