Droma, 61, retired worker in Lhasa

Six years ago, while some friends and I were heading to a temple in Lhasa, I met a young man from Beijing.

He was carrying a camera, which made me realize he was a tourist, and he was collecting garbage along the road, which made me really curious.

I said hello. He noted that the air was so good, but complained about the garbage. We joined him and helped clear up the garbage.

I thanked him when we said goodbye, but he said it was nothing.

That brief conversation kick-started my journey to volunteer work. A young man from far away bending down to make a better Tibet. How could we locals do nothing about it?

So, we came to garbage-strewn landscapes at weekends to make ourselves useful. It was entirely spontaneous back then, and our team gradually grew from five to more than 40.

I feel happy now that we have the Lhasa Ban-White Association. It makes our work more organized, gives me a sense of belonging and lets me know I am not alone.

Droma spoke with Li Lei.