Going Green & Being Healthy in a Developing Country

I was contacted recently by a fabulous reader named Gyongyver, from Eastern Europe. We exchanged emails and she opened my eyes up to some of the challenges she faces in her country in trying to be more healthy and live a greener lifestyle.

Her emails reminded me of some important things that we should also be reminded of in our own pursuit of green and healthy living here in North America. Stay tuned for the next article where we’ll discuss this in further detail.

For today, enjoy this special guest article by Gyongyver on going green and being healthy in a developing country.

I have always seen myself as a person who lives a green, healthy life. I turn off the tap when I brush my teeth, I switch off the light when I leave the room, and I eat fruits and vegetables, as much as possible. But lately I have come to realize that my self-image is outdated and there is a lot more I could do for both the environment and for myself.

In my country of residence, green and healthy are difficult to attain. I live in Bosnia and Herzegovina – a country that was torn apart by war and ethnic cleansing in the 1990s. Living standards here are improving, but there is still enormous poverty, major discrepancies between rich and poor, and much of the political discourse is centered on nationalism. I chose to move here and I choose to stay here, because I love this place more than any of the five Western countries I have lived in, but that’s not to say that life here is not without challenges.

While the country has incredible natural beauty and climatic diversity, there is not a lot of focus on environmental protection. Recycling is almost non-existent, trash is scattered all over the countryside, and there is little investment at this point to change this. Until recently, the priority was to deal with post-war issues, such as returning refugees, rebuilding destroyed houses and factories, establishing a functioning state and economy. Consequently, environmental issues are largely missing from public consciousness, even thirteen years after the war’s end. There are small seeds of change, but it will take quite some time before a selective garbage can will be of use.

Although people have a very strong family focus, a good balance between work and private life and a real appreciation of living without stress, the issue of healthy living is neglected in many other ways. Most people I know smoke, the national food is very meat-heavy and high in calories, and exercise is not a common factor of life for most. Studies say that there is very poor awareness among people about what constitutes a nutritious diet. Public campaigns to reduce risk factors and promote healthy lifestyles are mostly absent; rather the common practice is to provide expensive hospital treatment once the problem occurs.

Since Bosnia is an agricultural country, it is easy to buy organic food. Farmers’ markets are all over the city and beautiful seasonal fruits and vegetables, good quality meat and fish are always available within an arm’s reach. Unfortunately, quality control is poor and corrupting officials is not unknown, so there is little certainty about just how ‘organic’ the products you buy are.

Within this context, the fact that I don’t leave the trash in the forest after a picnic is a step in the right direction. However, I have noticed that I have allowed these circumstances to make me lazy in my approach to green healthy living. The fact that I am not surrounded by a common consciousness and community inspiration about these issues have made my own practices stale and I have grown content, that I am doing all that I can.

When I came across Green Healthy Moms, I literally ‘drank’ up the articles about green healthy parenthood. I found all the conversation about this combination of subjects in a public domain very inspiring. Seeing the efforts of the North American green community has made me want to make myself more aware, to do more and once again grow into the person I see myself as.

Surely, being a healthy green mom is very challenging when the infrastructure, products and community drive are missing, but there are many more simple steps that I as an individual can take. Only one ingredient is needed: willingness to learn, think and act!

Tagged as: Green & Simple Living