Local charity Youth Equipped to Achieve! (YEA!) received a $1,500 cash donation and recycled utility poles from Barbados Light & Power Company just ahead of the 2022 new year.
The donation will assist YEA! in a number of ways, including securing the border of “De Blue and Green Gully” or “DeBaGG” project in Easy Hall, St. John.
The project includes gully preservation and transformation, repurposing Sargassum seaweed, and production of hand sanitiser and other personal and home care products.
The products being developed use plants like aloe vera, bay leaf and rosemary grown in the gully and fertilised by composted Sargassum seaweed.
The Light & Power donation contributes to the matching funds (and in-kind value) required by project funder, The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP).
YEA! Founder Marsha-Ann Clarke stated: “We are extremely grateful to Barbados Light and Power Company.
We hope that other private sector companies follow their lead, not only with cash, but with donations of resources that are needed to help us to complete and expand this important homegrown project.”
YEA! has engaged youth participants of its Volunteer Internship Program (VIP) from the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Barbados Community College (BCC) in the DeBaGG project.
The students are able to fulfil their volunteer hours requirement for government’s Give Back Programme while gaining experience across various disciplines such as leadership development, web and social media management, product research and development, and physical planting and landscaping.
According to Light & Power’s Manager, Communication and Government Relations, Jackie Marshall-Clarke,
“Visiting the gully with the young people from YEA! was the first wonderful experience. Enjoying the surroundings and learning about all the plants was another.
“However, the best experience was hearing about the plans for the environs, the products to be produced and creating an educational space for everyone to visit. We are really happy to support these conscientious young people and be a part of their blue and green achievement.”
Plans for DeBaGG also include the renovation of a structure that will serve as a centre for youth development and natural products development. The charity is accepting donations of materials like paint, brushes, concrete board and other building materials to assist with the renovation. (PR)
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