PATTAYA, Thailand – In a bid to help the visually impaired and protect the environment, the Pattaya Natural Resources and Environment Office’s Pollution Control Division has launched a unique project called “Old Calendar, Happiness Building.”
The project, which is part of the 2024 calendar year activities, aims to collect and repurpose old calendars that would otherwise end up in landfills or incinerators. The old calendars will be used to produce Braille learning materials for the visually impaired, in collaboration with the Technology Education Center for the Blind, affiliated with the Thai Association of the Blind under Royal Patronage.
The project kicked off on January 3, with a ceremony attended by Deputy Mayor Manot Nongyai and representatives from various organizations. Mr. Nongyai praised the project for its dual benefits, saying that it would not only support the education and welfare of the visually impaired, but also reduce the environmental impact of waste disposal. He said that the project would promote the separation of waste and the reuse of old calendars in the creation of Braille books, which would help save resources, lower waste management costs, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
He also urged the public to participate in the project by donating their unused calendars to the designated collection points. The collection points are located at the Natural Resources and Environment Office and the Tourism and Sports Office. The donation drive will run until January 31. Alternatively, citizens can drop off their calendars at the garbage collection points, where they will be sorted and delivered to the project. The project is expected to collect thousands of old calendars and produce hundreds of Braille books, which will be distributed to the visually impaired students and learners across the country.
