Young volunteers of Hà Nội Xanh clean up the rivers of the city

Members of Xanh Hà Nội share the love for the environment and determination to make a difference for a clean and beautiful capital city. VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

Dirty, black water full of garbage is far too common a sight in many of Hà Nội’s rivers and canals. But one group of dedicated young volunteers, called Hà Nội Xanh (Green Hà Nội), is determined to make a difference for a clean and beautiful capital city.

People threw a lot of giant trash bags into the river, making it quite challenging for volunteers to pull them out. VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

Since its establishment with just two members at the end of 2022, Hà Nội Xanh has called on hundreds of young people living in the capital to participate. Not being of the same age, same profession or social status, all members of Hà Nội Xanh share the love for the environment and determination to make a difference.

With the motto ‘Wherever we go, it’s always clean’, they have carried out campaigns to clean up and pick up trash in polluted rivers and canals with the aim to revitalise the city’s waterways.

Hà Nội Xanh’s members use baskets to scoop up trash from the river, then put it in plastic bags. VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

They aim to first clean up the worst polluted rivers and canals with long-standing waste, including the Tô Lịch River, the Nhuệ River and canals which have been polluted by waste discharged from riverine households.

On average, each week, Hà Nội Xanh operates four cleaning sessions with 10 to 20 people per session. VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

On average, each week, Hà Nội Xanh operates four cleaning sessions with 10 to 20 volunteers per session. Each session can last a few hours or a whole day, depending on the terrain and quantity of waste.

During large work sessions, roughly 100 garbage bags, weighing about 20 kilograms a piece, will be gathered. Work sessions with a small number of participants, roughly 15 to 20, with a minimal amount of trash will result in between 30 and 40 bags of trash.

They make sure not to leave behind even a single plastic bag.

Due to potential risks, all participating members are equipped with labour protection equipment. VNA/VNS Tuấn Anh

Nguyễn Tiến Huy, co-founder of Hà Nội Xanh, said they are also aiming to spread the awareness of environmental protection to the community.

“Through our photos and videos, which feature us as young volunteers having to wade through these canals and rivers and soak for four to five hours, I hope that we will be able to impact every single audience about environmental protection,” he said.

Hà Nội Xanh received the 2023 National Volunteer Award, honoured for their meaningful and practical work. VNS

One member of Hà Nội Xanh finds a wedding photograph while cleaning a river. VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

One member rests after several hours of collecting trash under dirty, black water full of garbage. VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh