HONIARA City Clerk has requested for the possible extension of the LEAF Program.
LEAF stands for Learning and Ecological Activities Foundation for children. It is currently being undertaken on a two years program in the country.
Charles Kelly made this call during the LEAF stakeholder’s workshop followed by the election of new LEAF committee at HCC conference room on Wednesday.
LEAF is a program that contributes to the development of a sustainable society by initiating community-based environmental learning activities at schools and in local communities, in liaison with various civic groups, corporations and government agencies that base in Japan.
The new LEAF committee appointed yesterday Honiara City Council (HCC) Lord Mayor Alference Fatai being appointed as the chairman.
Mr Kelly who briefly chaired the meeting yesterday said the two years program is not enough.
“This LEAF program will benefit the entire Honiara town in terms of the waste management control and reduce wastes dumping at the Ranadi dump site.
“This two years program here is very short and we need to ask LEAF coordinator through its head office in Japan to make sure give us another 6 more,” Mr Kelly said.
He said that LEAF program will provide formal employment for people and direct income to the household in Honiara town.
“LEAF program is very important to our people in Honiara because it can provide formal employment meaning people will employ by this project under LEFA program.
“Secondly, this program can provide direct income to people who will sell their PET bottles for recycling and exporting which will provide money to the household. This is the kind of benefits LEAF will provide to us.
“So for me ,this two years program here is very short and I think LEAF through JICA office in Honiara should extend the program for another six years so that we can have long term benefit impacts of this program in the future,” the City Clerk said.
By DENVER NEWTER