On the morning of June 27, 2008, the youth of Chabriha came together in a clean-up campaign for their small community in southern Lebanon.
With ANERA’s support, PARD (Popular Aid for Relief and Development) organized the campaign. PARD community worker Ramzieh Abed Allah led the clean-up effort, which included clearing the streets and alleys of garbage, sweeping the streets, distributing trash bags to families and hanging posters to promote keeping the community’s environment clean.
Children of different ages gathered at 8:00 AM in front of PARD’s First Aid Center. From there they spread out in teams throughout the community to collect garbage in trash bags and pile the bags together for the PARD garbage truck. They even hosed down areas between homes heavily trafficked by community members. Many families participated by sweeping the ground in front of their houses.
By noon the clean-up work was complete and the kids went door-to-door to distribute a package of garbage bags for each home and promote cleanliness. At the end of the four-hour clean-up, the participants gathered to celebrate with refreshments, happy and satisfied from their morning’s work.
The campaign conveyed messages of environmental cleanliness and health. During the assessment stage of the “Tangible Improvement for Under-Served Communities in Greater Tyre Project” the children all voiced their wish for a cleaner Chabriha and expressed their need for a clean-up campaign.
ANERA’s sponsorship of PARD helped the children achieve their goal and educate the community as well. The long-lasting impact is not just in appearances. It has also affected the children’s sense of civic responsibility.
