JAPAN International Corporation Agency (JICA) yesterday formed a local committee to administer a two years program called LEAF (Learning and Ecological Activities Foundation) that deals with the recycling, exporting of bottles and separation of waste mixture within the Honiara City.
LEAF is a program that contributes to the development of a sustainable society by initiating community-based environmental learning activities at schools and in local communities, in liaison with various civic groups, corporations and government agencies.
In Honiara LEAF is affiliated through JICA office in Honiara and has partnered with the Honiara City Council after introducing their program in Honiara for two years.
Yesterday Honiara stakeholders and JICA gathered at HCC office elect a new local committee.
Chaired by the Mayor of the Honiara City Council (HCC) Alference Fatai, the committee has two vice chairman, two secretaries and two treasurers that represented different stake holders in Honiara.
The program is an ongoing program coordinated by a Japanese lady in Honiara. It has been started previously with a lot of researches around the Honiara city on waste segregation on PET bottles and wastes.
Outcomes of the researches done by Japanese LEAF rep has been highlighted during the workshop yesterday.
The LEAF program will basically concentrate on collecting bottles around Honiara city on certain locations by a truck for recycling.
This also goes organic waste which will be separeted by LEAF under their program using a special segregation machines.
The program kicks off this month as soon the new LEAF committee members organise its first meeting.
Mr Fatai who is the chair of the LEAF committee was happy with the program and thanked JICA for the their kindly supports to HCC help carry out its waste management program in Honiara.
“Since this program introduced by JICA to help us reduce waste and recycle and reuses of our waste here, as City Mayor, I would like to thank JICA for this wonderful initiatives”
“Honiara as we have seen is not well organised in terms of waste management and is a concern for Honiara city council, But since JICA through LEAF program established this new committee which my self-chair, I thank the government of Japan and JICA in Honiara for this program which should help reduce the waste management in Honiara,” Mr Fatai said in his speech when he was appointed as the chair of the LEAF program.
Mr Fatai challenged the newly established LEAF committee in Solomon Islands to work closely with JICA and LEAF office in Japan.
“I know this program is new here but would help improve our country future waste management. Therefore to all the appointed members please be active and let us work in hand to make our country a free from rubbish nation “Rubbish is our responsibility,” Mr Fatai said.
The program will be for two years funded by the LEAF head office in Japan and in collaboration with HCC.
By DENVER NEWTER
