The âKnow Your Rightsâ campaign to stop Gender Based Violence in Saint Lucia was officially launched during a press conference at the French Ambassadorâs residence this morning. This nationwide communication campaign aims to raise awareness among the public, and more specifically among women and young girls in Saint Lucia, who are victims of violence.
Unite Caribbean recently attended the 32nd annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association conference, which took place in Guyanae.
A very promising start for Unite Caribbean, which has successfully positioned itself on new missions: new clients and new territories on the horizon.
Castries: August 8th 2022 – The RePLAST OECS Pilot Plastic Collection Project has collected over 150,000 lbs of PET & HDPE Plastic bottles since beginning operations in January 2021.
The plastic collection activities of the RePLAST OECS Project commenced in January 2021 and have been supported by the government of France, the government of Saint Lucia, the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States Commission, and the private sector. Unite Caribbean Ltd., a cooperation development consulting firm, designed and managed the project and is currently implementing a third instalment, primarily supported by the private sector. Unite Caribbean Ltd has been coordinating the combined efforts of the public, community organisations, volunteers and recyclers since the inception. This has resulted in the collection of 150,000 lbs of PET & HDPE plastic bottles and the export of over 91,000 lbs of this material to recycling facilities in the wider Caribbean region.
RePLAST Project Manager and Unite Caribbeanâs Director Waste and Water, Ronald Roach, declared « Since we started working on RePLAST OECS, back in 2020, we had this vision of achieving this important milestone. We are proud of the result, and grateful to volunteers, patrons and our partners who made it possible ».
Among those, Heineken Saint Lucia has been a supporter of the project since the early days. The company contributed financially to the project and as a partner in the marketplace. Louise Victor, Corporate Affairs Manager, Heineken St. Lucia, commented âThis milestone is commendable and at Heineken Saint Lucia Ltd., we are proud to partner with REPLAST in championing recyclability efforts. The work of REPLAST is aligned to our Brew a Better World ambition which includes maximizing the circularity of our products and giving a second life to all input and output materials.â
Massy Stores is also a key partner of RePLAST OECS. The company was involved in the public education campaign, supported collection points and is one of the biggest rewards partners of the RePLAST marketplace âWe congratulate RePLAST-OECS on achieving this milestone. Massy Stores (SLU) continues to be at the forefront of St. Luciaâs plastic reduction and recycling efforts. The company remains committed to support environmental awareness and advocacy groups, waste management and recycling projects.â Says Sariah Best-Joseph, Divisional Head â Marketing & Corporate Communications, Massy Stores St. Lucia Ltd.
The OECS Commission is supporting RePLAST OECS under the ReMLit Project (Building Resilience in the Easter Caribbean through a Reduction of Marine Litter) . âThe achievement of this milestone represents a significant step in contributing to a culture of waste separation and recycling in our region in support of a circular economy.â â Susanna Debeauville-Scott, Project Manager, Ocean Governance & Fisheries Project, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission.
Collecting 150,000 lbs of plastic would not have been possible without the engagement of committed and motivated volunteers like Darwin Clement, Coordinator â Northern RePLAST Collection Points, who adds âWe will not stop there. Our volunteers will continue the fight to keep the plastic off our streets, landfills and oceans for a better environment, for a better Saint Lucia.â
The impact of the RePLAST OECS project has been far reaching, across different levels of Saint Luciaâs society; prolonging the lifespan of landfill, reducing the frequency of flooding in urban areas and uniting communities towards a common goal of reducing plastic pollution in St. Lucia.
To learn more about the project visit: https://unite-caribbean.com/public/replastoecs/FAQ.html
Become a RePlast patron at: https://replastoecs.com/register/
Follow the Project updates and collection points openings on social media: @replastoecsproject
For more information on RePLAST OECS and other Unite Caribbean initiatives contact us.
Unite Caribbean organised a 5-days study visit for 12 French Gateways to Global Careers students in Martinique, to meet local business and develop ideas for increased cooperation between the islands.
