BASSETERRE; ST. KITTS - The quality of our environment is in peril. The Washington Archibald High School Young Leaders are a focused group of young individuals (aged 13 – 16) dedicated to the prevention of the disastrous effects of land pollution, soil erosion and the depletion of resources. To address these problems, we sought collaboration with the Solid Waste Corporation, received advice from the Physical Planning and Development Unit and the Ministry of Sustainable Development aimed at educating ourselves and the wider community about environmental issues and ways in which they can be effectively addressed. We term this initiative as the “Green Revolution”.

Our group is on the cusp of officially launching our main project which is the clean-up and restoration of the ghaut in the Monkey Hill area. We are very excited about the project because we as a group see the importance of giving back to the community especially in an area which is affected by waste. We will also endeavour to educate and encourage the community of that area as to what they can do to keep this area clean and thriving.

To date, the Washington Archibald High School Young Leaders have been engaged in activities which have had a positive impact on areas in the Basseterre area. In mid-December 2009 we carried out a wide scale cleanup of Carnival Village. We also went to Maurice Hillier Memorial Junior School as well as the Dean Glasford Primary School, which is relatively close to the Monkey Hill ghaut, and spoke to the students there about their individual “Carbon Footprint” (A way of testing the amount of waste one emits) as well as ways to lessen it.

These projects not only benefit the community, but benefit the Young Leaders greatly as well. We learn to develop skills such as teamwork, leadership and management skills, and innovative ways to solve problems we may face.

In conclusion, we would like to thank the businesses and other establishments who have helped us thus far and those who have pledged us their future assistance. These businesses include ValuMart, C&C Super Foods, J’s Shop & Save, RAM’s and establishments like the aforementioned Carnival Committee, Solid Waste Corporation Physical Planning and Development Unit and the Ministry of Sustainable Development. We understand fully that the way to bring about proper sustainable development is not limited to the government or legislature, but requires people to continue efforts that will still be relevant years from now.