FULBRIGHT LETTER-11 Green Clean Pokhara Movement

1 Chikashi Sato

Dear friends, This letter continues from the previous letter “Signs of Hope.” During my routine morning walk, I saw some green and pink plastic bags filled with trash outside the Tsubomi Gakko Pokhara (Photo 1). (”Gakko” means school in Japanese.) A sticker label was attached on each bag, which read “We Love Clean Pokhara” (Photo 2). There were similar bags in Basundhara Park (Photo 3).

Along the shoreline of Phewa Lake, there are many trash baskets made of bamboo. Two baskets were generally attached to a pole: one is for waste plastic bottles and the other is for paper and other trash. A card showing a man throwing trash in a basket was hung from the pole. The card says “Green Clean Pokhara Movement” (Photos 4).

Photo 3: Trash bags in Basundhara Park, Pokhara (Photo by Sato, March 2012)

Photo 1: Trash bags outside the Tsubomi Gakko Pokhara (Photo by Sato, March 2012)

Photos 2: Sticker labels saying “We Love Clean Pokhara” (Photo by Sato, March 2012)

Photos 4: Trash baskets found in parks and tourist areas (Photo by Sato, 2012)

FULBRIGHT LETTER-11 Green Clean Pokhara Movement

2 Chikashi Sato

In the early morning of May 16, 2012, by the trash baskets on the eastside of Phewa Lake, I saw a man replacing a damaged card with a new one. Soon I learned he was one of the workers of the Green Clean Pokhara Movement. He gave me a business card, which said “Daniel Ji.” Daniel Ji is a founder of the Pokhara Health Care Project (PHP) and the Green Clean Pokhara Movement (GCPM). (“Ji” is Daniel’s real last name: “Ji” is also Sir/Madam/Mr/Mrs/Ms in Nepalese.) Both PHP and GCPM are non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Daniel came from Korea with his wife, Jem-ma. Both love the Himalayan mountains and Pokhara. As a NGO social worker, Daniel delivers medicine to various Himalayan villages on foot. He says “Pokhara is his paradise.” During a phone conversation, Daniel said “there will be no ‘bandh’ tomorrow, so we will do cleaning.” (“Bandh” is a strike which shuts down almost all local transportations except for bicycles and emergency vehicles such as an ambulance, and closes all local stores except for emergency facilities such as a pharmacy store.) On Saturday, May 19, 2012, I was invited to his planned activity; that is, picking up trash from a section of the Phewa Lake shore. Durga, the Project Manager, picked me up on his motorcycle at the Barahi Temple boating site. Around 7:30 AM, a utility car with a bunch of children and a few adult volunteers arrived at a planned cleaning site. After a bucket, pincers, and yellow gloves were given to individual volunteers, the cleaning work began (Photo 5). We were to pick up non-biodegradable trash such as plastics, rubber products, and clothes (Photos 6-11).

Photo 5: Everyone receives a green bucket, yellow gloves, etc. (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

Photo 6: Children volunteers with a green bandana by Phewa Lake (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

Photos 7: Children volunteers collecting trash by Phewa Lake (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

FULBRIGHT LETTER-11 Green Clean Pokhara Movement

3 Chikashi Sato

Photo 11: Durga carrying trash bags (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

Photos 8: Girls pulling large trash by Phewa Lake (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

Photos 9: Adult volunteers picking up trash by Phewa Lake (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

Photo 10: Jem-ma assuring children’s health and safety (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

FULBRIGHT LETTER-11 Green Clean Pokhara Movement

4 Chikashi Sato

We worked for about two hours, including a short water break (Photo 12). The work resulted in a clean lake shoreline, many bags filled with trash (Photo 13), and new friendships (Photo 14). Daniel appeared to be very satisfied with the outcome (Photo 15), and we became a happy “Green Clean Pokhara Movement” family (Photo 16).

