Spring has landed Cat Hai island, Hai Phong. A beautiful spring day on March 8th, 2017 – with enthusiasm of youth, over 250 youth unionists, together with teenagers, and local enterprises of Cat Hai Island participated in the program "Youth and community together build a clean, green and healthy environment. Kicking-off Youth Month 2017”. In particular, the event had its honor to welcome Ms. Hoang Hong Luan, members of the Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Cat Hai District, and Ms. Vu Thi My Lien, Secretary of Cat Hai Youth Union and the representatives of leaders in communes/towns of the island.
The program is one of the activities within the project "Red River Delta Adaptation and Youth (READY)" implemented by AMDI in collaboration with the Centre for Marine Life Conservation and Community Development (MCD) and the Center for Environment and Community Research (CECR). The project is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The purpose of the event is to promote and disseminate knowledge, to raise awareness, to change behaviors among youth union members, youngsters, residential communities and local enterprises on Cat Hai island about in environmental protection, climate change adaptation. Also, the event creates a widespread positive effect among local residents, encouraging them to have a better and more friendly behaviors with environment. Besides, these activities continuously affirm the pioneering role of local youth in protecting marine environment in particular and the environment in general.
The event consisted of interesting and practical activities such as cycling; collecting wastes and tidying in Cat Hai town and Gia Loc embankment; drawing contest with topics of environmental protection and climate change adaptation and exchanging rubbish for trees. In particular, the initiative of exchanging rubbish for trees booth became the most outstanding point of the event. This form blew a new wind, attracting a number of youngsters and students to participate in. They eagerly exchange collected trash for trees and to plant those at their school gardens. Whereas, art booth effectively drew attentions of 25 “young artists” from secondary schools of the island. These “artists” were inspired to initiate creative ideas about environmental protection, climate change adaptation which are also appropriate initiatives with their local context. At the end of the event, the nicest pictures and the most meaningful and practical ideas were given encouraging awards. After that, students presented these drawings to the project’s representatives for saving purpose.
Success of the event has inspired Youth Union in Cat Hai district to replicate this model for its upcoming environmental protection activities. The event closed with contentment of both participants and Ready project officers. We always think that treating green environment in a friendly way is also kindly behaving with ourselves.