23867: Arthur (pub) OxfamGB: The start of the big clean up (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

Source: Oxfam - ReliefWeb
Date: 7 Dec 2004

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--

The start of the big clean up

Marie de Port-au-Prince and Oxfam's UNICEF-funded waste management campaign
is launched in Carrefour Feuilles, Port-au-Prince
By Maite Alvarez

Carrefour Feuilles is one of the most marginalized urban neighbourhoods in
the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince.

It is densely populated with over 100,000 inhabitants, with crumbling
infrastructures and few services available.

When rain pours, water rushes down its steep hills. The torrent usually drags
along the high piles of accumulated waste that line main traffic routes and
sit on the side of the roads, seriously flooding the streets.

Some roads are impassable due to the stagnant water and overflowing drainage
canals filled with rubbish, mud and plastic waste.

As a waste collection system is weak, and legal dumping sites are difficult
to come by, the residents of Carrefour Feuilles are forced to dump their waste
in nearby rivers as well as in the streets.

Others, in an attempt to clean up the streets set on fire accumulated waste,
triggering respiratory as well as skin problems amongst community members.

"Burning rubbish is not only bad for our health, but it is also dangerous as
our homes could easily catch fire." Explained father of four, Lauture Denis.

The last attempt to clean up the streets of Port-au-Prince was made in 1991
when President Aristide first came into power. Aristide instigated then a
'National clean-up campaign'. Waste cans were placed in strategic locations and
community members took up to the streets to join the big clean up. Nevertheless,
as people grew tired of waiting for the arrival of the government's waste
collection trucks, so did the piles of rubbish which sat day after day rotting on
the sidewalks of Carrefour Feuilles.

"This is a very poor neighbourhood, we have no access to resources," stated
primary school Olga Tavil Adonis. "The government has never supported us, we
have spent many years without a system that works … the Ministry of public
health is responsible for making sure that the streets are cleaned, but what have
they ever done?."

Pierre Saintil has seven children and works in Carrefour Feuilles as a
handy-man. He added that, "The accumulated rubbish and stagnant water not only makes
it a great challenge to walk or drive through the streets, but also poses a
real health risk to people, particularly children living in the area."

Waste management initiative

The Municipality of Port-au-Prince with the funding support of United Nations
Children Fund (UNICEF) ($93,000) and Oxfam GB, launched in September 2004 a
four-month waste collection pilot project in the neighbourhood of Carrefour
Feuilles.

"It is a short-term project, executed by local community members, 120
employees, 72 men and 48 women from the Mairie de Port-au-Prince municipality. A
project supervisor and messenger are also working in the project." Explained John
Atis Oxfam's waste management co-ordinator. "The pilot project will help the
Municipality and us determine whether the same activities can be used for
future projects."

"One of the pilot project's aims is to reinforce the capacities of the
municipality staff in waste collection… and the second, is to reinforce the links
between the Municipality and the community in the issue of rubbish collection."
Concluded Atis.

One hundred and forty-five community representatives were selected and
invited to attend the first of two waste management workshops. During the workshops,
community representatives gathered information about the project, and in turn
conveyed this information to the local community. They explained how to use
the skips and discussed with the local community the environmental and health
problems associated with the accumulated waste. Potential solutions to the
gestation of waste were also explored during this workshop. After the training,
community representatives presented and discussed the problem with the
community.

So as to share information with the rest of the population the work that
Oxfam and the Municipality are carrying out, the project responsible, a
representative of the municipality and members of the local community, aim to broadcast
radio spots.

In order to collect the waste, eighteen rubbish skips (3 metres square each)
were placed on the streets of Carrefour Feuilles at the beginning of November.
Community members helped determine the location of each skip. In an effort to
motivate people to collect waste, tools (wheel-barrows, brooms, shovels and
rakes) will be given to people living far away from the skips on the last week
of November.

Thus far, two privately hired trucks collect waste on a daily basis from the
skips dotted around Carrefour Feuilles, and transport the rubbish to Truiter,
an official site authorized by the Ministry of the environment.

Challenges that lie ahead

It is too early to measure the impact of the project on the neighbourhood of
Carrefour Feuilles.

This is a complex problem that requires community participation, better
equipment and stronger coordination between the municipality, the government and
community representatives.

Empowering community members to take decisions is essential. In Haiti people
pay taxes, however most people do not know where their money goes or what it
is used for.

"Poverty is like a cancer", said William Gustave, Oxfam's Programme Manager.
"State transparency is pivotal for change to take place … a mechanism of
monitoring national expenditures and of informing community members about their
economic rights must be reinforced."

However, already community members are excited about this initiative, "This
is a great idea, we hope that it becomes something durable … although the
project started recently you can already see the difference. People are using the
skips and have stopped burning rubbish in the streets … but we still have to
wait until the end of the pilot project in order to see whether it really worked
or not" Stated Guliant Andre who lives in Savane Pistach.

Currently, only 54 cubic metres of waste are collected per day. This is only
half of the waste that is produced on a daily basis in this neighbourhood. In
order to clean up all the area, the Municipality would need 4 trucks and
workers 120 paid workers from the Municipality per day. Approximately, 16,060
($440) are required only to dispose of waste in the streets. Funds are also
required to pay workers and equipment.

For the purpose of monitoring activities, the participation of voluntary
community members would be ideal. Whilst, a cash for work programme would also
increase and complement the impact of the waste management programme in the
community.

Focusing on the now, Olga Tavil Adonis explained that "We cannot work alone,
we need more arms in order to transform Carrefour Feuilles into a clean
neighbourhood… Despite the infancy of this project, it is extremely refreshing to
see some of the most polluted and rubbish-filled areas finally being jointly
cleaned up … we are all motivated and we all wish to see a change, but we cannot
do it alone. We have faith in the Municipality, Oxfam and UNICEF."

ENDS


______________________________________________


This email is forwarded as a service of the Haiti Support Group.

See the Haiti Support Group web site:
www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org

Solidarity with the Haitian people's struggle for justice, participatory
democracy and equitable development, since 1992.
____________________________________________