BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ALL hands were on deck yesterday (May 19) for Sky Safaris’ community cleanup venture, pulling staff together to clean a major section of the Wingfield River and the branching ghauts.
Employees who would usually be spending the day flying through the sky on ziplines and giving guests guided tours through the rainforest, gave up their helmets and harnesses to make a positive impact on their environs.
In the heat of the morning sun, workers chopped wood, swung machetes and collected cans, bottles, old tyres and domestic refuse that made its way into the river. Water breaks were not plenty as both men and women had to beat the sun and get the work done in a timely manner.
General Manager Crystal-Rayne Tomma said the initiative was launched to create unity with the company and the community, using the health and safety of the environment as the common goal. She said Sky Safaris aims to beautify the Old Road community and the first step in that regard is ensuring it is clean and safe for all.
“The idea is to portray a beautiful and positive image when guests come to visit. That’s what we are committed to.
“Overall, I am very satisfied with the work that we did today. The Sky Safaris team really worked together toward a common goal and any manager would say that is great progress for our team. But it was not only the work of my team that made this possible, because we got a great response from the Old Road community,” Tomma told SKNVibes.
The group of Sky Safaris employees, passionate about taking care of the environment, swept from 100 metres north of the Old Road bridge down to the mouth of the ghaut, filling an entire dumpster with bags of debris and garbage along the way.
The General Manager urged other businesses in the area and around the island to commit to similar civic-minded projects, as everyone has much to benefit from a cleaner and safer community.
While she admitted that the company may have to take small steps before making the real impact that is necessary, collaboration with other community groups and businesses is hoped to widen the scope of the project.
“Next, we are going to take baby steps. We will try to partner with other businesses in the Old Road area in order to cover a wider area. The plan is to cover the entire Wingfield River, the two ghauts and along the beach,” Tomma explained.
After a long day of work, a large section of the river and ghaut has been cleared and residents in the surrounding areas are encouraged to avoid dumping in the area.
