Our Story
Keep Vietnam Clean is a social enterprise with a mission to facilitate and inspire sustainable living practices and environmental health throughout Vietnam.
Read our story below or watch our video to discover the story of Keep Vietnam Clean.
A movement is started
In May 2016 James Kendall (an American English teacher) and a dozen of his friends cleaned a garbage-choked canal in Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi. With this first event, a movement was started - and "Keep Hanoi Clean" was born.
Keeping Hanoi...Clean!
The early days of Keep Hanoi Clean were filled with regular weekend community cleanups throughout the core districts of Hanoi.
The movement grows
The numbers of volunteers quickly grew from hundreds to thousands. Keep Hanoi Clean was also able to develop partnerships with local businesses, social organizations, and local government offices.
Reuse, recycle, raise funds!
In 2018 we held our first garage sale to help fund our clean-up activities. Local businesses donated clothing rails, supporters donated clothes, and our dedicated volunteers worked hard to offer local residents the best second-hand bargains.
A registered social enterprise
In 2018 Keep Hanoi Clean became a registered Vietnamese social enterprise to enable our work to have a deeper, broader, and more sustainable impact.
The Green Gem Shop opens
After the success of our garage sales, in 2016 we opened the Green Gem Shop! The Green Gem Shop is a thrift store in Hanoi which helps local people to shop sustainably - from clothing and liquid refills, to fashion accessories and books. Proceeds from the shop continue to support our work to this day.
Expanding our operations
In 2021 Keep Hanoi Clean took another big step forward: we identified and implemented five individual program areas designed to tackle the diverse, interconnected, and growing environmental challenges facing Hanoi.
The start of a long-term sustainable impact
Throughout 2021 and beyond we began taking on new projects within these five program areas: City Beautification, Education, Research & Policy, Clean & Green Climate, and Green Lifestyles.
Keep Vietnam Clean
In 2022 we changed our name to "Keep Vietnam Clean" to better reflect the nationwide impact of our work.
7th Anniversary
In May 2023 we celebrated our 7th Birthday with members, donors and friends. With the continued support of businesses, organizations and individuals, there's so much more we can and will achieve!
