After several days of steady downpours, a group of Iraqi volunteers recently gathered under a clearing sky in the city of Haweja in Kirkuk Governorate with one aim: to weed off the surrounding areas of unwanted garbage, to spruce up the pathways with newly planted tree saplings, and to advocate for a greener, cleaner and brighter Haweja.

Mohammed Al-Jumaily, a lecturer at Haweja Technical Institute and founder of the voluntary group, notes that the idea to engage in clean-up activities in his home city was born out of sheer simplicity - the fact that a visit to the main market one morning opened his eyes to all the bits and pieces of rotten fruit, plastic bags, empty water bottles, discarded newspapers and torn cartons accumulating in already oversized rubbish pits. "With this picture in plain sight, my friend Wasim and I decided to launch a clean-up campaign to beautify our city", Mohammed said.

The group, whose ranks have swelled from about 10 early on to number now around 150, meets periodically to host various activities ranging from clean-up activities to visiting and supporting the internally displaced living in camps. Despite years of war and calamity that Iraqis have borne, causing destruction of land and loss of life, this vibrant group of volunteers demonstrate a positive spirit with infectious energy.

With Earth Day just around the corner, we all have a responsibility to respect our natural surroundings, embrace and nurture our flora and fauna in all its forms and species, and learn to live in harmony with the beauty of our planet.

Photos: UNAMI PIO/Harith Al-Obeidi

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