"Trash-killing" warriors

At 5 a.m., when the coastal city of Ha Long was still sleepy, Ms. Vu Thi Hong Thoan (53 years old), in group 2, zone 5, Gieng Day ward (Ha Long city) quietly put on gloves, picked up a basket and walked to Bai Chay beach. Alone for more than an hour, she crept along the sandy shore, picking up every plastic bag, box, shell, beer can... that tourists carelessly or indifferently left behind. She did not need any praise, no remuneration, and no one assigned her any work. For her, it was a habit - a voluntary "mission" that she maintained regularly for many years.

Ms. Vu Thi Hong Thoan (yellow hat), group 2, zone 5, Gieng Day ward, Ha Long city initiated the establishment of the "Garbage Eradication Warriors" group.

That silent journey began in 2019, when Ms. Thoan witnessed her hometown beach - once beautiful and clean - becoming increasingly polluted by waste from tourists. From the initial feeling of indignation, she turned to action. At first, she picked up trash alone. Then, she shared the image on social media with a simple message: "Please do not litter". No big slogans, no loud calls, but her practical actions created a strong ripple effect. People started to pay attention to her, ask questions, and then... participate.

By March 2024, the “Trash Eradication Warriors” group was officially established - from an idea of ​​joining hands and spreading community responsibility. The group at that time only had 5-6 people. Up to now, the number has increased to about 30 members with many different components and ages, from 21-year-old students to retired seniors. They all have something in common: They don’t wait for anyone to remind them, don’t wait for festivals, just show up on weekends.

Every Saturday and Sunday morning, from 5:15 am to nearly 8 am, the group gathers at Bai Chay beach, where many tourists gather, to collect and pick up trash together. “Usually, from Monday to Friday, the beaches are quite clean, with little trash. However, on weekends, the number of tourists is so large that the beach looks like a “battlefront”. There are cans, diapers, milk cartons, leftover lunch boxes… scattered on the sand. Looking at the beach at that time, it hurts my heart. We jokingly call this a “battlefield” - and we are the warriors. Eliminating trash is how we preserve the beauty of the city,” Ms. Thoan shared.

What makes people admire is not only the fact that Ms. Thoan initiated the group, but also her persistent dedication. From Monday to Friday, she still maintains the task of picking up trash alone, regularly every morning from 5:15 to 6:30, regardless of the weather. With gloves, a basket and a deep sense of responsibility, she persistently collects trash, creating an inspiring image for the surrounding community. It is this dedication and perseverance that keeps the movement burning brightly and spreading strongly.

Members of the trash warrior group collect trash at the beach.

In the group, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung (Hoanh Bo ward) is a typical example of the movement's influence. Her house is nearly 10 kilometers away from Bai Chay, but every Sunday morning she arrives early. "I feel happy because I can do something useful. Looking at the clean and tidy beach after the group finishes the work, I find it very worthwhile. I just hope that people will stop littering so that we... don't have to pick it up anymore" - she humorously said.

It is worth noting that none of the group are environmental sanitation workers or have been assigned specific tasks. They do not work for rewards or requests from anyone, but simply because they see keeping the sea clean as the right thing to do. They are well aware that tourism development must go hand in hand with environmental protection, and a true tourist city must not only be beautiful in advertising photos but also clean in the daily lives of its people.

Not stopping at picking up trash, Ms. Thoan is currently nurturing another humane idea: Installing free drinking water dispensers in the bathing areas along the beach. “I hope that if tourists know that there is free drinking water here, they will not bring plastic bottles, thereby reducing the amount of plastic waste. It is a small change, but it can make a big difference,” she expressed.

The garbage warriors set out to clean up the ocean environment on the weekend.

In an era where many people are still indifferent to the environment, the actions of the “Trash Warriors” group serve as a gentle yet profound reminder: Change does not necessarily start with big things. If each person just litters less, or is willing to bend down to pick up a discarded can… then the beaches will be less polluted, the city will be more beautiful, and life will be kinder.

Ngo Diu

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/nhung-chien-binh-diet-rac-3360637.html