By Robert Lalah, Staff ReporterA MAJOR clean-up effort involving close to a thousand volunteers on the weekend has left Spanish Town, St. Catherine, sparkling.
The two-day activity, which was held as part of activities to mark Local Government and Community Development Month, involved several citizens' groups, staff of the Local Government Ministry, non-governmental groups and private and state agencies in the parish.
The various groups came together and painted curb walls, cleaned drains, repaired and replaced manhole covers, cut trees, cleared open spaces of garbage and debris and swept and washed the streets of the town.
Patrick Watson, regional planning officer at the Social Development Commission (SDC), the coordinators of the project, said he was extremely pleased with the success of the clean-up activity, as well as the large turnout of volunteers.
OVERWHELMING TURNOUT
"It was completely overwhelming. I think it shows that the negative elements in Spanish Town are only the minority and they don't impact on the desire of others in the community to live in a clean and peaceful environment," he said.
Mr. Watson said organisers expected a turnout of less than 300 volunteers on the weekend and were surprised that more than 700 eager persons showed up, ready to get their hands dirty in an effort to give the Old Capital a facelift.
VOLUNTEERISM
"Because of the unexpected turnout, we ended up covering a much wider area than we had planned for," said Mr. Wilson. "In fact, on the first day we completed about 90 per cent of the work we had planned for both days."
He added that the spirit of volunteerism in Spanish Town on the weekend gave him hope for the future of the town. "Spanish Town has got a negative name over the past 18 months because of the crime, but what happened on the weekend is a positive signal. We need to see more of this kind of activity," he emphasised.
Mr. Watson noted that the involvement of the National Solid Waste Management Authority, the National Works Agency, the Jamaica Fire Brigade and the police was critical to the success of the programme. "The equipment, guidance and manpower these groups provided was magnificent," he noted.
A follow-up to the weekend's activities is currently being planned, said Mr. Watson who, while unable to give specifics, noted that the second phase will take place around the Christmas season.
