Retraining: Education leaders have been recruited as Nevis school prepares to start operations

CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS, September 29, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — In its ongoing effort to encourage citizens and residents to become better environmental stewards, the St. Kitts and Nevis Solid Waste Management and Recycling Project contacted members of the teaching fraternity of Nevis, seeking their support as the project enters its second phase of establishing recycling models and mechanisms.


At a monthly meeting for Education Officers and Head Teachers in Nevis, held at the Pond Hill Community Center in St. Georges, Gingerland on Tuesday September 27, Project Technician Mr Geofhani Gumbs , updated participants on the progress made as the project establishes recycling models and mechanisms while increasing the efficiency of sorting and recycling waste.


The Solid Waste Management and Recycling Project Team consisting of Mr. Gumbs, Project Promotion Manager, Ms. Zaida McCall, and Taiwan Technical Mission Intern in St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Haower Chiang, were welcomed and introduced to the headteachers by the Senior Education Officer in Nevis Island Administration, Mrs. Zahnela Claxton.


They were then joined at the monthly directors meeting by representatives of their main stakeholder in Nevis, the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), the Solid Waste Officer, Mr Gladstone Edwards, and the research and supply assistant, Ms. Glenlicia Taylor.


“The collection of recyclables started in June this year,” Mr Gumbs advised. “In Nevis it’s every second and fourth Friday of the month, and the locations are Delta Petroleum on Pump Road next to Ole House Café in Stoney Grove, X-Petrol in Camps, Big Six in Gingerland and the old artisan village in Charlestown. – we alternate between these places.


The three-year (July 29, 2021 to July 28, 2024) US$1 million project for solid waste management and recycling, which was officially launched in March this year, is funded by the Cooperation and Taiwan International Development (ICDF) and is being implemented jointly by the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Taiwan Technical Mission in St. Kitts and Nevis.


“As for the recycling facility, the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund has invested in two compression balers, a glass bottle crusher, a forklift and a truck,” Mr. Gumbs. “In terms of the structure of the facility, the Nevis structure has already been completed at the landfill, so we are awaiting completion of the St. Kitts facility.”


According to Gumbs, the St. Kitts facility is progressing well, but the Nevis facility is about to begin the compression process. He noted that personnel at the Nevis facility, which is located at the Long Point landfill, received the initial training and that once the second part of the training was completed in early October, the Nevis facility will be ready to start compressing plastic bottles.


The second phase of the project is the bin placement program, and according to the project technician, Mr. Geofhani Gumbs, the main objective is to establish proper recycling channels which will give them a wider reach as far as l Acquiring more recyclable materials which will help reduce the amount of waste that would normally go to landfills.


“Possible targets we have so far are schools, hotels, restaurants, community centers, churches and also local retailers,” Gumbs said. “We are actually planning to start this program hopefully in October. We have already had many meetings with schools and hotels, regarding this initiative and educating them on the concepts of recycling, and what is required of them in this bin placement program.


Appealing directly to head teachers and education officials at the meeting, Mr Gumbs said: ‘We would of course like to cooperate with schools here on Nevis in the distribution of recycling bins. We will need to talk to you and make sure you are aware of each school’s responsibilities.


Chief Education Officer Ms Zahnela Claxton advised that the monthly Head Teachers meetings in Nevis take place on the last Tuesday of each month where all Head Teachers meet to discuss issues, initiatives and everything they want to implement in schools. , with education officials from the Ministry of Education.


“Today we had a slot for the Solid Waste Management Recycling Project, and the group led by Mr Geofhani Gumbs was able to present the project,” Ms Claxton said. “The hope is that the schools will get on with it and of course, as I told the leaders, we have to make sure that we fulfill our part and play our part in ensuring that we achieve our sustainable development goals.


The head of education hopes schools will see the value of the initiative and take it forward. She further hopes that education officials at the highest level will work to get more information as the recycling project takes shape in the schools and that they have further discussions with the solid waste management and recycling project team to see how they can engage people. who would implement the recycling project.

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