On Tenerife, volunteers transformed a neglected park into an oasis.

It all started with a Facebook post on September 19, 2023. Hannelore Ottewaere, who lives in Chayofita on Costa del Silencio, wrote that she was going to clean up the garbage near her house and invited anyone who wanted to help.

A couple from Lithuania responded, as well as Wanda, who came from Puerto Rico and the USA and lives in Las Galletas. Then Celine joined, followed by Silvia... That's how Costa del Silencio Limpio was created – a very important initiative in the south of Tenerife. It is an example of how people can do good things together, live in harmony and help each other. The members of this group are mostly women of different nationalities.

Since then, these fifty or so residents have been constantly cleaning and tidying up the area, which was once a popular tourist destination in the 70s and 80s. Over time, its former glory has faded, and now these people want to change that.

One of their greatest achievements is the renovated Damon Park. Previously, there was an abandoned mini-golf course, dried-up trees, branches and garbage. "It was a dangerous place, but thanks to perseverance, a desire to make things better, and the support and approval of our neighbors, we succeeded," says Hannelore Ottewaere, head of Costa del Silencio Limpio.

They have been cleaning there twice a week for almost two years, and now the place has once again become like the oasis it once was for tourists and locals. "Before, this place seemed lost, but now it's alive again," emphasizes the activist from Belgium. She thanks the municipality of Arona, especially Councilor Clara Pérez, for providing materials and removing garbage.

At the second anniversary of Costa del Silencio Limpio, which was celebrated in a local restaurant, the participants discussed new plans. In particular, they want to involve young people in cleaning. "We have many places that need to be cleaned, repaired and painted. But we also want to work with schools and institutions to tell children and teenagers about volunteering, helping the community, responsibility and the importance of keeping the environment clean," said the project initiator.

Hannelore says that, strangely enough, there are people who criticize them for their work. "Some say that we are doing the municipality's job. But we clean private areas and places that are not in the city's plans, which is almost all of Costa del Silencio," she explains. She wants to change people's thinking and set an example. "Many people think: 'I pay taxes, so I can throw garbage anywhere.' They even say that they are giving a job to the cleaner," she adds.

But what pleases her the most is the words of gratitude they receive on social media and on the streets when they go out cleaning in their reflective vests with brooms, shovels and buckets. "We are called the angels of Costa del Silencio, they say that we are the best people in the south, that we deserve paradise and even a monument," shares Hannelore.

Hannelore regrets that the word "volunteer" is not very popular in the Canary Islands. She wants to change this by her example and with the support of people like Wanda, Marcia, Silvia, Patrick, Regina and many others. "Without them, I would not have been able to do anything. But what comes next will be even bigger," she promises.