Cambodia: The Story Behind the Website

ZEROW

By: Sun Sreynea & Phum Chanvirakboth

The ZEROW Facebook page has gained an additional 2,000 followers within the past month, bringing the total followers to 96,000.

While scrolling through Facebook, many might have come across a video featuring a young woman asking, “Who else brings their pots when they go grocery shopping?” This lighthearted question introduced millions to Chenda and her platform, ZEROW, a green media initiative focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action) of the United Nations.

ZEROW was founded in December 2018 by Aok Sochenda, a 26-year-old woman with long black hair and thin figure who leans more toward the introverted side but can easily capture the crowd’s attention with her lighthearted speech and expressive eyes behind the spectacles.

Aok Sochenda, the founder of ZEROW.

In 2017, Chenda first learned about the zero-waste jar—a concept introduced by American environmental activist Lauren Singer, where all yearly trash fits into a small jar—during a debate club in Phnom Penh, which sparked her interest in this lifestyle. Chenda later on began applying this principle while studying business administration on a scholarship in Hungary, bringing tote bags and containers to buy groceries at local markets, sometimes even getting rejected by the vendors. “Living in Hungary didn’t push me to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle; it was my curiosity that got me into it,” she recalls.

Surviving a day without plastic is more challenging than it appears from constantly refusing plastic bags from vendors, carrying reusable bags, and above all staying committed. Living alone abroad made the journey easier for Chenda, but returning to Cambodia posed new challenges. “Here in Cambodia, I live with my family, and though our different approaches to zero waste can be challenging, I respect their choices,” she shares.

Chenda’s platform continued to grow, reaching 5,000 subscribers on YouTube, 94,000 followers on Facebook, and 59,000 on TikTok. She shared that her husband helps with filming, while she handles most of the editing and planning, with occasional assistance on collaborative projects. As a full-time environmental content creator for five years, Chenda has faced challenges, particularly with maintaining consistency. Reflecting on her earlier days, she recalls pushing herself to create weekly content. “I think consistency helps grow followers, but now, the more you post, the better the engagement,” she observes.

In 2023, Chenda won the ASEAN Youth Eco-Champions Award and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2024 List in Media, Marketing, and Advertising. She has received widespread recognition, from university students approaching her to say they love her content, to collaborating on projects like ‘Green Growth Along the River’ with Impact Hub Phnom Penh. There, they spent days with villagers on Tonle Sap to address challenges with floating toilets and the water hyacinth handicraft market.

ZEROW covers topics like reusable menstrual pads, composting, and zero-waste travel. One of her top videos, with more than 4 million Facebook views and 494,000 TikTok views, featured the Kui indigenous community crafting a torch from ‘Chheu Teal’ tree sap. Chenda believes the video received much engagement because it sparked conversations among the audience, with one viewer recalling, “I used to make torches as a kid because we used them daily in my household.”

The torch-making video, located in the middle to the left, has gained over 4.8 million views on Facebook in the past three months.

Planning a video takes effort, as she shared in her “Hook That Story” workshop, emphasizing the need for creative, concise, and attention-grabbing openings. Making videos about sustainable living benefits her audience and helps Chenda stay true to her commitment. As she puts it, “What keeps me going is making content where I can stay true to myself and keep myself accountable.”