The Maldives is on a mission to safeguard its future and lead change by educating, empowering and connecting an ecosystem of ocean champions. At the forefront of this mission is the Maldives’ first female diving instructor and environmental guardian, Shaahina Ali.

A vast stretch of 1200 islands spread across 26 coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives has been dumping the trash that tourists and residents generate on Thilafushi, an island of floating rubbish in the Maldives.

Almost every day, Shaahina Ali and her allies go from island to island in the Indian Ocean. Working with an environmental organisation, they have obtained trash compactors that make plastic waste transportable, allowing it to be shipped abroad for recycling.

Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living.