top bar

Home > News Release > SNI-Online 20100505

Seicho-No-Ie News

WORLD’S ECO-LIFE


Seicho-No-Ie Center Built with the Fund from Recycable Trash

Brazil

In Paranagua City, the City Office established an Environment Office in the latter half of 1980s and appealed to citizens about the importance of recycling trash. After citizens learned that cans and glass would be recycled as raw material and can be traded for money, they started to actively separate trash into different categories.

Around that time Seicho-No-Ie followers in the City were trying to raise a fund to build a new center by soliciting donations and holding bazaars. They felt that they could not collect a large enough fund for construction through donations and decided to collect recyclable trash and sell it to cover part of the construction fund. They advertised it not only to Seicho-No-Ie followers but also to non-Seicho-No-Ie citizens on the radio. Many people happily supported the plan and gave trash free of charge. Trash was gathered at a rented house which was being used as a Readers’ Meeting site at the time, and then handed over to a collection agent for cash. This continued for six years. In 1994 their efforts bore fruit and the Seicho-No-Ie Paranagua Center was built, which can seat 100 people. Trash collection is still being continued and the fund is used to buy equipment and other things.

Rev. Marie Murakami, Chairperson of Brazil Missionary Headquarters