EXECUTIVE Director of the Environmental Community Health Organisation (ECHO), Mr. Royston King has disclosed that, within a matter of weeks, about 30 ECHO clubs will be established in Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni).

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday, at his City Hall, Georgetown office, he said establishment will begin in Central Bartica and then spread to other areas and communities.
The objective of the clubs is to raise awareness on issues that affect the health of their environments, create a forum for children to become involved in environmental issues and mobilise resources to protect and preserve the environment.
He said, at a meeting with them three days ago, school heads showed enthusiasm about the project and willingness to work with ECHO.
King said ECHO is supported because there are a number of issues affecting the areas where those schools are located, for example the solid waste problem and that of climate change.
ECHO is an environmental club and a non-profit organisation that came about because a group of people and local stakeholders keep raising the question of environmental health.

PARTICULAR MODEL
King said ECHO clubs have been in existence since 2010 and work with a particular model, through which they are self-motivated and self-supporting.
He said clubs are already in Regions 4 (Demerara/ Mahaica), 5 (Mahaica/Berbice) and 6 (East Berbice/ Corentyne) and the general idea is to have them throughout the country.
King said, after Region 7, the next target is Region 8 (Potaro/Siparuni) and discussions are currently ongoing with the Ministry of Education and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to go to Paramakatoi in Region 8 (Potaro/Siparuni).
“What we discovered is that there are environmental needs that are ‘culturistic’, in the sense that what you may be able to do in Georgetown, you may not be able to do in the other regions,” he asserted.
King said, in Georgetown, the major problems are garbage disposal and solid waste management, resulting from quite a number of problems.
He said; for example, in Region 8, persons have a problem with personal health and disposal of garbage, so the main effort is to teach them to be healthy and moreso, personal hygiene, as they go through different stages of their lives.
King said personal hygiene kits will also be provided to persons in the villages.

PERSONAL INITIATIVE
According to him, the majority support to ECHO comes from PAHO and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, especially because Minister Robert Persaud has taken a personal initiative to assist.
He acknowledged that lots of private entities are involved in ECHO, providing materials and he is grateful for the support from the public and private sectors, the Government and even civil society.
King said young people have been very involved in ECHO activities and, surprisingly, they are all concerned about cleanliness.
He explained that supporting fund-raisers are held regularly, including lunches, fish fries, raffles and bar-be-ques and presently, they are working on an environmental fair.
Meanwhile, donation boxes have been placed in strategic places around the city, most recently in Scotia Bank, Citizens Bank and Demerara Bank branches and persons and business entities are encouraged to make donations to the very worthy cause.
King said, on May 31, ECHO will host a take-away lunch.