Trash Day...

Saturday might have been my coolest day in Azerbaijan so far. It was the first time since I have been here that I have really felt like I am in the Peace Corps. Training is super important, I know, but it gets a bit tiresome to be learning about doing something, rather than doing it. I am here to be doing good things and creating positive change for and with the community. On Saturday, we had a taste of that.






As I have mentioned, Azerbaijan has a huge pollution problem. I don't know where this information came from, but we have been told that the Caspian Sea is the most polluted body of water in the world and Sumgayit, the city we are living in during training, tops the pollution list worldwide as well. The whole place is filled with trash and litter. Plastic is a huge part of the problem. People throw their bottles wherever they may fall without a thought to it. Coming from the land of cleanliness and recycling, this has been more than a bit frustrating for all of us.




Shams, our training manager, organized a plastic pick up along the beach with a local organization. There is, apparently, a plastice recycling plant here in Sumgayit. So, Saturday morning, most of the trainees came out to pick up plastic. One of the coolest things was that is wasn't just us - about 30 Azeris came and joined us. There were a few current volunteers who came out, and several members of the Peace Corps staff - including Zoltan, our Contry Director.



We spent about 2 hours, walking along the beach, picking up plastic - bottles, bags, wrappers, you name it, if it was plastic, we picked up up. We filled a pretty big truck that was then sent to the recycling plant. It was definitely a spectator event - all kinds of Azeris watched the crazy Americans picking up trash. If you look closely in the background of this particular picture, you will see a few key members of our audience. Well, we were on the beach.

I can't begin to tell you all how refreshing and great it was to be actually doing something positive. Cheesy, I know, but true. Who knows if it will stick - with the Azeris who helped and the Azeris who watched. I hope - and believe - that the project will resonate with at least one of them, and maybe that can carry on and grow.