Dear Editor,
I always have a sense of dread when driving around our city streets. The best time to see first-hand how filthy we have become is on Sunday mornings; without all the traffic one gets a bird’s eye view of the garbage and utter sadness of the situation, made worse by the flooding.
But don’t despair, last Sunday morning (June 29) was different. I was driving east on Hadfield Street (close to Louisa Row) when I saw a group of young people cleaning the avenue. I parked my car and got out to compliment them. One member of the group, a young man by the name of Orin Phillips, came over and chatted, telling me they were part of the Guyana -Shines Team. I told them how good it made me feel just watching them do something positive for the city. I wished them luck and asked permission to take photographs.
On my way home I noticed the elderly Mr Ralph Peters working his magic beautifying our city planting one plant at a time. Mr Peters has volunteered his time to become a one-man-city-restoration-committee. Using limited meagre resources he dedicates most of his free time to planting flowers and plants wherever he thinks a flower or plant would look good. Thanks Mr Peters!
I saw on facebook Miss Earth Guyana 2014, Stacy Ramcharan organized a cleanup at the Kingston Seawall last Sunday. Her team of angels did a great job.
Last Sunday, the Director of Neal & Massy Security Solutions, Mr Reaul Persaud, organized employees from his company to do a clean-up of the trench and its environs in the Botanical Gardens. The clean-up started around 9.30am and lasted until 1pm. The sun was hot but the dedication of himself and his staff was amazing. National Parks loaned them a boat which was filled twice with plastic bottles, styrofoam and other garbage. In all, over 30 large bags of garbage were picked up. Thanks are due to the National Parks Commission and Ms Adonika Spelling for their support in getting things organised.
Editor, I ask for your support in calling out to all large corporations and organizations to follow the lead of Guyana Shines, Miss Earth Guyana and Neal & Massy and get their employees/families involved in the ongoing effort to keep our city clean. Spread the word; as someone said: The Health of the Nation is the Wealth of the Nation. Once a year clean-ups is not enough; let’s all get involved and make it a daily commitment. We all have a part to play and we can do it. If we cannot do it physically then let us speak out against littering.
Yours faithfully,
Syeada Manbodh
