By Anit Thapaliya, president of the Rotaract Club of Pashupati Kathmandu, Nepal
We collected more than 1,100 pairs of used shoes to be recycled and reused as part of our project “Yes Dear, You Change Before the Climate.” It proved that we can teach others to change their behaviors before our climate changes, for the worse.
We set out with the help of Working Hands, a local nongovernmental organization, to convince people to give us their old shoes
instead of throwing them away. Shoes take
forever to break down in a landfill, and if you burn them, it pollutes the air. We gave people a reason to smile by donating their old shoes and helping the environment.
Working Hands trains volunteers in preparing shoes to be used again through washing and refining. The young volunteers learn the creative skills behind the shoe-making process. The project is also a fascinating study in recycling consumer goods. It was a huge success, and encouraged us that we can do something to control pollution.
All the shoes were taken to remote villages in the district of Khotang, where they were distributed to poor families. We chartered a local bus and every passenger on the bus served as an ambassador, carrying a recycled pair of shoes to someone who needed them.
Yes, we Rotaractors can change before our climate changes.