Photo 15: Durga (left) and Daniel (right), look satisfied with the result (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

Photo 13: Clean shoreline and bags of trash collected (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

Photo 12: Me taking a water break by Phewa Lake (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

Photo 16: The mission accomplished, “Cheese.” First row far right: Daniel First row from left: Durga, Chung, Lil Kaji: Second row far right: Me Top row far right: Jem ma (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

Photo 14: Me (center) and volunteer girls (Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

FULBRIGHT LETTER-11 Green Clean Pokhara Movement

5 Chikashi Sato

After the cleaning work, the children were taken to a small local restaurant to have “mo mo.” (A “mo mo” is like a Chinese pot sticker or Japanese “Gyoza”: its shape and taste varies from a restaurant to a restaurant.) The “mo mo” in that restaurant was like “Gyoza”, the best “mo mo” I’vehad in Nepal (Photos 17).

Later that evening, I was invited to a meeting with Daniel, Jem ma, Durga and a few representatives from Jana Priya Higher Secondary School. It was a meeting for one of Daniel’s cleaning plans. It became clear to me that the green and pink trash bags, which I saw outside of Tsubomi Gakko (School) and in Basundhara Park, were the outcome of Daniel’s Green Clean Pokhara Movement projects. On May 22, 2012, we were to clean a residential/commercial street. Because there was a bandh (strike) on that day, there were no motorcycles, cars, buses, and tracks on the street. In fact, bandh made it easier to pick up trash from the street. When GCPM volunteers were cleaning the street, local residents showed up to support the cleaning (Photos 18). One man came with a stick to push trash: he looked like a person who had never touched trash in his life (Photo 19). Another man, despite having trouble walking , turned out to be a very enthusiastic worker (Photos 20). It was apparent that everyone likes a clean street and neighborhood.

Photos 17: After finishing the work, children were taken to a local “mo mo” restaurant

(Photo by Sato, May 19, 2012)

Photos 18: Many local residents showed up to clean the street (Photo by Sato, May 22, 2012)

FULBRIGHT LETTER-11 Green Clean Pokhara Movement

6 Chikashi Sato

In the end, we were very happy with the high turnout and the clean street (Photos 21 & 22).

After the street cleaning, the children and the GCPM volunteers went to a local “mo mo” restaurant (again) (Photos 23).

Photo 22: Green Clean Pokhara Movement volunteers. In front of the car, from left: Bar Ram, Durga, Me (Photo by Daniel, May 22, 2012)

Photos 23: Local “mo mo” restaurant (left) and having “mo mo” after the cleaning work (Photo by

Sato, May 22, 2012)

Photos 20: A volunteer, Bar Ram, wearing a green jacket and

having a black bag, had a walking problem but worked hard

(Photo by Sato, May 22, 2012)

Photo 19: A man, local resident, pushing trash with a stick (Photo by Sato, May 22, 2012)

Photo 21: Me picking up trash from a street (May 22, 2012)

FULBRIGHT LETTER-11 Green Clean Pokhara Movement

7 Chikashi Sato

On Saturday, May 26, 2012, we cleaned a block around Jana Priya Higher Secondary School. We started at 7:30 AM and finished around 9 AM (Photos 24).

Outside of Jana Priya Higher Secondary School after the cleaning.

GCPM volunteers were ready to pick up trash.

Photos 24: GCPM volunteers picking up trash from streets and sidewalks around Jana Priya Higher Secondary School (Photo by Sato, May 26, 2012)

FULBRIGHT LETTER-11 Green Clean Pokhara Movement

8 Chikashi Sato

After the street cleaning, we had doughnuts and juice (Photos 25 & 26), and then played volleyball, soccer, and jumped rope (Photo 27). In the end, we were all winners (Photo 28).

Photo 28: In the end, we were all winners (Photo by Sato, May 26, 2012)

Photo 25: Children washing their

hands before having a treat (Photo

by Sato, May 26, 2012)

Photos 26: Children volunteers having a treat (Photo by Sato, May 26, 2012)

Photos 27: Volunteers

playing volleyball and

jumping a rope (Photo by

Sato, May 26, 2012)

FULBRIGHT LETTER-11 Green Clean Pokhara Movement

9 Chikashi Sato

Appendix A: “Green Clean Pokhara Movement” behind the scene When I was picking trash as fast as I could, Jem ma called out, “Professor Sato, please come! These children are crying because you are moving too fast. They want to be with you. ” Suddenly, I realized that these shy little children came to see me, a stranger from the U.S. Since then, picking trash from a street became my secondary task. I said to myself, “you have more challenging work to do.”

Photos A1: Little green volunteers (Photo by Sato, May 22, June 9, 2012)