Published 15 September 2020
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
STEP and St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council take part in Conaree community clean-up
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, September 15, 2020 (S.T.E.P.) — Chair of the St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council (SDC), Mrs Diannille Taylor-Williams, is applauding the SOL Island Auto Conaree Football Club and its President Mr Delwayne Delaney who on Saturday September 12 mobilised members of the Conaree community in a successful community clean-up exercise.
“The Sustainable Destination Council and the Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP) have partnered with the Conaree Football Club with this clean-up day,” said Mrs Taylor-Williams, who is also the Assistant Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism.
According to Mrs Taylor-Williams the Conaree Community clean-up exercise, which is held annually around the Independence weekend, was timely as it coincided with Sustainable Destination Council’s ‘Keeping COVID out by cleaning up’ Community Clean Up campaign.
“This is an initiative that is spearheaded by the community rather than us going into the community and asking them to join us, so we were happy to be a part of the activity,” said Mrs Taylor-Williams. “We donated some gloves and some masks for the persons who are participating.”
Since the ‘Keeping COVID out by cleaning up’ Community Clean Up campaign started, members of the coalition that include St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council, Department of Environment, Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP), Parks and Beaches Unit, Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC) and the Ministry of Tourism would go out and collect garbage strewn all over the place.
She described the Conaree clean-up as a different initiative as community members had been mobilised by the Conaree Football Club to bring out their waste and to put it outside their yards, and all the clean-up team did was to pick it up and load it on two trucks that made several trips to the landfill.
“I would like to salute the Conaree Football Club, and Mr Delwayne Delaney in particular, for this initiative,” said Mrs Taylor-Williams. “It started four years ago and it has continued. Sometimes people start initiatives like these and they do not last. The fact that we are here today, this is the fourth year, is something that should be applauded and I really want to applaud him for his initiative. And he is not just organising and directing people, he is actively involved in the removal of the waste – so, kudos to him and his team.”
Mr Jason McKoy, STEP Senior Field Officer, said that he mobilised STEP Community Enhancement workers from Keys, Conaree, Needsmust and the National Heroes Park to join in the community clean-up in Conaree Village.
“In the absence of the Parks and Beaches Unit who were engaged elsewhere as a result of Independence celebration activities, Skills Training Empowerment Programme stepped forward and took on the mantle with the Conaree Football Club and the Conaree community,” said Mr McKoy.
The STEP official added: “I want to say congratulations to the Conaree Football Club and their President because this is their fourth clean-up campaign and I think it is a success, as he has coordinated the two trucks properly. I also want to congratulate the community for making our work easy by cooperating with us.”
President of SOL Island Auto Conaree Football Club, Mr Delwayne Delaney, said it was the fourth year in a row they were doing the clean-up and he thanked the St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council and STEP workers who joined them this year and were very helpful.
“The numbers have increased tremendously and as the saying goes, plenty hands make work light, so we are definitely grateful for that,” said Mr Delaney. “We started our promotions about two weeks ago, where we decided to sensitise the general public as per usual, get waste and the stuff you need discard off to the front of your lawn and when we come around we lend a helping hand in showing that we get them on the trucks to take them to the landfill.”
Mr Delaney thanked two local entrepreneurs, KJ’s Trucking and Legacy Earthworks, who provided two trucks at no cost to the clean-up team. The two trucks helped carry the waste which included white goods, general household waste and green waste to the landfill, making several trips.
“I must say thank you to St. Kitts and Nevis Disposals (SKANDIS) as well because if you walk around at different points in the community there are dumpsters provided free of charge by SKANDIS,” observed Mr Delaney. “There are four dumpsters, one at Needsmust and three in Conaree Village. That again provides some ease for when there is dumping to be done, trash can be discarded in those dumpsters.”
