By Mandy Lo
In Tijuana’s underserved neighborhoods, families live in makeshift homes without proper addresses, excluding them from city waste collection services. Trash accumulates or is burned, filling the air with thick smoke and worsening pollution. Inspired by Master Cheng Yen’s call to practice environmental protection and moved by local environmental challenges, Tzu Chi volunteers in Tijuana decided to involve students from their Hope Classroom to turn inspiration into action. They initiated a "Community Environmental Day" with students from their Hope Classroom.
This special day brought together students and residents to clean their neighborhood and promote recycling, fostering environmental awareness and community spirit.
Education Through Action
Through daily education and influence, the volunteers aimed to inspire a love for the environment among students, parents, and community members. They encouraged students to collect trash, visit local recycling centers, and clean up parks and open spaces.
On September 29, 2024, Hope Classroom students successfully organized the Community Environmental Day. They visited nearby residents, inviting them to participate in the cleanup effort. Teachers and students from the Mercy School—a church-funded school long supported by Tzu Chi with dental and eye care—also joined the event.
Early that morning, students and staff diligently prepared for the event, setting up tables, registering participants, and distributing trash collection equipment. Student Guadalupe López Barraza led the opening ceremony, explaining the recycling process and encouraging everyone to participate.
Helping Residents Earn Small Rewards
Thanks to meticulous planning, participants were efficiently grouped by nametag color and received masks, gloves, trash pickers, and bags. Five teams, each led by a student, collected trash and plastic cans in different areas.
"We made brochures and flyers to distribute. We mapped out the entire area where we would collect recyclables," Guadalupe explained.
Community resident Miguel Angel Cordova shared, "Seeing the mess was disheartening. But after cleaning, we can walk there, walk our dogs, or take our kids to play, and it feels good."
Student Kevin Francisco added, "Seeing us recycle, people want to join. If everyone in our community takes care of the environment, pollution will decrease."
The community truck regularly collects recyclables and returns the proceeds to the collectors. Clara, who has hand issues, expressed gratitude for Tzu Chi's help: "I collect recyclables and bring them to the center because I can't sell them myself."
Cleaning and Collecting
Most neighborhoods near the center lack official addresses, so government garbage trucks don't collect their trash. Residents burn their waste, creating smoke and pollution.
Familiar with their community, Hope Classroom students chose safe, accessible locations for cleanup. The focus was on collecting plastics and cans. In a short time, their bags were filled, and the once-littered parks and slopes were much cleaner.
Fabian Vega, a center employee, drove a truck to collect the filled trash bags. High school student Kevin Francisco and his classmates swiftly loaded the truck, showcasing the collective effort's success.
Promoting Sustainable Habits
After a short break, Guadalupe hosted a session where Graciela Sanchez, principal of Tijuana Tzu Chi Elementary School, and community doctor Elie explained the importance of environmental protection. They thanked the Tzu Chi volunteers for their selfless contributions and encouraged everyone to protect their homes. Dr. Elie praised the volunteers' efforts and urged the community to avoid littering and burning trash, which causes air pollution.
Moving forward, recyclables collected by the community will be picked up regularly and sold, with the proceeds returned to the collectors. While the amount may be small, it contributes to both household income and protecting the Earth.
