Initiatives such as the “Youth-run road sections”, “Volunteer Saturdays”, “Small plan houses”, along with waste collection and anti-plastic initiatives, have been effective actions by youths in Mường Ảng to protect the environment. With a spirit of initiative and volunteerism, youths here are leaving a lasting impact through meaningful actions, contributing to the creation of a green, clean, and beautiful living environment for the community.

In order to spread awareness about environmental protection from the school level, the Youth Union of Mường Ảng High School launched the “Exchange paper for trees” model in the 2023-2024 school year. Students are encouraged to bring waste paper, old books, and plastic bottles to exchange them for small pots of flowers for their classrooms or to care for at home. After a year of implementation, the model has not only contributed to reducing waste and promoting waste sorting and recycling habits, but it has also created friendly green corners in the learning space, helping nurture young people’s love for nature and their awareness of environmental protection.

Nguyễn Phương Linh, a student in class 11B1 at Mường Ảng High School, shared: “At first, I just thought it was simply exchanging waste paper for plants. But after participating a few times, I became more responsible for the environment around me. Each potted plant in the classroom serves as a reminder for us to live green and clean from the smallest things.”

The “Civilized trash bin” model at the Búng Lao central market is another simple but very practical initiative from youths of Mường Ảng in environmental protection. Since the market opened in 2024, the district’s Youth Union has placed trash bins in convenient locations to encourage people to dispose of trash properly. This initiative has helped reduce littering, promote hygiene, and raise awareness about environmental protection within the community. Especially in the market area, which gathers a large number of people and generates a lot of waste, the installation of segregated trash bins has helped maintain a clean and pleasant space.

Not only at educational institutions but also in the centers of communes and towns, the “Thousand good deeds” movement related to environmental protection in Mường Ảng has also spread widely to remote villages. Here, local youth unions have coordinated with other organizations, such as the Women’s Union and Farmers’ Association, to carry out regular cleaning activities, clear shrubs, collect waste along inter-village roads, and educate people on how to handle organic waste locally, reducing the use of plastic bags.

Lường Văn Chiến, Secretary of the Youth Union of Mánh Đanh village, Ẳng Cang commune, shared: “At first, many members were hesitant to join, thinking it was a small task. However, after being briefed about the purpose of the movement and seeing the dramatic changes in the landscape of the village roads, many people have voluntarily signed up to perform good deeds every day, from picking up litter to reminding people not to litter.”

In response to the call from the Central Youth Union, the Mường Ảng district’s Youth Union has made it a priority to link the activities of the “Thousand good deeds” movement with environmental protection, which is one of the urgent issues in the local area. This approach is both practical and close to everyday life, while promoting the role of youth union members in building civilized lifestyles and protecting the environment.

Based on this approach, youth unions at the grassroots level have implemented many activities that are specific to each local area, such as waste collection, tree planting, improving the landscape of schools, village roads, and alleys, cleaning cemeteries, historical sites, dredging irrigation canals, spreading awareness about reducing plastic waste, and creating waste separation models at the source.

Nguyễn Thị Ngọc, Secretary of the Mường Ảng district’s Youth Union, said: “We are committed to ensuring that the movement is substantive, not just a slogan. Each local union, each youth group needs to leverage its unique characteristics and choose tasks suitable for local conditions. This creates a positive ripple effect and a strong transformation in the awareness and actions of youths.”

Not stopping at direct activities, the Mường Ảng district’s Youth Union has also increased its use of social media platforms to inspire and raise awareness. On the “Tuổi trẻ Mường Ảng” (Mường Ảng youths) fanpage, monthly and quarterly, inspiring stories, meaningful deeds, and exemplary figures in environmental protection are shared. Over the past two years, hundreds of stories have been shared, receiving thousands of positive interactions and comments from the community, which has helped foster a sense of responsibility, love for nature, and action for the environment among young people.

From the positive results achieved, the Mường Ảng district’s Youth Union has set the goal to continue improving the quality and effectiveness of the “Thousand good deeds” movement, with a focus on expanding successful models such as “Zero waste communities”, “Green youth groups”, and “Green, clean, beautiful schools”. At the same time, they plan to collaborate with other organizations, local authorities, and communities to ensure sustainability and maximize the long-term effectiveness of the models they have implemented.

“We hope that each good deed will not only contribute to environmental protection but also become part of the journey of educating youths to live with beautiful ideals and responsibilities. When each youth union member recognizes their role and is ready to take action for the community, society will have more ‘green seeds’ - young citizens who love nature, live kindly, and contribute to a sustainable future,” emphasized Ngọc.

Picking up a piece of trash, planting a pot of plants, or maintaining a clean road section... each action is a testament to the spirit of the “Thousand good deeds” movement. It can be affirmed that the movement, tied to environmental protection in Mường Ảng, has deeply influenced lives of youths and young people, gradually transforming awareness into action, from action into habits, and from habits into cultural beauty in the community. These small but meaningful deeds, performed with the spirit of responsibility and enthusiasm of youths, are creating positive changes at the grassroots level for a green, clean, and beautiful environment.