04 July, Suva, Fiji – SPREP's Clean Pacific Campaign was well received in the small town of Lami on the outskirts of Suva with the launch of a local Campaign project by the Catholic Women's League.
The project will help local women and women's groups teach their friends and relatives about the proper management and disposal of household wastes and will be piloted in Lami town.
The Clean Pacific 2012 Campaign is a year-long awareness campaign run throughout the Pacific islands, which aims to galvanize actions to improve the management of wastes and pollution at all levels, from the individual and community level to the highest level of government.
Over 300 students from the Lami area together with teachers, parents, Lami Town Council staff, business representatives and government department officials attended the launch.
Deputy Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government, Urban Development, Housing and Environment, Saverio Baleikanaceva, launches the Clean Pacific Project
"I would like to thank the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme for their technical and funding assistance towards this project," said Saverio Baleikanaceva, the Deputy Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government, Urban Development, Housing and Environment.
"This funding support not only assists the people of Lami with proper waste management and pollution control initiatives, but it also goes a long way to fulfilling the objectives and activities of the Fiji Solid Waste Management Strategy 2011-2014."
"My Department of Environment, Lami Town Council and business houses, schools and the communities will join hands and make a commitment towards a cleaner and healthier environment for Lami and its residents."
The Catholic Women's League was highly appreciative of the funding from SPREP.
"I salute and thank SPREP for having faith in our organisation to implement this project," said Ms Susana Evening, the Project Coordinator for Catholic Women's League.
"Our partnership with SPREP will help us expand our effort to empower other Catholic Women's League branches in Fiji on solid waste management and pollution control issues."
The Lami Town Council was also excited with this new initiative for its residents.
"Waste and pollution is a problem for Lami just as it is with other areas in Fiji," said Jasper Singh, the Special Administrator with Lami Town Council.
"Lami area has a population of approximately 15,000 people and the SPREP financial support will help us make Lami a beautiful and attractive place to live, and also enable us to share the lessons learnt from this pilot project with other town councils around Fiji".
Assistance to Pacific island countries to implement grassroots projects is a key activity under SPREP's Clean Pacific 2012 Campaign. Fiji joins Palau, Kiribati and Vanuatu in receiving this support.
For more information on the Clean Pacific Campaign please contact SPREP's Clean Pacific Campaign Coordinator, Ms Ilisapeci Masivesi at: [email protected].