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More focus being placed on education – Environmentalist
Close to four months after its infectious start, the cleanup campaign, which had everyone wanting to play their role in the country’s re-beautification, has dwindled rather significantly. The campaign which was spearheaded by environmentalist Sherod Duncan attracted donations and on-the-ground help from several companies, businesses and organizations, mostly from Georgetown.
A recent interview with Sherod Duncan revealed that the dwindling of cleanup
The clean-up Guyana initiative has dwindled.
activities was expected from the beginning; as such a lot of efforts have now been placed on raising the awareness of littering and its dangerous effects on the environment, with particular focus being placed on schoolchildren. The new education program saw the birthing of collaborations between both groups and individuals such as the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) in the annual Coastal cleanup exercise.
Several reasons were identified for the continuous littering in Guyana, such as, lack of emphasis placed on education, lack of Public service announcements, and garbage receptacles around the city which are not regularly emptied. A more rigorous enforcement of the Litter Laws and Regulations which currently exist, and stricter penalties were amongst possible solutions to littering, “It must hurt people’s pockets to litter,” Duncan said.
The campaign was also said to have decreased significantly as financing has always been difficult to get. “People are not motivated for long in things they won’t get remuneration from.” However, some businesses are still volunteering their services to the cleanup campaign along with many generous citizens, whose contributions were greatly appreciated.
When asked what the Mayor and City Council has been doing in terms of contributions or help made to recent campaigns, Duncan related that the M&CC has been hindered by both resources and lack of effective leadership.
“During the height of the cleanup efforts involving thousands of Guyanese, I didn’t see the M&CC out and about actively with the kind of impression they try to give today. Perhaps they were trying to find their stride and voice again. They have to be reminded also, that Georgetown is not the length of Regent Street but stretches from Agricola on the East Bank to Cummings Lodge on the East Coast. I am reminded that leadership is not about saying things that cannot be done, it is about making things happen.”
Mr. Duncan stressed that despite the decline in clean up campaigns, the need for a cleaner better Guyana has not been forgotten and there is much to be hopeful for with regards to the, “Let’s keep Georgetown clean” initiative.
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