-As Two Environmental Grouping Awarded 30k Grant
IPNEWS: Two community base Enterprises involved in Waste Management have benefited IN-KIND GRANT from Conservation International with support and funding of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) through the Embassy of Sweden in Liberia.
The Organizations that benefited from the IN-KIND GRANT include, Device Community Sanitation and Waste Management and Evergreen Africa Conservation both of Catholic and Kebbah communities respectively.
The IN-KIND GRANT benefiting enterprises received several field equipment aimed at supporting their involvement into plastic waste collection and recycling in Monrovia.
The Grant is aimed at reducing marine litter and supporting plastic value chain linked livelihoods as the CBEs will be required to collect household plastic waste, sort deliver to collection centres for recycling and raise awareness of marine plastic pollution in their communities (Sophie, Catholic, Popo Beach, and New Kru communities).
The items donated to the two (2) CBEs include; Six (6) wheeler- tricycles, 18 safety gears, 28 safety boots,40 safety gloves, 20 safety glasses, three (3) motor bikes, two (2) Laptop, six6) megaphones, 10 weighing scales, two (2) tablets among others.
The gesture was presented to the waste management grouping recently in Congo Town as a means of helping to mitigate plastic waste management.
Giving insight of the grant and the program, Blue Ocean Programme Gender and Safeguard officer Mrs. Peace Quiminee asserted the support is meant to catalyze plastics and waste recycling and improve livelihoods Blue Ocean Programme Gender and Safeguard officer asserted.
Madam Quiminee noted that the blue ocean programme will also improve conservation and biodiversity and climate protection with the involvement of the CBOs they are working with for the successful implementation of the project.
She recounted that the essence of the support was as the result of an assessment conducted which shows many communities’ dwellers complained about waste management as a major problem, as such; they often dropped their waste in the swamp land, beaches, drainages, and other water ways.
“Our first beach clean-up exercise in the catholic and Sophie communities, we were greeted by communities’ dwellers, but most importantly the Device Communities Sanitation and Waste Management Incorporated was the only Community Base Enterprise that worked along with us and it was from that time we built relationship with this CBE thus bringing us to where we are today”. The Blue Ocean Programme Gender and Safeguard officer disclosed.
Madam Quiminee used the medium to encourage the dwellers of Catholic and Kebbah communities who were in attendance during the donation to continue working with the CBEs in the Catholic and adjacent communities for a clean environment, stating that a clean environment saves lives.
Accepting the materials on behalf of Device Communities Sanitation and Waste Management Incorporated, the institution’s Chief Executive Officer Doris Divine Thanked Conservation International Liberia and Partners for the In-kind grant put at the cost of 15 thousand United States Dollars.
“We are grateful to Conservation International Liberia for recognizing our effort as local organization struggling to improve our environment by managing the waste from the community”, Madam Divine stated.
“I am a health practitioner, but having a clean environment is my passion and I am thankful to God for my husband, families and friends for ensuring that my vision has become a reality though the support of everyone that has made us reach this far”, Device communities Sanitation and Waste Management Incorporated CEO lauded.
According to Madam Divine, the items donated by CI through the IN-KIND Grant will help their institution achieved greatly in the fight against waste disposal as they are now prepared to manage waste in their surrounding communities.
As the result of the gesture from CI and partner, Madam Doris Divine presented gifts to the Swedish Embassy and Conservation International Liberia as a way of expressing her appreciation to both institutions.
Presenting the items to the Device Communities Sanitation and Waste Management Incorporated situated in the Catholic community and Evergreen Africa Conservation, Conservation International Liberia Blue Ocean Program Director Mike Olando encouraged the benefiting institutions to continue their workings.
The Blue Oceans Programme Director Olando stated that the total IN-KIND Grant is Fifteen Thousand United States Dollars ($15,000USD) for Device Communities Sanitation and Waste Management Incorporated and the Evergreen Africa Conservation.
“We are hoping to continue the collaboration with both institutions once we are getting the objective of the Blue Ocean Project achieved”, Conservation International Liberia Blue Ocean Program Director stated.
For his part, Conservation International-Liberia Blue Oceans Programme Coordinator Nathaniel I. Kollie said the programme came to Liberia 2019 during the first being held in West Africa.
According to Kollie, the program as per the resolution from the conference has four pragmatic teams to include, Climate Change, Sustainable blue ocean, Marine pollution, sustainable blue economy and marine pollution and Sustainable fishing and environmental social management.
“The program also focuses on institutional development, as well as marine plastic pollution as Conservation International-Liberia engages community base enterprises,” Nathaniel I. Kollie stated.
Also speaking at the donation ceremony, a consultant in the office of the Mayor, Abrahams Garneo cautioned the community to embrace the workings of Device communities Sanitation and Waste Management and the Evergreen Africa Conservation to work with their respective community dwellers for the project implementation.
Garneo stated that the city government of Monrovia takes interest as it relates to the fight against climate change, as such; it is imperative to see communities being clean by ably managing their waste.
On his part, the Evergreen Africa Conservation Chief Executive Officer Dyer Smith who is another beneficiary of the Blue Ocean Programme expressed gratitude to Conservation International and partners for materials donated.
“Our organization being established years back has made significant impact in the surrounding communities, but we have been challenged with Logistical and Financial support as such; we see the items given us as completely enhancing our jobs”, Smith intimated.
According to Smith, Evergreen Africa Conservation is looking forward to CI and its supporting partners for more collaboration thus promising to use the materials and cash for the intended purpose.
He stressed the need for more awareness and practical action to be taken if the fight against climate change must be successful as he called on the donor partners for more support in the sector.
The communities appreciated Conservation International Liberian and partners for the level of support given the Community Based Enterprises (CBEs) operating in the Catholic and Kebbah communities. The both communities are situated in Congo town and Barnesville
