Green living from simple things

From the neighborhood…

At 6am on Sunday morning, Ms. Bui Thi Lieu Dung, Head of the Women's Association of Residential Area No. 10, Thanh Binh Ward (Hai Duong City) took a broom out of her house and went to the women's groups to urge members to clean up the streets. This work has become a tradition here for many years, and is responded to by the neighborhood every Sunday morning.

“Unlike many other places, where the Women's Union or other organizations only take charge of a self-managed section of road, here we mobilize members to maintain all roads and alleys in residential areas,” said Ms. Dung.

This is partly due to the fact that the residential area is smaller than other places. However, the association also has difficulties in that more than 66% of the total 96 members are middle-aged and elderly. Young people are busy with work at agencies and units, so it is difficult to participate in common activities and movements. However, the members of the association advise each other for the common environment, and are willing to help clean up roads and alleys that are not near their homes.

And not only on Sunday mornings, but cleaning the area around their house is a daily task for the neighborhood residents. Therefore, although part of Thanh Binh market is located in area 10, the environment in the area is always clean and tidy.

In daily life and cleaning, member families also classify garbage, collect recyclable garbage to sell as scrap and donate to the charity fund of the branch.

The above activities are an important part of Thanh Binh ward's choice of residential area No. 10 as a pilot model for building a "5 haves, 3 cleans" family (5 haves: safe house, sustainable livelihood, health, knowledge, cultural lifestyle; 3 cleans: clean house, clean kitchen, clean alley) from 2023. Currently, all families in residential area No. 10 meet the 8 criteria of "5 haves, 3 cleans".

Not only residential area No. 10 but also in recent years, the issue of environmental sanitation in Hai Duong city has always been a concern. The clearest evidence is that after storm No. 3, the whole city was like a "battlefield" because of fallen trees. However, the entire political system and the people joined forces to focus on cleaning up, restoring the city's appearance after only about 2 weeks of storms and floods.

Towards the 220th anniversary of the founding of Thanh Dong (1804-2024), the 70th anniversary of the city's liberation (October 30, 1954 - October 30, 2024), welcoming the Party Congresses at all levels for the 2025 - 2030 term, on October 12 and 13, from the Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the City People's Committee to all forces, they once again launched a general cleaning of the entire city.

Living in a clean, fresh environment, people's quality of life will be improved.

… to school

“I want to build the school into a park school,” said teacher Pham Thi Hai Ha, Principal of Lien Hong Primary School (Hai Duong City). That wish of Ms. Ha has long come true for many parents and students of the school. Because the school now has a green campus with rows of rosewood trees and dozens of species of flowers, fruit trees, and vegetable gardens. The love for trees spreads from the head of the school to all teachers, students, and parents.

When she came to this school at the end of 2021, Ms. Ha loved it because it had a large, airy space. However, the planting and care of trees was not focused on, so the campus was not beautiful. Ms. Ha asked for each seedling, from tamarind, jackfruit, grapefruit, mango to buying roses, sunflowers, orchids, bougainvillea, etc. to plant throughout the campus.

The shade trees grow tall and spread their green canopies above, while below are patches of various flower plants. While setting an example of digging the soil and cultivating each flower, Ms. Ha mobilized all teachers in the school to participate in the labor, planting trees and vegetables.

Then, even parents, students and security guards are spread the love of trees. Every time after Tet, families who have finished playing with flowers bring them to the school to plant in the campus. Therefore, every corner of the yard and hallway in front of the classrooms has trees. Watering and taking care of the trees in front of the classrooms is also diligently done by students every day.

The green campus has also become an ideal place for teachers to incorporate into their lessons. Studying and playing among the green trees, students have incorporated descriptive essays about landscapes, trees, and flowers into their lessons. Or from the “Clean School Drum” held 3 times a week, students directly pick up grass and fallen leaves in the tree beds, which also fosters a love for nature and the protection of trees…

The cool, fresh air of this school also makes parents feel relaxed when picking up their children from school. Many families with young children in the surrounding area also love to bring their children here to play in the afternoons after school.

Living in harmony with nature will help nurture the soul and character of students. This is truly a valuable thing in the school environment, not only at Lien Hong Primary School but also in all schools in Hai Duong City that have been and are aiming for this.

Change your mind

In the context of increasingly crowded and cramped urban spaces, green-clean-beautiful campuses from neighborhoods, schools to public places are invested in. However, in each family in the city, green living is not properly understood, and there are even misunderstandings.

“Many people believe that living space must be spacious to be able to… live green. This is a very wrong concept,” said architect Pham Thang Loi (Vietbuilding Architecture Consulting Joint Stock Company).

According to Mr. Loi, the living space does not need to be too large, small houses and tube houses can completely set aside green spaces to circulate air in the house. Green spaces do not necessarily have to be planted with trees in the house but can be designed to receive light, circulate natural air, helping people to minimize the use of auxiliary equipment such as lighting, fans, air conditioners, etc. On the other hand, during the construction process and in daily life, choosing to use environmentally friendly materials, recycled products is also a healthy green way of living, minimizing environmental pollution, reducing the harmful effects of greenhouse gas emissions, and avoiding wasting natural resources.

Green living is also formed from clean eating habits by using organic products; replacing food wrap with reusable food storage containers or environmentally friendly food wrap; not using plastic bags when going to the market; sorting garbage at home; turning off electrical appliances when not needed; using used water to water plants...

The “National Strategy on Green Growth for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050” aims to build a green lifestyle combined with a beautiful traditional lifestyle to create a high-quality life in harmony with nature. Implementing urbanization and building new rural areas ensures green and sustainable growth goals; creating a culture of sustainable consumption in the context of integration with the world.

The Resolution of the 23rd Congress of Hai Duong City Party Committee, term 2020 - 2025 also sets the goal of striving to become a green, smart, friendly and safe city by 2030. The general planning of Hai Duong City until 2040 also identifies "building Hai Duong City towards a green, smart city. Completing the criteria of a type I city; building a modern urban infrastructure system".

From the above orientations, green living from simple things from each family, each agency, and unit can create a green urban area that is desirable for any city citizen.