Paint a beautiful picture of ambitious youth

Young volunteers from the 36 Xanh group clean up a canal on Vinh Yen Street, Quang Phu Ward.

The group members are students from Dao Duy Tu High School, Hong Duc University, Thanh Hoa Medical College and many young people from communes in Trieu Son, Nong Cong (old)... The age of the volunteers is only from 17 to 24, but they are doing things that not everyone has the perseverance to maintain for the past two years. Each person comes to 36 Xanh for a different reason, but they all share the same ideal: living green - living responsibly. They are not afraid of sunburn, not afraid of the stench from garbage, only afraid that their living environment will deteriorate day by day if they do not act today.

Since its establishment, 36 Xanh has carried out more than 50 environmental clean-ups at more than 40 different locations. From the crowded Sam Son beach, Dong Chiec lake to the foot of Nguyet Vien bridge, Lai Thanh canal, Ham Rong bridge, crowded markets, squares, vacant lots or inner-city roads. Wherever there is trash, there are footprints and sweat of the group members. The sacks full of trash, the sweaty faces after work do not make them tired but make them more determined. Every weekend, the beginning of the month or every big campaign such as Youth Month, Green Summer, the group sets out with trash clips, gloves, masks and a spirit of determination for a green - clean - beautiful environment.

Not simply picking up trash, the group's activities are very well organized. Before each cleaning session, the group will survey the actual location, assess the level of pollution, then assign personnel, prepare tools, and develop a communication script.

Le Thanh Dat, a member of the group, said: "When carrying out the task, in addition to collecting garbage, we also guide people to classify garbage properly and propagate the harmful effects of littering. At the end of each session, there is a summary, report, photos and videos shared on social networks to spread awareness of environmental protection."

In addition, the group also organizes the activity “36 green minutes”: each week, each member will spend at least 36 minutes to clean up the area around where they live, such as the sidewalk, small alley or park near their house. The work is small, the time is not long, but this is a practical activity to train the sense of responsibility to protect the environment of the group members themselves and thereby spread the message of environmental protection to everyone around.

Mr. Tran Van Canh, a resident of Quang Phu ward, said: "Opposite my house is a canal. Every time it rains for many days, I don't know where the garbage comes from, causing a lot of stench and pollution. Once I saw the children come to clean up, I saw that this area was very clean. The children worked very carefully, diligently collecting each plastic bottle and nylon bag. Thank you very much, and this work is very commendable."

Despite having been operating steadily for the past two years, 36 Xanh has yet to receive official support from any unit or organization. All expenses are contributed by the members themselves. However, that is not a barrier, but rather makes the group more united and determined.

Tran Ngoc Tra My shared: "We understand that to change something, we need to start from the smallest things and persevere. One day, when the environment is truly improved, we will also be very proud because we have contributed a small part to it."

Above all, the group's "green living" journey does not stop at cleaning sessions, but the bigger goal is to raise community awareness of environmental protection. Group leader Hoang Luc said: "Not only a place to contribute, 36 Xanh is also an environment for self-training, helping young people grow up, learn how to work in groups, plan, organize events, and most importantly, learn how to live responsibly for the place they live. The group is also a place to connect young people with the same ideals, sharing the belief in a better world through practical actions. In the future, 36 Xanh hopes to build a "Green School" network, recruiting more volunteers from schools to spread the green spirit into classrooms."

Along with that, the group plans to launch the "Exchange trash for gifts" program at the end of each month as a way to encourage people to bring recycled trash to exchange for small gifts such as books, keychains, trees, etc. At the same time, the group will recycle the collected plastic waste to create communication products or items such as keychains, name tags. In addition, the group is also finalizing an online communication plan through short videos, articles, minigames, etc. on the fanpage and Tiktok to spread the message of green living to more audiences, especially young people.

36 Xanh may be just a small group among hundreds of volunteer teams across the country, but their efforts and aspirations are painting a beautiful picture of youth, of the sense of responsibility of a generation of Thanh Hoa youth who are contributing to helping their homeland change...

Article and photos: Phuong Do

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ve-buc-tranh-dep-nbsp-ve-tuoi-tre-giau-khat-vong-254737.htm