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Dublanc
Primary School: Working for a clean beach environment
Some
of the Sandwatch students at Dublanc Primary School, June 2004,
in their Small Islands Voice T-shirts. Dr. Alexandra James, Secretary
General of the UNESCO National Commission for Dominica is at the
far left, and next to her is Ms. Vernessa Hilton; Ms. Beatrice
green is at the far right.
In 2003, students
at Dublanc Primary School led by their teacher, Ms. Vernessa Hilton,
and supported by the school principal Ms. Beatrice Green, took
part in the Sandwatch Project. They measured the debris on the
beach, they interviewed beach users about the state of the beach.
They recognized that garbage and pollution were serious problems.
The students made placards and conducted a march round the village,
stopping at several key places to repeat their message 'Listen
and get it right.' A sample of their placards told the full story:
- Our beach
was great, now it's a disgrace
- Dispose
your garbage properly, no on the beach
- Wise up'
Come out and clean up
They made
such an impact that the day after the march, the community members
voluntarily cleaned the beach.
Their efforts,
backed up by their report,
won them first prize in the primary school section at the inter-regional
Sandwatch meeting in July 2003.
One year,
later the students are still busy on related activities such as
painting garbage bins for the school and community. Furthermore,
their efforts have had a lasting impact, in that now the community
have taken over responsibility for keeping the beach clean and
for planting trees behind the beach and caring for them.
Ms.
Vernessa Hilton standing by the garbage bin that the students
had recently painted for a national competition.
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