What better way to celebrate World Environment Day then to actually set out, put those gloves and physically do your bit on the ground. No armchair promises, no future perfect plans but getting your feet dirty, literally!
And that’s exactly what a group of environment conscious people have done over the last few days and it’s heartening to note, that their spontaneous plans evoked a great response among the public, encouraging others to follow suit. Here’s a look at two such ‘clean up activities’ that were carried out recently, and it appears that it could spread to other villages across Goa.
Assagao cleanup
NGOs Live Happy and ForcaGoa.org along side other Assagao village members took to the streets and cleaned up a garbage dump. Live Happy NGO based in Assagao is committed to working alongside active village members to bring positive change to the Assagao Village. ForcaGoa.org, FC Goa’s new NGO who works with youth from the village at one of their grassroots football centers, stated that they were incredibly impressed by the efforts of Live Happy and wanted to join forces for the clean up drive.
The team of active citizens were led by Felly Gomes, Founder of Live Happy and Jill Ferguson Managing Director of ForcaGoa and they cleaned up the field by the road crossing on the Badem - Mapusa road.
Felly and team ensure that the entire event of the day was accompanied by them singing songs in the village mando style to create more awareness around the growing garbage issue. “Known for its beautiful flowers and springs, Assagao was once called ‘Phoolanche Gaon’, now we are seeing it lose a lot of its natural treasures. The seven springs are polluted and choked with the garbage that the village generates and disposes with no concern or help from the civic bodies,” one of the NGO members stated. Live Happy added that they are trying to solve this growing problem by offering a waste management solution and that the clean-up drive also focussed on bringing awareness to the villagers about the problem and the solution being offered. The NGO has also called on villagers interested in helping solve the issue, to participate in their monthly waste management program or attend their weekly village meetings. They have also called for sharing of waste management information with others in the village to make the program successful.
