After 10 implementation years of the Politburo’s Resolution No. 41/NQ-TW on environmental protection (EP) in the industrialization and modernization process, many models developed by provincial Women’s Union (WU) have been spread and obtained many positive results in EP.
Enlarging many models
The model of plating banana trees to take leaves is one action course of “Women join EP” Club that has been executed at An Thanh ward, Thuan An town. The club increased its member from 40 to 128 and 4 rural quarters. The purpose of club activities is to enhance propaganda of plating banana trees to take leaves instead of using nylon bags for EP.
Members of WU in Chanh My ward, TDM City planted trees along streets to reduce littering.
To develop club activities, in addition to its fund, the club received VND12 million from higher level for 40 households to develop this model, including 22 households specializing in growing banana trees on an area of 1,404 m2, other households rotating crops. Associating production with consumption, most of yields have been consumed; 45% banana leaves are sold to vendors in the 2 local markets for food packing. The remaining banana leaves are sold to traders and rice-cake producers. Thanks to stable distribution channels, the club organizes quarterly propaganda activities to encourage female vendors to use banana leaves for food packing to ensure food safety, contributing to environmental protection. The club delivers 10 - 20kg free banana leaves to female vendors at markets. By now, the club has encouraged 300 vendors to use banana leaves instead of nylon bags.
WU’s branches across the province also launched 14 EP autonomous groups with 106 members; established flower gardens in quarter 10 and expanded the flower garden in quarter 2 of Chanh Nghia ward, TDM City; maintained 138 clubs, EP groups named “For a city without waste", "The Green House" combined with “5 no, 3 clean", "Women and the environment ", “Green space” and many more with a total of 5,424 participants. Clubs have been operated effectively and attracted many more members.
Mobilizing resources for Environmental Protection
Besides building many practical EP models, provincial WU cooperated with Asian Development Bank to support 4,083 households of female members in building toilets with septic tank in 30 communes, wards and townships of Tan Uyen, Di An, Thuan An town and TDM City. 6,557 households were granted loans with a support of VND3 million/household. Currently, low-income households built up or repaired their toilets to secure health, beautiful landscape.
Practical models have made significant impacts on people’s awareness of EP movement. Activities of “EP Week”, “Clean Water”, “Biodiversity", "World Environment Day”, “Making the world cleaner"... had more than 264,000 participants collecting 191.000m3 waste; clearing 140.000m drains, canals; clearing 11.000m2 bush; repairing rural roads; planting 268,000 trees…
However, provincial WU has not been content with these achievements. In the coming time, WU will continue to diversify propaganda forms to create changes in people’s awareness; mobilize resources for EP, especially in waste collection, processing and recycling in order to encourage all people strata to take actions for a green – clean – beautiful environment.
Reported by P.V – Translated by Ngoc Huynh
