The Green Generation
How Lao youth are leading the way towards a greener environment.
For many of us the love for nature starts early, cultivated through an appreciation of the calming shade of a tree, the colours of a flower or the quiet beauty of green spaces. This was also the case for Lotchana Keomanyvong, also known as Tina, a youth environmental advocate from Laos, and this connection with nature that began in her childhood eventually blossomed into a mission.
“One of my childhood memories is of my father teaching me how to plant trees and flowers. He taught me more than just how to place seeds in the ground but also the value of caring for something. Most importantly, he taught me how to appreciate and protect the environment,” Tina recalls.
Growing up, Tina slowly began to notice something about her school environment. The school grounds were often filled with unsorted garbage, dried leaves and plastic waste. This was not just something that marred the school environment but represented a missed opportunity to teach students a lesson about responsibility.
“I think schools are the best starting point to create a positive change because of what they can teach, or fail to teach, about environmental responsibility to students. School are not just learning place but also a places where young people can learn to lead.”
The turning point of Tina’s journey as an advocate was joining the Youth Champions Laos programme, implemented in partnership with Lao Youth Union and supported by the UNICEF International Council. It expanded her perspective on what it takes to advocate for and lead real positive change in her own community.
The initiative taught me that passion is important but not enough. To make real impact, you need planning, communication, teamwork and commitment.
Through the programme, Tina transformed her passion into action by spearheading her own initiative called ‘Youth Environmental Leaders’ aimed at building a new generation of young environmental leaders who are informed and empowered to take action in creating a green and clean living environment around them, starting with their own schools. These youth environmental leaders were trained on how to take care of the plants and manage the garbage within the school using a flagging system for each of their classrooms.
“After I trained these youth environmental leaders and return to monitor the project at the target school, I can see the change. The classrooms and schoolyards have become cleaner and students have started taking ownership of their environment’s cleanliness. They reminded each other not to litter, they led clean-ups and they brought these habits home,” Tina shared.
Tina dreams of expanding her impact beyond her own community. Her goal is to build a sustainable network of youth environmental clubs in schools, creating spaces where the younger generation can keep this green movement alive.
Real meaningful change does not have to be grand but can start within communities and simple initiatives like Tina’s that are led by young people themselves show that when empowered, young people can be our partners in driving a greener and sustainable future for all.
