Female leader of the trash clean-up team

Nguyen Ngoc Anh (red T-shirt) in a community program

Clean Up Vietnam Campaign

Nguyen Ngoc Anh is busy preparing for the 6th Clean Up Vietnam campaign, scheduled for December 2023. She mentioned that this campaign, in collaboration with the Xanh Vietnam (Green Vietnam) community, aims to attract over 60,000 volunteers and 20-30 international checkpoints to tackle trash.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh was born in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak and graduated from the College of Finance and Customs. After graduation, she found a suitable job with a decent income. However, during a visit to Vung Tau beach, while assisting her uncle, a local fisherman, she noticed some kids building sandcastles out of trash. It was at this moment that Anh realized that there was an excessive amount of trash on the beaches, and if nobody took responsibility or disposed of it properly, Vietnam would continue to be one of the top four countries producing plastic waste into the oceans. This realization prompted Anh to ask herself why should these children bear the consequences of adult waste, and what can people do to make Vietnam clean.

Ngoc Anh then resigned from her job at a software company and started looking for like-minded volunteers. In August 2019, the Xanh Vietnam community was established with three core members and two primary goals: environmental protection and volunteer work. Their motto, "This trash is not mine, but this planet is ours," led to the successful organization of the first Clean Up campaign on May 31, 2020, coinciding with World Environment Day, with the participation of 1,380 volunteers from 40 provinces and cities. Following this campaign, the Xanh Vietnam community quickly expanded to all 63 provinces in Vietnam and established international checkpoints in Malaysia, Japan, and Thailand.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh (3rd, L) and volunteers picking up trash at the beach

Ongoing efforts to make Vietnam one of the cleanest countries

Ngoc Anh mentioned that to organize a nationwide trash cleanup campaign, it took at least three months of preparation, and in the final month, the core members must work together. When asked about the funding source to sustain their activities, Anh explained that initially, they used their own money, but later received support from generous individuals, so volunteers only needed to contribute their time and enthusiasm. Ngoc Anh shared that the Xanh Vietnam community has many female volunteers who are not afraid of the sun or the trash. Some areas are dangerous due to broken glass, syringes, and carcasses, but no one is afraid, they all eagerly join to clean up trash.

Ngoc Anh revealed that the 5th Clean Up Vietnam campaign took place in April has reached 15 checkpoints in different countries and on islands, inspiring approximately 3 million Vietnamese people to take action for environmental protection. After the campaign over 200 tons of trash were collected, hundreds of illegal dumpsites were cleared, and nearly 20,000 bags of trash were disposed of. Ngoc Anh confided that after sorting the collected trash into recyclable and non-recyclable categories, the Green Vietnam community works with local authorities to send non-recyclable trash to processing plants, while recyclable materials are given to waste collectors.

Beyond the trash clean-up campaigns, Ngoc Anh also spreads the message of a green lifestyle to those around her. She always uses cloth bags and glass containers when shopping, avoids single-use plastic bags, and plants trees wherever possible to contribute to oxygen in the atmosphere. To inspire others, the Xanh Vietnam community's uniforms consist of red and yellow star-printed shirts, scarves, and bracelets. These choices convey the message that this activity is not carried out by an organization but by the people of Vietnam, aiming to ignite national unity to make Vietnam one of the 5 cleanest and most beautiful countries in Southeast Asia and the world.

Every week, in addition to their trash clean-up efforts in various provinces and cities, the Xanh Vietnam community also organizes activities such as exchanging trash for trees or gifts, making "Goby the Fish" sculptures (a creative fish sculpture built to store plastic waste that was collected) placed at beaches and parks, making ecobricks from plastic waste, advocating for the construction of schools in remote areas, donating clothes, books, and gifts for children.

They also participate in various volunteer programs, such as disaster relief efforts in affected regions, events like Tet Yeu thuong (Loving Tet), the Mid-autumn festival, and Christmas for underprivileged children and those facing challenging circumstances. Over the past 4 years, Ngoc Anh and her team have organized hundreds of talks on environmental protection for approximately 30,000 high school and college students, including those from Tran Quoc Toan High School in Dak Lak Province and the Xanh Tue Duc School system. These discussions cover topics like waste sorting, recycling, and transforming trash into school objects. They also host debates on green living, enriching students with practical knowledge and creativity.

With a deep passion for the environment and meaningful environmental protection activities, there is a strong belief that the Xanh Vietnam community will play a significant role in helping Vietnam become one of the cleanest and most beautiful countries in the region and the world.