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Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 30, 2018 (SKNIS): Several members of the Department of Youth Empowerment’s Volunteer Corps were busy moving around areas in the Newtown Community on Saturday, April 28, as they executed a cleanup of the environment.

 

The 15 member group was led by Kia (pronounced Kai) Liburd from Real One’s Music Group, a young activist, who continues to take initiative in making positive contributions in improving the lives of persons and uplifting communities across St. Kitts and Nevis.

 

Mr. Liburd said that the cleanup was initiated as a result of speaking to a member from the community who was impressed with the beach cleanup that was done at Lime Kiln Bay in St. Kitts in March of this year. The young activist then met with Pierre Liburd, Director of Youth Empowerment, who then gave him the permission to push the project forward with the assistance of the Department’s Volunteer Corps.

 

Areas cleaned up included the Sands Complex, the Fisheries Complex, Pond Road, and along the Bay Road, specifically the Paddock located between the community centre and the Tucker Clarke Primary School, as well as areas around where the C.A. Paul Southwell Bust is located. The collected garbage was placed in bags and deposited at garbage sites around the areas that were cleaned.

 

He explained that outside of the cleanup, another project was also initiated on April 28.

 

“We started another initiative… where we started giving out extra water and garbage bags to persons who are interested in doing cleanups of their own, and also to persons in need,” said Kia Liburd, while using the example of lending assistance to a homeless man in the Independence Square.  “I just felt a heartwarming like I could do more and we should be doing more as a people, as a nation. I rallied the volunteers and I went across in the square to this [homeless] man. We did not know the man but we gave him some water because the whole initiative is that you won’t know where you will end up in life so you must always help people.”

 

He explained that charity is key and so it is important to implement initiatives such as the ones he is currently undertaking.

 

“The whole purpose of all these initiatives is to inspire not just young people but the federation and the world on a whole to care about their nation, care about their country and clean it up, have pride in yourself because when you keep your surroundings clean you reduce [rodents and pests],” he said. “It saves money and increases health because if the environment is clean you won’t get sick that easily.”

 

The Department of Youth Empowerment secured sponsorship for the initiative from Cash Wiz and Builders Paradise, while Kia Liburd sought assistance from Domino’s Pizza and the Honourable Ian Patches Liburd, Parliamentary Representative for the area.