Environment
Man volunteers in litter collection on HCM City canal
  • | dtinews.vn, VietnamNet | January 17, 2021 08:27 PM
An elderly man in HCM City has gathered litter at a local canal voluntarily for years for free.

Ho Chi Cuong, 69, from Binh Chanh District has doing the work on Ong Do Canal since 2018 when it became polluted.

 

 

Cuong has been collecting litter on Ong Do Canal since 2018


Cuong said that following a call from the local authorities, he volunteered to collect litter. However, just a short time after that, the canal was polluted again due to people’s low awareness. He then told her nephew to help with the work.

Initially, he did not have tools to collect litter, so after each time of the rubbish collection, he had to get rid of his clothes. He suffered from sores in his hands and legs. He however still continued the work despite being regarded as ‘crazy’ by many people. Luckily, his wife and children support what he does.

Later, local authorities gave him a boat which helps make the work easier.

Every morning, he and his nephew work on the canal. He drives the boat while the nephew uses some tools to collect rubbish.

The litter is brought ashore and piled. When being dry, it is classified for suitable treatment. It takes the two people several hours to clean the canal every day.

“I hope that what I do can help to raise people’s awareness of environmental protection, particularly among the youth,” Cuong noted.

He also comes to local roads and parks to remove grass and collect rubbish. Lots of people have followed Cuong’s example.

Cuong was recently presented with a certificate for his great contributions to environmental protection.

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