Two community based Enterprises involved into Waste Management have benefited IN-KIND GRANT from Conservation international through the support of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) through the Embassy of Sweden in Liberia.
The Organizations that benefited from the IN-KIND GRANT includes, Device Community Sanitation and Waste Management and Evergreen Africa Conservation both of the Catholic and Kebbah communities.
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 to livelihoods as the CBEs will be required to collect household plastic wastes, sort and deliver to collection centers for recycling and raise awareness of marine plastic pollution in their communities (Sophie, Catholic, Popo Beach, and New Kru Town 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) Laptops, Six(6) megaphones, 10 weighing scales and two (2) tablets among others.
Speaking during the benefiting institutions, Blue Ocean Programme Gender and Safeguard officer asserted. Mrs. Peace Quiminee said, “The support is meant to catalyze plastics and waste recycling and improve livelihoods.”
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 noted that the essence of the support was as the result of an assessment conducted which showed many community dwellers’ complaint about waste management as a major problem, and as such; they often dropped their wastes in the swamp land, beaches, drainages, and other water ways.
“Our first beach clean-up exercise was in the Catholic and Sophie communities where we were warmly greeted by community dwellers, but most importantly the Device Communities Sanitation and Waste Management Incorporated was the only Community Based 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.
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 through the support of everyone who made us reach this far,” Device communities Sanitation and Waste Management Incorporated CEO lauded.
Meanwhile, 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.
