By Erica James-King, Staff Reporter
Cobb: I think community involvement is really critical.
WESTERN BUREAU:
SUE COBB, the United States Ambassador to Jamaica, is expecting rich, sustainable dividends to flow from the two multimillion-dollar cutting-edge community programmes, which were launched at Lethe in St. James, on Earth Day, Tuesday.
The projects - dubbed the 'Green Village Award Programme' and the 'River Action Programme' - are funded to the tune of US$6 million through the Ridge to Reef Water-shed Project, a five-year bilateral initiative between the Government of Jamaica and the US Government. It is aimed at correcting the degradation of watersheds in Jamaica. In throwing her weight behind the projects, which are also aimed at garnering greater public involvement in local environmental issues, Ambassador Cobb emphasised the need for increased mobilisation of communities in an effort to protect the natural and built-up environment.
The two projects are the first such communities projects to be launched in the island with an overwhelming focus on improved local stewardship of natural resources and promoting better sanitation measures at the community level.
'GREENING' OF COMMUNITIES IN JAMAICA
"It's your community, it's your home and you have to take care of it," said Ambassador Cobb, as she made a call for more environment projects at the community level. "I think community involvement is really critical and the action that you take and the leadership that you show, people will follow."
In congratulating the Great River Watershed Management Committee (GRWMC), Ambassador Cobb said the US Government was committed to paving the way for the 'greening' of communities in Jamaica. Communities in St. Elizabeth, Hanover, Westmoreland and St. James, which are washed by the Great River, are all eligible to enter the Green Village Award Programme.
GREEN VILLAGE AWARD
The Green Village Award Programme is an annual project, which recognises and rewards community groups which take steps to improve their neighbourhoods through environmental activities such as recycling, composting, tree-planting, solid waste management and public awareness events.
The River Action Programme, that will run from April to August of this year, is a community awareness initiative aimed at using drama to educate communities about issues related to water quality and sanitation.
'Action Boyz', the popular performing group from Retrieve, St. James, will use drama to educate some seven pilot communities in St. James, which are in the Great River Watershed area. The communities singled out for attention are Retrieve; Pisgah; Stonehenge; Cambridge; Catadupa; Sevens River and Mafoota.
