The World is Changed by your examples, not by your opinions
The Environmental issues of Nepal are slowly starting to be acknowledged by its population. Hopefully, this will start to lead the Nepali people towards some positive changes, and therefore, a greener tomorrow for the kingdom of heaven! But what we are witnessing are only the first small steps forward, on a path that will take decades and strong general goodwill, before its brave participants perceive its never-ending finish line… Today we will talk about one of the visionaries, and maybe dreamers, leading the environmental cleaning march. Showing Nepali the way to a change of mentalities regarding their bad habits with Trash.
“Here, in Nepal, there is still a lack of education about the environment…” Raj, Founder of Let’s Clean Up Nepal”
Raj is a 30 years old vigorous mountain guide. Enthusiastic, altruistic, and selflessly ambitious, he believes Nepal can be cleaner. And he has decided to dedicate his life to ensure so. His project “Lets Clean Up Nepal !” is one of many he has for the future of his beloved homeland. We will come back on his inspiring story shortly.
Firstly, what he has done so far, needs to be put forward. Because this guy is not just small talk…
Since October 2017, Raj has organized, participated and lead approximately 20 events around Nepal (Tilicho Lake, Thamel, Everest, Upper Mustang, Bagmati River, Swoyembhunath Temple…) and even around the World (Switzerland, Thailand…). His clean Up missions in Base Camps or touristic areas are not his only field of actions. He also plants trees, puts in place awareness campaigns in schools, and sensibilise the international traveler’s community to his countries problems. But Raj doesn’t stop at the word “problem” for which he always has an “answer” or a “solution”.
“Our intentions are not only to go one place and clean, but we also want to spread a message all over Nepal. And the world! Because trash is not only a Nepali problem !” Raj.
In Nepal, Kathmandu is known as the 5th most polluted capital in the World. Sacred places, mountains, and rivers are filling up in a soon irreversible amount or organic and plastic hazard. It is estimated there is between 800 and 1000 tons of garbage per day produced by the Valley…
“That’s what local people do, they eat and throw. We don’t care about our nature”
Tell us your story Raj:
“My name is Raj. When I moved in Kathmandu 13 years ago, I started doing small business, to work a little bit. It was very hard to feed ourselves in the city you know. I needed to fish if I wanted to eat. After a few years, everything started to go well for me. But, I was tired of this pollution, dust…
You know everything is a mess in the city of Kathmandu. We, most of the Nepali, we have a big dream to change our life and home. Go to college to get educated… and then go abroad. [Leave the mess behind us…]
But my vision was not that. I took everything the simple way.
I was studying management at that time. But I was not happy with my story. Me, I love to explain, talk to the people, every single moment I want to talk. That’s my passion. So, I would work and always watch adventure movies, reading adventure blogs, [hoping to one day write my own].
So, I said to myself: why do I do this job, just sitting around doing nothing. I decided: ok, interest needs to come from the heart. So I changed and started to do trekking. And then I made friends with the tourists, and I would go with them to travel. I love foreigners because I want to know more about the world. […] I want to know their experience of Nepal.
Every tourist, when they come to Nepal, they have a lot of expectations. Because when you search for Nepal on the internet first you see nice pictures, otherwise you would not come.
My intention if someone expects something by coming to Nepal we need to fulfill it.
Last time I went to Annapurna, I was like any tourist: I expected too much. I heard: a nice sunrise, nice sunset, but I had never been there.
And then when we went with my friends, at first, from far away it looked beautiful…Then when we arrived they were trash everywhere!
My friends were asking: Oh my god what is this? Do people don’t care?
And I had to answer: That’s what local people do, they eat and throw. We don’t care about our nature.
This day I promise her: One day I will bring some change for Nepali People. I want to do something for this planet. I will not let more mess than today!”
“How can Nepal change if even young people don’t understand there is a problem.”
So you think it starts with mentalities?
“[…] After a few months, I was outside, going home, eating a banana
And when I finished I asked myself; where should I put this banana peel? There are no bins, nowhere.
On the way, they were a shop. Where three women and one man were sitting in front. I saw a plastic bag and I went to put the banana peel in it.
And they started shouting so much! Because they said: Why do you put it here !? We are not here to clean your trash, you shouldn’t put it here! we are not here waiting for you to clean your mess. they started threatening me! [they preferred I throw it in the street than in their trash !]
I tried to explain [Why it is not normal]. But they didn’t listen, and again they shouted. So I had to pick it up. I took it back to my room.
The people who shouted were very young… And I thought to myself: Oh my god, how can Nepal change if even young people don’t understand there is a problem.
So I felt very sad that night. I couldn’t sleep.
At first, I was discouraged, but then I started learning a lesson. And I kept asking myself how can we change?
After a few days, I went back to the mountain. Again trash everywhere, people burning trash or throwing it away in the river… I collected plastic on the way and gave it to women and asked: “can you collect it recycle it? and she started burning it…” [That’s when I understood I must not only pick up but educate]
“We have dirty mountain a messy city, but why not clean it! Let’s clean up Nepal !”
When did Let’s Clean Up Nepal really started?
I was with a French friend, Christine. She is very strong but slower than me. So while I was waiting I started picking up trash. I did that for eleven days. I kept saying to myself:
We have a dirty mountain, a messy city, but why not clean it! Let’s clean up Nepal! The message was born.
I asked a Spanish friend to create a page on Facebook for the initiative. And with internet things starting to move very fast!
“Raj is a man of great heart with great humility. He is concerned about all the problems that can be encountered in Nepal, he is not only making noise, but he also acts. All his projects are structured and not only have a real logic but also a real solution. Solutions that are for the future. It’s a philosophy of “acting now, for tomorrow” Kevin, a French Eco-Tourist currently working with him.
Raj is not the only person fighting to clean up the highest mesmerizing landscapes Nepal has to offer. But spotlights need to be facing the important actor of the environmental cause, in order to spread awareness, which is the first step to deep and long-term change.
The government is also expected to show more support to these association they ignore. And drastic measures have to be taken. The economic touristic future of the country depends on it, as much as it’s citizen healths…
And you, think about it next time you throw something in the street or the mountains. Don’t wait for people such as Raj to pick it up. Nepal doesn’t need more volunteer cleaners but less trash left behind for them to pick up.
