Volunteer Litter Wardens Being Recruited in Antigua and Barbuda

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Volunteers interested in taking action to help prevent littering and dumping in their communities, and to help change the culture of littering in Antigua and Barbuda are being given a unique opportunity to become Litter Prevention Wardens. Under an initiative spearheaded by the non-profit organisation, Integrated Health Outreach Inc (IHO), in partnership with the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), a cadre of up to 30 willing residents will be trained, and then appointed as lawful Litter Prevention Wardens on a volunteer basis under the guidance of the NSWMA.

Individuals who volunteer will be trained by the NSWMA and be appointed to serve as Litter Prevention Wardens in an unpaid capacity. They will have the power to enforce provisions of the Litter Control and Prevention Act (2019) under the guidance and direction of the NSWMA. Volunteers must be prepared to appear in court to follow up on penalties that have been issued.

In addition to impacting communities, the pollution caused by littering and dumping also impacts sensitive ecosystems, such as those found on Antigua’s northeastern coast within the North East Marine Management Area (NEMMA). Often, people choose these secluded areas for illegal dumping.

As such, IHO and the NSWMA hope to sign up volunteers from the NEMMA communities like Pares, Glanvilles, Fitches Creek, Willikies, and Parham, to name a few. However, this initiative is open to all residents regardless of where they live.

The NSWMA will host an orientation for those who sign up during the second to last week of October. The deadline for registration is Friday, October 18th, 2024. Training will commence the first week of November for approximately three weeks.

Executive Director of IHO, Dr. Nicola Bird stated, “At the heart of this is our belief that the best way to tackle problems is to engage citizens in partnerships with organisations like IHO.  We all know how prevalent littering and illegal dumping is in Antigua and Barbuda and how unsightly it makes our communities. It also clogs our drains and waterways, and impacts sensitive ecological spaces. The challenges are serious. This programme is an opportunity for invested residents to be part of the change – to change the littering culture and curb negative behaviours through engagement and action.”

Interested individuals can register and learn more here: qrco.de/bfRWHd

This initiative is part of a broader ongoing programme by IHO to promote conservation of the environment in Antigua and Barbuda through a concept called collaborative social accountability.

This is a process where citizens and civil society actors engage with state actors in joint, interactive problem solving to improve service delivery, sector governance, and accountability. In this vein, IHO is leading initiatives that are educating youth and citizens, raising environmental awareness, reducing pollution, and empowering community actors.

This work, including the current initiative to recruit volunteers as Litter Prevention Wardens, is supported by funding from the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).

The GPSA facilitates collaboration of civil society organizations with governments, and engagement of citizens in order to solve development problems, strengthen accountability and improve sector governance. The CEPF aims to enable civil society to protect the world’s biodiversity hotspots—biologically rich ecosystems essential to humanity, yet highly threatened.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. NO VOLUNTEERS. The Cabinet must cut their salary and perks to give the people PAYING JOBS. Volunteerism does not pay the bills.
    All who travel on the tax payers money must stop flying first class.
    Schedule more virtual meetings(oops! I forgot the Nation is dead last in the region when it comes to cybersecurity).
    The system wants you to VOLUNTEER for the NGO’s, that moonlight as Non-Profit organization. You must VOLUNTEER for the CHURCH, plus give them ten percent of your salary. You must VOLUNTEER for the government while they rob the treasury with no repercussions.
    The Nation needs VOLUNTEERS as Members of the CABINET.

  2. Whilst I sincerely think that the idea of litter wardens is an excellent idea, I see this arrangement as toothless and without clear enforcement and prosecutorial guidelines. People will only put themselves out to do things when there is some measure of renumeration and benefit for them. No litter warden will spend all day at court trying to prosecute someone for mere thanks. NSWMA needs to recruit, prepare and train a mininimum of ten persons to fill this role and even if the renumeration is minimal, they should be paid. Reward sweetens labour and we are likely to get more out of them if they are renumerated in some way.

  3. First stop: WES

    Mr. Pringle keeps his business place too “wutliss” and nasty! Wonder if that’s the storage place for his dead dogs too.

  4. Someone is just going to pay them to keep their eyes and mouth shut. What a bad idea. Already those in the current position even at top saying they can’t do anything when you file a complaint.

Comments are closed.