Joining the Vice President’s visit included Director of the Norwegian Church Aid (NAV/NCA) Eivind Archer, Chairman of the VFF Committee in Lam Dong province Nguyễn Trọng Ánh Đông, representatives of local authorities, and religious dignitaries in the province.

The purpose of the delegation’s visit is to learn about activities for environmental protection and climate change adaptation by R'Chai Adventist Church that was selected as a pilot model to be expanded amongst religious communities and residential areas across the country.

So far, the church has made many practical contributions to environmental protection, such as educating its followers on environmental protection and sanitation, publishing books on environmental issues, ensuring effective use of clean water, guiding local farmers to use pesticides in accordance with the pesticide regulation, planting trees around the church and houses, reminding people to dispose garbage conscientiously and do garbage classification as regulated, organizing activities for picking rubbish and cleaning up residential areas, etc.

According to Pastor Head of R'Chai Adventist Church’s Management Board Ka Să Ha Nhiếu, the environmental protection and climate change adaptation are important and common tasks for the State government and Vietnamese citizens in general, and the Adventists in particular. He also affirmed that he would continue encouraging the Adventist Church’s dignitaries and followers in Lam Dong province to engage in activities ensuring a green and clean environment.

Currently, R'Chai Adventist Church has nearly 1,600 followers and all of them are ethnic minorities.

TP