VietNamNet Bridge – The photos showing a couple of foreigners cleaning up a clogged canal in Hanoi have gone viral on social media over the past few days. Their act has attracted the admiration of local residents as it is surely difficult to find locals who are ready to collect trash from a filthy canal as a community service.

Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung presents the official Hanoi pin to James Joseph Kendall -- File photo

The images originate from a Facebook page named Keep Hanoi Clean of James Joseph Kendall, an American teacher of English in Hanoi. As reported by Thanh Nien, the 34-year-old set up Keep Hanoi Clean with an aim to protect the environment in Hanoi early this month. The group, whose members are Vietnamese and foreign, did the cleanup at the canal in an alley of Nguyen Khang Street at the request of no one.

Kendall first invited some of his foreign friends to join him to help clean up the environment in the city but many Vietnamese came ask to join his group and take part in environmental cleanup activities on weekends. The pictures were taken when the group was tidying up the canal in Yen Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District on May 15.

The cleanup by Keep Hanoi Clean made the canal cleaner and greener as the group planted some trees along the canal and a banner that calls for the public not to litter for a green, clean and beautiful environment.

VTC News quotes local residents as saying they were impressed and surprised by what the group had done for the environment and community. “Thanks to them, no trash can be found in the filthy canal now. Nobody else is willing to do it,” a resident says.

The public has heaped praises on the noble act of the voluntary garbage collectors from Keep Hanoi Clean. But at first, local authorities seemed a bit unhappy with it, saying the canal had been cleaned up before Keep Hanoi Clean did and that the group should have informed them beforehand.

Hoang Trung Kien, chairman of Yen Hoa Ward, said organizations and individuals who intend to carry out environmental cleanup and protection activities should inform local authorities so that they could coordinate and provide assistance.

His comment has been booed on social media, though.

Talking about the cleanup at the canal clogged with garbage last Sunday, Kendall said he had seen a lot of dirty canals in Hanoi on the way to work, so he came up with the idea of collecting trash from them.

According to the American teacher, he did feel scared when he started putting his legs into the mud in the canal. But he told VietnamPlus that the need to keep the canal clean had helped him overcome fear.

Hanoi chairman Nguyen Duc Chung on Wednesday visited Kendall and thanked him and his group for protecting the city’s environment. Representing the Hanoi government, Chung acknowledged and praised what Kendall and his friends have done to reduce pollution in the city.

“Such a good act has actually helped raise public awareness of environmental protection and making Hanoi clean and beautiful,” Chung told Kendall.

According to Chung, Hanoi has launched a large-scale campaign to protect the environment with a focus on specific activities like littering no garbage and doing cleanups on Saturdays and Sundays.

Chung even called for Kendall and his group to continue attracting more foreigners working and studying in Hanoi to participate in environmental and sanitation activities.

Keep Hanoi Clean has seen its membership shooting up to 5,500 since news about its cleanup of the heavily polluted canal broke in local media.

This shows the group has succeeded in its mission of raising public awareness of environmental protection. So there is no reason for the group to stop doing what is good for the community. They are now the role model for many.

Anh Thu

SGT