Gibran Meets Sungai Watch Founders, Pushes for Collaboration and Promises to Secure Sponsorships

JAKARTA - Vice President (VP) Gibran Rakabuming met with the founders of environmental organisation Sungai Watch led by Gary Bencheghib, Sam Bencheghib, and Kelly Bencheghib at the VP’s Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (26/5/2026).

During the meeting, they discussed strengthening collaboration on river waste management and reducing plastic pollution. Gibran welcomed Sungai Watch’s efforts to keep rivers clean and raise public awareness about waste issues. He also inquired about how Sungai Watch could expand across Indonesia.

Co-founder Sam Bencheghib said, “In this meeting with the Vice President, we discussed how Sungai Watch could expand across Indonesia.” Sam added that Gibran plans to help fund Sungai Watch’s growth.

Sungai Watch appreciated Gibran’s support for improving waste management, including collaboration with the private sector. Sam stated, “When discussing waste issues, many elements are needed: government involvement, funding, and the VP mentioned he could assist with funding to expand river actions. He also said he might help secure sponsors from Indonesian companies.”

During the meeting, Sam also mentioned their recent “Run for Rivers” campaign, a 1,205-kilometre run from Bali to Jakarta over 58 days to highlight plastic pollution in Indonesian rivers.

Gary Bencheghib noted that Jakarta has a programme for public waste segregation, but education and awareness are still lacking. “We know rivers shouldn’t be used as dumping grounds,” he added.

At the end, Sungai Watch expressed hope for stronger coordination with local governments on river waste management, including in Jakarta. Gary said, “We hope this isn’t just one meeting; we want the VP to be a champion for our rivers, helping connect with regional and provincial governments, as waste management is quite complex.”