God Almighty has blessed us with a clean environment so that we may live in its pure air, inhale the fragrance of its flowers, and listen to the chirping of its birds. But in order for us to enjoy it throughout our lives, we must preserve it from pollution so that its flowers do not die and its birds do not migrate, and we do not find in it what makes us happy.
One day, while the friends Alaa and Mazen were returning from school, clouds and black clouds gathered, and the sky began to send down pouring rains to water the earth and plants. Here, the two friends quickened their steps until they could hide under one of the trees that God Almighty had watered with rainwater. Beside them was an empty land filled with garbage.
Mazen looked at the empty land except for garbage and said to his friend: Do you remember, Alaa, when we used to come here to this empty land to gather with friends and play ball? His friend answered: I remember it. It was a clean land, and there was no garbage or waste or bad odors like now. Mazen said: Yes, the land is now filled with foul odors resulting from throwing garbage.
The residents of the area suffered greatly from it. I remember our neighbor Hajj Husni, who has been complaining about the flies and mosquitoes that have filled his house due to his neighboring that polluted land, which has become a source of many insects, germs, and other harmful microscopic organisms, whether for the adults of this neighborhood or their children. They ended their conversation with the rain stopping. Before they left, Alaa noticed a small flower bud emerging from among the garbage. He carried it with him to plant it in his house.
After Alaa placed the flower in a pot in his room, a very beautiful idea occurred to him. He insisted on proposing it to his friend Mazen and starting to implement it immediately. He called his friend, who was encouraged and enthusiastic about the brilliant idea. Alaa told him that he would gather all the neighborhood children to cooperate with them.
Indeed, Alaa and Mazen gathered the neighborhood children who were friends. Alaa explained his idea, saying: Why don’t we care about cleaning the neighborhood we live in and rid it of those insects and germs that grow due to lack of attention and cleanliness? The first thing we must start with is the empty land. We clean it and plant trees and flowers in it that emit their beautiful, good fragrance. He encouraged his friends, and they all welcomed the idea and confirmed that it would protect them from pollution and produce pure oxygen for them.
One of their friends preferred to go play at the club instead of participating with them. They tried to convince him, but he refused. Indeed, their friend left and went to the club. When he returned to his house, he told his father what had happened. His father told him his mistake and said to him that everyone must participate in all that is good and beneficial for their society. Their friend went to them, apologized for what he had done, and said he was ready to participate in this great work. Then he suggested to them that each of them plant in front of his house flowers and a tree, in addition to painting the fences and hanging some street lamps to protect them from stumbling at night in the darkness.
Everyone agreed to this proposal and cooperated all together in implementation. After a short period, the neighborhood had transformed into the most beautiful neighborhoods of the city. When the matter reached the neighborhood official, the official went and praised the friends’ work and granted them the award for the best and most beautiful neighborhood. All neighborhood residents rejoiced and thanked them, asking them for more work, cooperation together, and constructive ideas.