In a sterling display of UWI in the Community, two of Barbados’s popular recreational sites were given a facelift when Cave Hill staff and students answered the call to participate in the observance of World Cleanup Day last 16 September.
The event was organised by The Nation Publishing Company as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. The Cave Hill campus of The UWI and The Nation Publishing Company collaborated on a number of events during the year to mark their respective anniversaries, including hosting a blue-ribbon lecture series.
From as early as 7am, the first group of volunteers, including Campus Principal Professor Clive Landis and Campus Bursar Lisa Alleyne, gathered at Barclays Park on the Ermy Bourne Highway to remove litter from the beach and roadside.
Later in the day, a second group comprising mainly students, travelled to Bath Beach in St John for a similar exercise.
Cave Hill’s participation was coordinated by the 60th anniversary secretariat, which organised the campus’s commemorative celebrations. Chairman of the anniversary committee Dr. Henderson Carter was pleased with the participation, saying the institution welcomed the opportunity to give back to the community.
“It [was] also an opportunity for us to make a … sociopolitical statement about dumping, about littering. So, having taken up the garbage, we’re saying to individuals ‘Look, desist from dumping. If you have even a little piece of paper, keep it on you; but don’t throw it on the roadside, don’t throw it on the beach, and dispose of it properly’.”
“It is also a statement to encourage others to clean up their communities. For example, we’ve concentrated on the beach now; but in villages, in communities, along roadways, there’s plenty of garbage, and that is really causing numerous problems. And we need a big community effort … to clean up [the island’s] garbage,” Carter said.
For the students who participated, it was also a chance to earn give- back hours, under a national programme where Barbadian students enrolled at The UWI provide voluntary service under a quota system of work hours in exchange for state-sponsored tuition.
“I decided to come and help because I like going to the beach, but it’s kind of off-putting to see how much garbage people just leave everywhere. And also, other things live here too, lots of animals; I know turtles come to nest on this beach, so the garbage being there is just going to get in the way of that,” said Biology student Crisciann Cumberbatch.
President of The UWI Cave Hill Circle K International Club, Hakeem Best, criticised the amount of litter found on the beach and wants the public to do better.
“We found glass bottles, plastic bottles, wrappers, and various containers along the route. I want to say to Barbados, ‘Please do not put your garbage along the side of the road; take it and put it in the bin’,” he stated.
His vice-president Fazeena Bassalat welcomed the opportunity to clean up the environment as well as engage in fellowship.
“It showed the importance of keeping our environment clean, especially our beaches, since [they are some] of the main attractions for tourism,” she said, referencing the sea turtle project and native species.
“It’s also a good opportunity to support the environment, support our beaches, and of course, always give back … especially at [The] UWI. All this is about giving back, with the Give Back Programme, and it’s also about the [networking]. I met so many amazing persons here, especially from The Nation [Publishing Company], even from the Office of Student Services and Development [of the Cave Hill Campus], and persons outside of [The] UWI that I have never met before,” she said.
Carter stated that Cave Hill’s contribution to keeping the environment clean will continue beyond World Cleanup Day, in an effort to preserve the island’s beauty.
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