Surprise when the environment is damaged
Every weekend (Saturday or Sunday), the Green Living Practice Club is present at public places in Ho Chi Minh City to pick up trash, plant trees and promote green living. This activity has been maintained by Mr. Nguyen Ba Hoi, the club's director, for the past 8 years.
Mr. Hoi is originally from the land of "yellow flowers on green grass" - Phu Yen (now Dak Lak province). Since childhood, he has been familiar with the clean environment and lush green trees. However, when he came to Ho Chi Minh City to study at university, he was "shocked" because the city had too much waste, heavy air pollution and a low proportion of trees.
"When I was a student, I had the opportunity to go to the Central Highlands. At first, I thought the Central Highlands were all forests, but in reality, there were many bare hills and garbage on the hills. Then, when I returned to Ho Chi Minh City, I saw many dead fish in Nhieu Loc and Thi Nghe canals... After researching, I learned that it was caused by human wastewater. In addition, the air environment was polluted, with the sky looking like fog, due to the large number of vehicles and few trees, which made me feel very sorry for the environment," said Mr. Hoi.
The club also plants trees after cleaning up trash - PHOTO: NVCC
In 2017, Mr. Nguyen Ba Hoi mobilized his friends to establish the Green Living Practice Club with about 20 members, many of whom were students, with the aim of practicing and promoting green living and protecting the living environment in Ho Chi Minh City.
As an environmental officer, in an office style, on weekends, Mr. Hoi and the Club choose to go to public places to pick up trash and plant trees. The Club also actively coordinates with the People's Committee of the ward (commune) and grassroots organizations such as the Youth Union, Women's Union, etc. to increase the spread and effectiveness of propaganda.
Mr. Hoi said that in the past, whenever he felt stressed, he would go to the trees, immerse himself in them and feel relieved. Since the club was founded, that joy has multiplied when he met young people who love the environment and planted more trees, adding more oxygen to the atmosphere. "The reason I named the club Green Living Practice is because I want the club to focus on changing our own habits from small daily actions first and then gradually spread to the community," said Mr. Hoi.
The club organized a trash cleanup in Thoi An ward on a weekend - PHOTO: NVCC
Hardworking bees love the environment
It is known that the Club operates 4 times a month, including 1 large program with the community and 3 internal programs (rescuing animals, releasing fish back to the natural environment, picking up plastic waste). For the large program, the Club coordinates with the grassroots to promote waste classification, plant and protect trees, and promote the meaning of green living to students and the community. At the same time, the Club guides women in sorting waste at the source and gives waste classification bins to units in need.
Ms. Le Thi Thai Thanh, a member of the Green Living Practice Club, shared: "Joining the Club - nearly 4 years ago - has changed my own awareness as well as the awareness of those around me. Since then, I feel the need to be more responsible for the environment. I also realize that a green lifestyle not only improves the quality of life, protects the health of myself and those around me, but also for future generations."
According to Mr. Hoi, practicing green living is about changing from the simplest daily activities such as refusing to use plastic bags when going to the market, not using disposable plastic bottles, sorting waste at the source, or bringing a lunch box when buying food... The club also has a Green Tree Nursery model, whereby each person will plant, care for and write their name on the tree trunk, when the tree grows, they will personally plant it and monitor the tree throughout its life cycle. To date, there have been thousands of mature trees from the nursery.
Mr. Hoi gives trash cans to people in Thoi An ward - PHOTO: NVCC
Up to now, the Green Living Practice Club has organized nearly 50 sessions of green living instruction, waste recycling, planting thousands of trees… in Ho Chi Minh City, and donated thousands of trash cans to people. In addition, the Club has also carried out dozens of communication campaigns in the community and on social networks.
Sharing some memorable memories, Mr. Hoi said, once the club went to release fish in Rach Chiec river, coincidentally met a tourist group from Hanoi, they really liked this activity and bought a lot of fish to release with the club. Or once the club went to pick up trash in the park, a parent brought a child out to play and coincidentally met the club, the mother and child rolled up their sleeves to pick up trash together even though they were wearing really nice clothes.
Mr. Hoi also participates in many communication and green living training programs at schools - PHOTO: NVCC
Spread green living to children
The Club's target audience for propaganda is mostly young people, including children. For example, on June 1, 2024, the Club accompanied the Ho Chi Minh City Children's House to organize green living activities in the 2nd Ho Chi Minh City Children's Festival (Kids Fest). Previously, on the morning of May 18, 2024, the Green Living Practice Club organized the donation of 25 120-liter trash sorting bins and 5 trees for the program, the festival attracted about 5,000 children.
During the festival, the club members also collected plastic waste under trees and flower beds on Tu Xuong, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and Vo Thi Sau streets. After 1 hour of collecting trash, the club, the Ho Chi Minh City Children's Youth Union and the children collected more than 200 kg of plastic waste and planted some trees. "I regularly organize green living practices, instruct on classifying waste into 3 main groups: food waste, recyclable and reusable waste and other solid household waste, and donate trees to schools to spread the love of the environment to students," said Mr. Hoi.
Mr. Hoi presented the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space project, with the theme of Green, Clean and Beautiful in Thoi An ward - PHOTO: NVCC
Recently, on the occasion of World Environment Day, June 5, Mr. Hoi mobilized dozens of members to participate in cleaning up trash in Vinh Loc A commune (Binh Chanh district). On the occasion of April 30, the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification, Mr. Hoi donated the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space project, with the theme of Green, Clean and Beautiful, in Ward 18, Thoi An Ward (District 12). "In the past, I used to go drinking with friends after work, but when I joined environmental protection, I was no longer interested. I used that money to buy fish to release, buy trash cans and protective gear to clean up trash... Living green is a conscious lifestyle, an act that helps reduce the negative impact of humans on the environment and also living for yourself, so I hope more and more people will choose this lifestyle," said Mr. Hoi.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-dan-ong-8-nam-lan-toa-song-xanh-185250725104258206.htm
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