Local NGO Launches Project To Clean Liberia
By: Jeremiah Cooper
Gmail: jeremiahcooper105@gmail.com
Montserrado County-July 30, 2022: A non governmental and non-for-profit organization under the banner ‘Clean Liberia Foundation’ has launched a project to clean the entire country through sanitation services.
The project was launched at the Unity Conference Center in lower Virginia, district #17, Montserrado County.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Clean Liberia Foundation, Zoe Musu Gray, the project which will begin early August this year came as a result of the huge amount of dirt being dumped in the streets and public places in Liberia.
“We want to clean the entire Liberia. We are beginning with district #17, Montserrado County. We are also targeting rural places”, she added.
Madam Gray furthered that the daily increase of dirt is alarming and continues to damage the image of the country and its people.
“At first it was not our plan to carry out such program but when I went to New York, some of my friends was bad mouthing me that Liberia is very dirty, so my son and I decided to do something to make Liberia clean for all of us”, she narated.
Madam Gray noted that due to uncontrollable amount of dirt dump on major streets and roads across country, Liberia have lost her value among other nations.
The Clean Liberia Foundation Chief Executive emphasized that Liberia have been blacklisted by investors due to the unhealthy environment. “It is shameful to see that every day we see dirt on the streets of Liberia. You may not know how this is affecting us until you travel to other countries. People outside think that we are weak, lazy and dirty people, because of the way we dirty our country, people from different countries are afraid to come here. Our air is polluted, you can’t walk one mile with out see dump site on streets of Monrovia”.
Madam Gray also disclosed that her foundation is hiring over 1000 Liberians that will be trained and gainfully employed to help implement the project; something she said, will create job opportunities for Liberians.
“This program will give job opportunities to our people so that they are able to help themselves as we all try to implement the project and make Liberia clean. We can not do it on our own, we need Liberians here in Liberia to be a part of this and we will pay them daily for their services”, madam Gray noted
She also called the Government of Liberia to help ensure that the projects is fully implemented as they continue to strive for a better Liberia.
Gray however, appeal to national government through the Environment Protection Agency and cities corporations to help enforce session 62 of the 2003 Environment Protection and Waste Management Law of Liberia.
“We want for the government to be part of this. We want them to enforce the law because we don’t want to clean the country after that Liberia becomes dirty”, she stressed.
Session 62 of the 2003 Environmental Protection and Waste Management Law of Liberia states ” no person shall discard, dump or leave any litter on any land, coastal zone or water surface, street, road or the site in or any place to which the public has access, except in a container or at a place which has been specifically indicated, provided or set apart for such purpose.
It details that “Every person or authority in control of or responsible for the maintenance of any place to which the public has access shall at all times ensure that containers or places are provided which will normally be adequate and suitable for the discarding of litter by the public;
A person who discharges discard, dump or leave any litter on any land, coastal zone or water surface, street, road or site in or on any place or the environment contrary to session one commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 5, 000 US Dollars or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both;
Any person who contravenes the provisions of this session shall be required to undertake community service and clean up the litter using the best available cleanup methods and taking precautions to protect human health and the environment”, the 2003 Environment Protection and Waste Management disclosed.
Waste management is one of the challenges confronting Liberia. Most cities including the country’s capital Monrovia is covered in garbage.
In October 2021, the head of the European Union Mission to Liberia, Laurent Delahouse said that the Liberian capital Monrovia is dirty and disgusting after the pouring in of donors’ aid to clean up the city.
Also, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) 2007 report found that a sustainable approach to waste management within Liberia must integrate sanitary as well as social objectives, ensure a profitable, reliable service and raise public awareness on health-related concerns.
