Publication: Daily Nation
Paper Section And Page: 22
Paper Date: Thu, Jan 24, 2002
Byline: Terry Ally
It was one of the most surprising and unusual community clean-ups every staged in Barbados. While others were picnicking and frolicking on Errol Barrow Day, Barbados’ busiest fishing community, Six Men’s, had raked up 10 tonnes of garbage from its small stretch of beach.
It is not unusual for communities to come together and clean up, but the response was phenomenal said the organisers.
“Usually people would come out and look at the others working. It was also a success because the people brought in the SSA and Public Health, which is what other communities do not always do, and after a clean-up they leave a lot of garbage for days at the side of the road,” said Frank Burrowes, Sanitation Service Authority (SAA) Superintendent for the North.
Chairperson of the Six Men’s Community Group, June Gilkes, said she was very “impressed” with the result and “never expected” such a response. In addition, Port St Charles Marina and DaCosta Mannings donated rakes and gloves, while Sandridge Hotel provided meals for the workers.
Acting Senior Environmental Health Officer at the Maurice Byer Polyclinic, Curtis Thompson, who is the co-ordinator of a bigger public health project in this district, said the enthusiasm of the residents was “beyond our wildest dream”.
Social science researcher Dr Pat Ellis of Pat Ellis Associates, whose task it was to mobilise the community for the bigger public health project, was also surprised at the response but she said it was the people’s idea in the first place.
“This speaks to the seriousness and willingness of the people to tackle the problem of littering and garbage. It could also be that there is a general awareness that the society is getting dirtier and dirtier and I think it is beginning to get to people,” she said.
Faced with public health problems such as infestation of rodents and mosquitoes, the Six Men’s community with its 240 homes was targeted by the Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) for a pilot project which would see people being educated on the public health dangers they face and challenged to take responsibility for their environment.
Ellis was hired by PAHO to mobilise the community and this was done through town hall meetings and training workshops in which they were trained in public health issues.They were also trained in techniques of designing questionnaires and interviewing.
It was with this background that the community identified their own public health problems as well as solutions to the problems, which they are now systematically implementing. After a year, the results will be reviewed with a view to replicating the successes in other communities.
“The [public health] problems identified through their survey were not surprising. They developed solutions and soon afterwards they got support from the Ministry of Health.
They also identified land ownership problems, citing a long drawn-out case which has been before the courts for nearly two decades.
Gilkes said garbage cans were to be made available and No Dumping signs erected. Benches will be placed on the beach, the area will be planted with vegetation and beautified, and derelict buildings and boats cleared to make a car park.
“You can see beautiful sunsets here and we want this to be the place where Barbadians can come and enjoy the sunset,” said Gilkes.
An environmental education programme is next on the cards for all residents.