By Yunus S Saliu
The City Link Ostend Banjul Project on Tuesday organized a daylong training on waste management, safety, and hygiene and, a first aid box usage for 120 Banjul City Council cleanses service workers.
The Council as well provided them with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medical checkups for their healthy and safety purpose.
Addressing the participants, Her Lord Mayor of Banjul RoheyMalick Lowe applauded the council cleanse service workers and ranked them among the strongest women in this world doing something that some other people cannot do
“This is not a compliment but the fact,” she said while noting that her office and the BCC understand the risk involved “but we want to thank you so much and we are appreciating you.”
Mayor Lowe highlighted the safety condition of the workers and salary issue which she said deserved to be revisited while she as well welcomed criticism but it should be a constructive one.
She explained that climate change has now made it an issue for everybody to try and adopt, especially when it comes to waste management.
“It is not just something to sit and do nothing about so there is a need to act quickly,” she lamented.
Once again, she welcomed the participant and thanked their partners EU, Ostend City, Red Cross, and Mbolo Association.
In an extension, she thanked the cleanse service worker under the leadership of Alagie Jah and Jarah who she described as an exceptional leader while he prayed for the soul of the demised to rest in peace.
More so, she acknowledged the Mbolo Association and also the ward councilors together with other stakeholders at the training.
However, “The waste management component is key to the project and it cannot be done without you staff of the cleansing service at the BCC we appreciate you all, especially the women that are always on the street sweeping and making the city clean. You are our heroes whether you know it or not,” Mayor RoheyMalick Lowe appreciated them.
She added that “We are trying effort to make sure that your salaries are revisited, give you proper training, especially on safety and health-wise, the PPE and necessary items that you need to protect you from job hazards will be provided to you.”
She sent a big thank you to Ostend City saying they have changed a lot when it comes to the issues of waste management in the city of Banjul.
Peter Vanslambrouck, the City Link Project Coordinator thanked the staff of the cleanse service workers and welcomed them to the training.
In his words of wisdom, he reminded participants that education is key to the development and training of staff is very important to every organization and “with this training every BBC cleansed worker will be provided with safety equipment which goes hand in hand with training.”
Meanwhile, Mustapha Batchilly, CEO of BCC, Malang Sambou, chairman and co-founder Mbolo Association, and Alagie Jah among others made remarkable speeches at the opening of the training.
