Umuganda - Coming Together in Common Purpose

One of our directors recently took a trip to the African country of Rwanda. This region is known as the land of a thousand hills. Nestled within those hills are millions of humble people who come together on the last Saturday of each month for something called Umuganda, which translates to "coming together in common purpose."

On the last Saturday of every month, able-bodied citizens come together for a nationwide cleanup day.

This national cleanup day takes place every month from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. During this time, able-bodied citizens aged 18 to 65 are required to participate in community service, which often includes cleaning public spaces, repairing infrastructure, and other activities. As a result of this community-based mindset, Rwanda is regarded as the cleanest country in Africa.

When reflecting on our own community and the beautification efforts of Vision Carthage, volunteers have the opportunity to come together for cleanup days in the spring and fall. We also schedule Weeding Wednesdays, which include freshening up garden beds and picking up trash throughout the summer months. Neighbors help neighbors during our Restoration Carthage Work Day in September. Still, how much different would it be if we all adopted the mindset of helping each other create cleaner spaces on a more regular basis?

The truth is, you don't have to wait for a volunteer opportunity to make a difference. If you spot a piece of trash in a public space and throw it away or even make an effort to spruce up your own porch, you're contributing to making Carthage a more beautiful place.

"Umudugudu" is another word our director brought home. That means, "village." It takes a village to maintain and beautify a community people are happy to call home. Think about how you can get involved. Whether it's rolling up your sleeves and pitching in with Vision Carthage on a service project or taking quiet action in the spaces you frequent, there's plenty of work to do.

Volunteers of all ages pitch in during Earth Day Spring Cleanup 2025.