Alcindo Almeida Soares is a construction worker from Cape Verde who grew up dreaming of becoming a professional athlete. With no access to an indoor gym, he works out on Santa Maria’s beach every day.
One day while working out, he noticed that rubbish kept washing up on the shore. He decided to pick it up and use it to build a free beach gym for the whole of the community. What was once a pile of refuse is now a fully functional outdoor exercise centre:
I love to train and Santa Maria lacked a place where the local community could exercise. A normal gym is just too expensive. The fact that a gym like this now exists in Santa Maria, not only for me but for the people here, is very important.
Soares’ ingenuity has produced a place that not only benefits the local community but also nature. He said:
I feel proud when I see Santa Maria’s clean beach. It’s important to keep it clean. You shouldn’t just throw trash on the sand.
What began as a DIY project, has become a life changing program that’s changed his community for the better.
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