Restoring the Freedom hillside: a volunteer-led project in Hồ Chí Minh City

The Freedom hillside has been used as an informal dump for years. This June, 42 neighbors turned up for a first cleanup, filling 75 bags in a single morning. Now we want to restore it for good. We have a plan agreed with the local forestry office, including native species selected by a local botanist. The area floods more each year, and fish have returned for the first time in a decade after our first cleanup. Restoring it will protect homes and bring back shade. All the labor is volunteered. We just need materials. We'll post planting day photos and a count of every sapling planted. Where the $250 goes: • Native saplings and stakes: $75 • Tools and protective gear: $75 • Waste removal and skip hire: $60 • Signage and educational materials: $40 You're what makes this possible, and I'll never forget it.