The Nuh Dutty up Jamaica (NDUJ) campaign, which has been on a two-year hiatus due to lack of funding, is set to return to its efforts to help clean up the island.

Lauren Creary, programme director of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), told Our Today that funding for the campaign, which was previously offered by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Wisynco and JET, had not materialised due to the economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, which as a result made a significant impact on Phase 5 of the project.

“In April 2020, we had to stop the programme because the TEF was assisting in recovering the tourism industry. Then, with COVID, it was hard to get funding,” Creary explained.

She clarified that there have been clean up projects that have been funded by JET, but they do not have any association with the Nuh Dutty up Jamaica campaign.

However, there were a few small projects funded by Team Seas and Ocean Conservatory in 2021.

She added that NDUJ was the largest campaign under the Clean Coast Project and requires $25 million in funding each year.

Thankfully, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) recently funded the campaign to deliver the programme for the next 18 months. 

PROJECTS TO COME

The Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica campaign aims to improve knowledge about the impact of poorly handled waste and encourage personal responsibility. There will be public education campaigns in the media for the next 18 months.

A composting programme will take place in communities such as Rose Town and Wickie Wackie in early 2023.

The Model Communities programme will start with bin distribution, then developing the recycling programme, including a workshop, and finally the composting element in April 2023. 

Compost bins will be placed at various locations within listed communities that are monitored by community leaders.

The residents will be educated on how they can reuse waste to generate income, said Creary.