CMU student raises climate change awareness in her community

Kelly, 23, is a fourth year student at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) where she’s pursuing a bachelor’s degree in logistics and supply chain management.

From about six o’clock Wednesday morning, Kelly and few community members embarked on a clean-up exercise of Park Avenue, Gutters – an arcing road roughly 400 metres long.

The team, a mix of men and women, removed all different kind of garbage strewn along the deplorable stretch of road lined by wild shrubs.

By 9:00 am the team had completed its task, as the morning sun bears down on them.

Kelly was pleased with the support, given the very limited time she had to get things up and running. But in the end Kelly was satisfied to the point where she intends to transform the exercise into an annual initiative executed several times throughout the year.

“The aim is to become the first community in Jamaica to actually carry out sustainable development to a different level.

“What I will try to do after this is to do this at least three times out of the year,” Kelly told Old Harbour News afterwards.

“The aim is to educate the community about proper garbage disposal, because if not, this can have economic and other effects on the community and country,” noted the Nightingale Grove resident.

“How we dispose our garbage can impact climate change for better or for worse. While doing this research I have learned so much, which is why I want to educate other persons about it that it is really important. Climate change is affecting Jamaica and it start from the households and the communities… so it starts from here.

“If you throw one piece of garbage on the ground other persons will think that it is OK and do the same. I have seen it in this community where old refrigerator is thrown in the gully which can cause blockage and the chemical from the material will deteriorate and get into the water.

“Nightingale Grove is prone to flooding which is the reason why I chose this project because it is very important.”

She thanked local businesses such as Cheap and Clean Wholesale, OJ’s Wholesale and Grocery, W&B Farm Store, Gyal Hot Spot, Famous HQ, among other individuals.