Community-led cleanup tackles waste, pests in Cave Hill

In a grassroots initiative aimed at sparking island-wide action, the residents of Bristol Road, Cave Hill, launched a weekend cleanup to address mounting concerns over bulk waste and burgeoning mosquito and rodent populations.

The effort, spearheaded by communications consultant Joyann Haigh, began as a private endeavour but quickly garnered community support. Dubbed Skip It, a Private Community Cleanup (PCC), the initiative saw skips deployed for residents to dispose of accumulated waste.

Haigh, who initiated the project after noticing an increase in clutter and mosquitoes during visits to the area, told Barbados TODAY: “I recognised that the area was getting a little bit more cluttered with some bulk waste. And then, of course, the mosquitoes were literally killing me. There were so many mosquitoes.”

After discussions with community members, Haigh collaborated with Islandwide Towing and Skip Services to rent two skips for the weekend. “This was not supposed to be public. This was a private initiative,” she explained. “But then they asked if they could jump on board and be a part of this cleanup.”

The project’s scope expanded as residents embraced the opportunity. Haigh outlined the process: “A skip will be dropped to you Friday, and it’s going to be picked back up on Monday.”

Emphasising the importance of community responsibility, Haigh said: “We as Barbadians, we cause a lot of things. And we have to take responsibility for it. Because if we keep asking the government to do things, guess what? They’re going to have to get money to do it. Our taxes then will go up.”

Long-time resident Gail Greenidge welcomed the initiative, highlighting its benefits for the close-knit community. “This clean-up here is excellent because of the mosquitoes, you know. And for the general environment, we have lots of kids around here,” she said.

Greenidge added: “We welcome it with open hearts and open hands, and anything that we can do to help put this community in a clean and clear environment is wonderful.”

Looking ahead, Haigh hopes to expand the Skip It initiative beyond Cave Hill. “I’m hoping that this month we can do another place. I’m hoping other businesses will get on board too, and the media,” she said.

Greenidge echoed this sentiment, suggesting the cleanup should be replicated across Barbados: “This clean-up should not just be for us here in Cave Hill. This section should be for the entire island, village by village, district by district, to have this clean-up.”

As the project unfolds, Haigh plans to document the transformation: “We’re going to do after shots to show the cleanup. I’m also getting some wrappers; we’re going to clean the bush.”

The initiative has sparked optimism among residents like Greenidge, who expressed gratitude for Haigh’s efforts: “Joyann, hats off to you. Thank you very much for giving us this clean-up.”