(SKNIS): A civic-minded citizen partnered with the Department of Youth Empowerment over the weekend to clean up the bay at Lime Kiln, making it safer and healthier for residents that frequent the area.
On Saturday, Kia (pronounced Kai) Liburd from Real One’s Music Group, used the services of the department’s Volunteer Corps to transform the environment. The 24-year-old young man is also a member of the corps, and he along with 15 of his peers, Abraham “Shabo” Dasent and others from the community, spent much of the morning on Saturday (March 24) removing garbage from the bay. It was enough to fill more than 20 large heavy duty garbage bags.
Mr. Liburd said the clean up was successful and that he and his music group were looking forward to continue collaborating with individuals and agencies to benefit communities and residents across St. Kitts and Nevis.
“We are running an initiative with the Youth Department to do [more] cleanups and other volunteer work around the country, the federation as a whole,” he stated. “We believe that unity is strength and the youth must be engaged in something positive to keep them occupied.”
Youth Officer, Sharon Cannonier, referred to the large amount of garbage that was collected and disposed of, and called on residents to be more conscious of their impact on the environment.
“We are just urging the public to please just dispose of the garbage in a proper way,” she stated, which includes using trash receptacles at the venue or taking them away in appropriate bags after using the beach. “We have to think about pollution; we have to think about the sea and the environment on a whole.”
Acting Director of Youth, Pierre Liburd, saluted the young activist for his willingness to register to be a member of the corps and for taking the initiative to organize the bay cleanup.
“This is part of nation building,” he said. This is what it takes to make the change that we want to see to improve our communities to where we believe that it can and should be and I encourage everybody to take that sort of mindset, take that initiative and action, and the Department of Youth Empowerment is here with our Volunteer Corps and other initiatives where we can lend towards the success of your initiatives.”