Reopening of the collection points since the end of 2021 and extension in Grenada
The official launch of French Gateways took place on February 3rd, with the Minister of Education, SALCC and Unite Caribbean.
Launch of the French Gateways to Global Careers: an educational programme to promote cooperation between Saint Lucia and the French West Indies
2021 was still heavily marked by the Covid19 pandemic worldwide, and the Caribbean was not spared. Mobility between the Islands was impaired with governments trying to protect the most vulnerable with quarantines, curfews, and lockdowns.
2021 was also the year of the CoP26 in Glasgow, and the well-deserved nomination of PM Mottley of Barbados as a UN Champion of the Earth.
Both these events highlighted the need for more cooperation and integrated sustainable approach to development in the Caribbean.
For Unite Caribbean, 2021 allowed us to reaffirm our values and to firmly reposition ourselves on our core areas of expertise.
Through our projects, we strengthened civil society organisations in St Martin and helped CSOs of 7 French and English-speaking countries work together on climate resilience. We also created successful public-private collaborations to ensure collection and recycling of plastics in Saint Lucia, bringing together CSOs, municipalities, public utilities, volunteers and corporate partners. We finally co-created the first francophone Gateways to Global Careers, a TVET programme for Saint-Lucian students and young entrepreneurs to access to French markets.
Through our consulting services, we assessed and proposed a training plan for Haitian governmental agencies in terms of climate change adaptation, designed a cooperation strategy for the CollectivitĂ© de Saint Martin, and developed a project management training programme in three languages for 37 Caribbean Marine Protected Areas . We additionally assisted the Haitian government for the Cop26, in preparing their Adaptation Communication, building the delegates’ capacity and supporting during the negotiations in Glasgow.
In 2022, Unite Caribbean has several exciting missions ahead. In Haiti, we were awarded a contract with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre to strengthen municipalities’ capacities in terms of access to climate finance, including a gender perspective. We are also analysing citizens’ and women’s participation in local processes and drafting recommendations for improvements. Finally, we are strengthening our public recycling capacity in the OECS with the replication of the RePLAST system in Grenada and the development of medical waste management plans in St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda and Surinam in partnership with UNIDO.
In 2022, we will also increase our investments in our internal processes and human resources to continue deliver premium consulting services and impactful development projects in the Caribbean.
Unite Caribbean recently signed two key partnership agreements to develop cooperation in professional training in the Caribbean.
Unite Caribbean is very happy to officialise its partnership with the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, the leading tertiary learning institution in Saint Lucia. We hope that this partnership will signal the start of long-lasting collaboration between Saint Lucia and her French Caribbean counterparts in the field of education and economic development.
The SALCC will play a key role in the FORPRO project, by offering the “French Gateway to Global Careers” Programme to 15 Saint Lucian students. Resolutely geared towards professional employability and entrepreneurship, the programme will focus on the key sectors of tourism and agriculture. Courses provided will be divided between theory and practical sessions.
The overall goal of the “French Gateway to Global Careers” Programme is to improve the mobility and economic development of Saint Lucianâs students and young entrepreneurs through cooperation with French overseas territories. Private sectors partners are being contacted to ensure the success of the programme.
The Alliance française network is acknowledged worldwide as major provider of quality professional training in French, delivering recognised certificates in French proficiency. Unite Caribbean is proud of include Alliance française in Saint Lucia into the FORPRO framework. Indeed, one of the main components of our TVET project is to teach technical skills in French to Saint Lucianâs students and young entrepreneurs to improve their mobility with the French overseas territories.
All students enrolled with the “French Gateway to Global Careers” programme will therefore benefit from a dedicated French training, focused on professional vocabulary related to the tourism and agricultural sectors. If they manage to pass the final exam, they will earn a recognised certificate from the Alliance Française.
FORPRO is funded by the French cooperation through the French Embassy for the OECS countries based in Saint Lucia. It aims to improve professional integration and increase exchanges between French and Saint Lucian vocational and higher education institutions.