A lot of people ask how they can help save planet earth. They really don't know how to start, and sometimes, they don't even know why the planet is in danger. Well, our home is in danger because it's being destroyed and it's resources, which are really abundant, are being used to create artificial products that produce pollution that is damaging to the environment and the life in it, and this includes people. We all know how bad garbage dumps can be especially if they are not managed properly.
For countries like the Philippines that currently do not have the technology to handle the recycling of wastes like those that come from dumps, it's up to the people to do something and recycle trash on their own. It's a fact that there's gold in trash and if you know how to be creative, you can make quality products that are actually bestsellers in upscale markets. Consumers are becoming environment-conscious and they know that if they buy products made from discarded materials that they are helping in their own little way in saving the planet.
A good example of someone who does her job well in making good things out of garbage is Jane Walker (left), who is known as the "angel of the dumps" in Manila in the Philippines. She's the founder of the Philippine Christian Foundation in Manila. The organization used to get funding solely from corporate donations and it wasn't enough for it to fulfill its mission. Walker decided that the foundation had to earn money on its own. She saw the solution in the trash that was beside the poor community the foundation served.
Now, Walker has devoted herself to helping the underprivileged who live around a huge dump site called Smokey Mountain, by giving them jobs to make fashion jewelery, bags, and other products that are very much in demand in London.
The base materials of these products, similar to the one pictured at left all come from sanitized trash, such as glossy paper, from the dump site. Walker calls these products "trashion." She said her products were so sought after in London that she had to turn down three shops that wanted to order because she couldn't keep up with the demand. The foundation's website (left), details the work done for the people living in and around the Manila dump site.
The families that work for Walker's foundation earn around $65 a month. It's not much, but it's actually a lot more that what they would earn from simply salvaging trash to sell to junk shops. The truth is that $65 is good enough for these poor people to raise their standard of living and have a sense of accomplishment and worth that they did not have before. Walker gave them hope, happiness, and a means to survive and secure their future. All that from trash other people threw away.
Walker also helps save the environment by lessening the amount of trash that go into the dump sites that would otherwise become toxic blights in the landscape. Her efforts also raise awareness among people who are not educated enough about environmentalism. The word about her work will certainly spread around the world and more people will realize the value of recycling trash.
Jane Walker is a former publishing executive from Southampton, England who gave up the good life in 1996 to help the poor people in Manila. She had been honored at the at the 54th annual Women of the Year Lunch in London.Here's a little documentary on Jane Walker's work in Manila.
Need targeted traffic for your web business? Be a customer of Cheap Visitors and see how it can change your business. Business people, please click here to register.
Posts
