In the early days of the year, the mountain town of Hoa Binh is in full bloom, the red lanterns are hanging high, creating a bustling spring picture. On the central streets, people are bustling about, the shops are brightly lit, selling all kinds of goods to serve the people who are excited about spring.
The scent of incense wafted through the air, mixed with the cheerful laughter of families.
While many people gather with their families, sanitation workers continue to work quietly. For them, Tet is not only a time for family reunions, but also the peak of their work, when the amount of waste increases three or four times compared to normal days.
Having been in the profession for 4 springs, for the same number of years, Mr. Dang Quoc Cuong (46 years old), a worker at Hoa Binh Urban Environment Joint Stock Company, put aside his feelings of reunion and joined his teammates in cleaning up the streets. He understands that each of his contributions is helping to make the streets cleaner and more beautiful in the spring.
Mr. Cuong shared: "Seeing everyone going out to celebrate Tet while I have to work, I feel a little sad. But when I see the streets clean and beautiful thanks to my efforts, I love my job even more."
This environmental worker shared that the work during the days before Tet is harder than usual.
"On New Year's Eve, all the sanitation workers go out and work until 2am to ensure the streets are clean. We only get one day off on the first day of Tet, then we continue working from the second day," said Mr. Cuong.
On Chi Lang Street, Quynh Lam Ward, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh (40 years old) is still diligently collecting trash when it is late at night. For her and many colleagues, Tet means working many times harder than usual. Although busy and tired, she is still careful with every move, sweeping the trash while paying attention to passing vehicles to ensure safety.
"Our work is always potentially dangerous. Sometimes, what makes me sad is not the hardship, but the attitude of some people who lack awareness and do not truly respect our profession," Ms. Tinh confided.
Garbage collection is not an easy job, but those who have been involved in the profession understand that the hard work comes with responsibility. To keep the streets clean, they have to work in toxic environments, even life-threatening ones.
Many sanitation workers share that, if you choose this job, you have to love it many times more than others. They accept the hardship in exchange for clean streets, helping to make spring more complete.
