On the afternoon of September 14, Arnaud Dubrac, a French national, donned protective gloves and grabbed a broom to join dozens of volunteers cleaning up storm-damaged streets in Hoan Kiem district. Arnaud had just returned to Hanoi from Paris following Typhoon Yagi and was shocked by the widespread damage, noting fallen trees across the city, including his own neighborhood in Tay Ho district, the local media reported.
Upon learning of a clean-up campaign organized by the Hoan Kiem District Communist Youth Union, Arnaud signed up to help, collecting branches and loading them onto garbage trucks. “I want to contribute to making the city I live in more beautiful and assist the city’s response teams,” he said.
Duncan Withers, a New Zealander living in Hoan Kiem district for nearly two years, also joined the effort with his Vietnamese girlfriend. He expressed sorrow seeing the storm uproot many of the city’s old trees. On the morning of September 14, they cleaned areas around the Opera House, Co Tan Flower Garden, and Dien Hong Flower Garden, before moving to Ly Thai To Street to gather fallen branches.
Joanna Chilicka, a Polish citizen who has lived in Hanoi for eight years, said it was her first time witnessing such devastation in the city. After hearing about the volunteer recruitment, she and her friends quickly signed up. Joanna explained that after spending time in Vietnam, she came to understand the spirit of mutual support among people, which inspired her to participate. Though the work of cutting and collecting tree branches was tiring, the energy of those around her fueled her determination.
The clean-up initiative, involving both foreigners and locals, was co-organized by the Hoan Kiem District Youth Union and the tourism connection company Tubudd. Vu Thi Thai An, a representative of Tubudd, explained that the idea came after seeing fallen trees scattered across the city, while many resources were directed towards flood relief in northern provinces. “We may not be able to help with flood relief, but we can use our energy to clean up the city,” she said.
Within 24 hours of the call for volunteers, more than 200 people registered to help, with over half being foreigners. The clean-up took place on September 14 and 15 in various public spaces.
Thanh Mai, a local resident who encountered the volunteers on Ly Thai To Street, expressed her gratitude upon seeing their efforts. “As a Vietnamese, I don’t know what to say except thank you to my international friends,” she said, before rolling up her sleeves to join in, according to local media.
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Source: Vietnam Insider