Local river whisperer wants to bring global change

Founder of the Hennops Revival, a local non-profit organisation and public benefit organisation (PBO), Tarryn Johnston, was appointed chairperson of a global non-profit organisation, home to water clean-up projects around the world.

“It is a good move and I feel very privileged to chair this organisation, I hope it will bring great change,” Johnston said.

She said an Irish non-profit organisation (NPO), The Planet Calls, caught sight of her work done in Centurion and requested her to chair their global movement called Moving Water Alliance.

“Everything is virtual; I will be staying right here, just helping more people in other countries all over the world to clean their rivers too. As well as other rivers in our country.

“Being part of a global alliance will have a positive impact on policies. We will have more weight and support behind us, and of course international backing.”

She said there was strength in such alliances, “and strength is very much needed in these times where we have to change policies to do things differently to conserve our water”.

“People do not realise that we are in the thick of a water crisis because when they turn on the tap, water comes out,” she said.

She said the Moving Water Alliance is home to river and beach clean-up projects from around the world.

“Their vision is to help members expand their clean-up projects so that volunteerism leads to sustainable job creation in their communities. While also helping members to educate their communities in an ongoing effort to prevent plastic pollution,” she said.

Johnston, who had been living in Irene for most of her life, founded the Hennops Revival in 2019 and had been taking the lead in various clean-up events of the river ever since.

This year the organisation was registered as a PBO, and had also been focusing on “reviving, restoring and healing the river”. They work in collaboration with the government, other NGOs, NPOs and forums in the private sector as well as the public.

Johnston said she has fond childhood memories of growing up in Irene. Her parents bought their house in 1978 and still lives there, as well as her four sisters.

“I remember my best friend and I riding our bicycles to the Irene farm and secretly climb to the top of the bails of hay and play there until dark or until we get caught.

“We played in the Hennops River at the farm, or at the golf course, and spent loads of time at Irene News Agency, The Oval, and flattened coins on the tracks of Irene train station. It was adventure upon adventure at the Smuts House, Smuts koppie, Cornwall Hill, the Irene concentration camp and the Irene graveyard.”

Johnston has also been nominated by various residents for our Rekord and Westpack Centurion Hero competition.

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