RESIDENTS of the Meadow Brook and Lodge Housing Schemes are overjoyed with the transformation of a shared space in their community into an environmentally friendly “green” space.

The location, once unsightly with high bushes, was beautified over time, thanks to the help of Junior Minister of Natural Resources Simona Broomes and a team of residents from the neighbourhood.

Yesterday ( Wednesday, January 30, 2019) the minister commissioned the location between Jamoon Drive and Princess Street, as a “green” space, with the planting of 25 coconut palm trees.

Several community members came out to assist in the self-help initiative, the brainchild of Minister Broomes – a project that she has been spearheading since she moved into the community a year ago. The community members also decorated the area with the colours of the national flag for the upcoming Mashramani celebrations.

Leading up to the commissioning, Broomes and team maintained the area twice monthly, through weeding, painting the roots of trees and visiting neighbours to invite them to be part of the change.

She told the newspaper: “I do go house-to-house and reach out to my neighbours and introduce myself and tell them about what I’m doing; and so we’re moving to a place where we’re looking to, at the end of every month, have everybody weed in front of their lawns and parapets, so that we have this ambience maintained.”

Broomes took the opportunity to encourage other communities to follow the example set.

“If you’re a leader in your community, you can lead in different ways. People think that you have to be a minister to be a leader; no, you can be your own community leader and come out and motivate your neighbours and have initiatives like this one,” she said.

This call was echoed by residents such as Christine Frantzen, who said that prior to the transformation, she had practised only planting in her yard.

“I’d like to see the community very clean and tidy and I hope other neighbours come out and put in a hand, so that we can always be clean,” she said.

“If everybody comes out and does what they got to do, this place would be beautiful, there’s no doubt about that,” another resident, Morris Haynes, added.

Others in the area assisting on Wednesday told the newspaper that the ‘green’ space is definitely an upgrade from what the community once was.
Businessman Steve Rambarran, who has been living in the area for the last 48 years, said: “All here was all jungle and bush and now it’s really beautiful. I feel more relaxed, more stress-free in the environment here. It’s a great change. It has upgraded the value of the property and the area.”

Another resident, Rhonda Greaves, added: “I am 54 years old, so that’s how long I’ve been living in Meadow Brook Gardens. Before, these bushes were really tall, almost growing up to half way of the coconut trees. There wasn’t any room to walk really, so we’re very happy that this has been done and I’m hoping that we can come together and do the other parts also.”

Minister Brooms said that one of her motivators to upkeep the area related to the schoolchildren who traverse the area to and from school. They can now feel safer utilising the “green” space as opposed to the busy roadway.

She specially thanked Mr. Dexter Austin who, previously, spearheaded the team every fortnight in weeding, cleaning of the drains and more.
“I have a wonderful neighbourhood,” Broomes said. “We really want to thank the neighbours who would always come out to a call. We’re discussing now and looking to form a committee, because while I’m one of the persons maintaining it, I’m not the only person living here. I want it to be our space, the community’s space.”