As part of the ongoing Independence celebrations today is being observed as National Day of Service.
It is a time when the populace is given the opportunity to beautify and cleanup their communities instead of undertaking the custom of road rehabilitation and infrastructural projects.
This year’s program is being set up as a national clean up and beautification exercise. Today will be the second time the Ministry of Social Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs in collaboration with the Department of Local Government and the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation have teamed up to make National Day of Service a cleaning and beautifying exercise.
Government has distributed a total of $150,000 among village councils and improvement committees for the transportation, disposal of garbage, purchase of garbage bags and gloves, purchase of plants and flowers and transportation of plants for various projects across the island.
The Dame Eugenia Charles administration in 1981 set aside the day to instill the practice of volunteerism among Dominicans, and allow them to participate in community work.
its funny how the comments lead to name calling. “help build a peace-full nation””
Ma DOMNIQUE SAY:
her children are fighting each other
and she is being left to suffer
she say , she hear, her land is selling fast,
she want to know, who is buying,
when there is no money in the hand of the lower class
MA DOMINIQUE CRYING, look like there is no future for the children,
SHE say; SOTP the FIGHTING and start uniting.
Several questions need to be asked:
Were the Village Councils/Improvement Committees allowed to submit their own projects?
Was there a budget, a costing for that project as part of the project plan?
Govt. broke? $150,000.00 to be distributed among Village Councils and Improvement Committees? How does the Local Govt. Dept. monitor and ensure transparency and accountability of funds dispersed? Are projects evaluated and how? Are reports submitted re. project and money spent? How is that verified?
Did the Ministry just instruct the various VCs and Improvement Committees that only clean up (sic) and planting of flowers must be done?
No Tarish, No cement again this year for small scale construction works- for sidewalks, drains, minor road repairs and so on?
With the tons upon tons of tarish deposited in Layou, couldn’t better plans be put in place to make maximum use of that tarish at a time of National Day of Community Service? Our farmers are BAWLING for repairs to be done to their farm roads. Pathways and community roads are in poor state. Shame.
Communities could be mobilized and encouraged to complete projects even after that Day. The country would save significant sums of money re. labour costs for community projects. Proper planning is necessary. Village Councils and Imnprovement Committees allowed toparticipate fully, in the decision-making process in the development of their Communities.
We have been seeing a steady decline in the way institutions are loosing their autonomy and independence. Central Govt. must respecthe genuine wishes of the people in the Communities.
The Concept of KOUDMEN and its benefits to community and national development must be strenthened. Why instead should authorities adopt that foolish, backward policy to rely almost solely on foreign countries for our development? That ‘dependency’ concept is short-sighted and must be criticized because it strays from our Koudmen attitudes.
Keep on working together. Good spirit.
Way papa – you really cannot please Dominicans – home and abroad de same thing? after all….
so you have to call somebody a socialist just because they take a little time to clean up their environment?
Dame Eugenia did not set that up. That was set up since 1967, by E.O. Leblance. I know because i left Dominica in 1972, and as a child i grew up dong community day of service.
Give Dominicans a Tax Break for all the service they doing as their tax money is used for Bellagio hotel instead of cleaning the place.
Admin: It’s Called “National Day of Community Service”
I really hope that Dominicans (especially the government) are not paying for plants and flowers. If we are, someone needs to be arrested for Nature Island abuse and destruction and get a check up from the neck up. THAT WOULD BE CORRUPTION IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE.
Isn’t that what Public Works and prisoners do?
Suggestion, Why can’t the various community organize themself at least 6 months before community day of service, identify a needy project and estimate cost to undertake the project.Then during that 6 months period they sick funds through donation, local government, and other private individuals. So on a day like today all that need to be done is mobilize villagers.
Actually what you are saying is what the different village councils organize. I know that is what that is done in my community. The council does a project on that day where everyone comes together to get it done
Karl Marx must be proud.
karl marx where are we in russia?this should be an all year round happening,the government need to form an office for beautification,and hire people to maintain the highways and roadsides,keep the bushes cut and cleared for the motoring public.
in adding to,they will be creating jobs
True say, but do we have a govt that can think? SURELY NOT! THEY ARE TOO BUSY LOOKING FOR THEMSELVES.
You said it brother!
Yes,Hitler,you don’t have to tell us know u from Germany.2 negative.
Why would you say something like that. We Dominicans are proud of our country and it’s heritage. national Day of Community Service is part of our culture throughout the years so mind your own business.
You and wherever you are can take that as example and maybe your country can be cleaner and friendlier
Have you noticed the carnage of Capitalism? You dolt!
The only corrupt person here is you.You just never get it.Your coments are annoying and foolish.