by Linda Straker
- First project under initiative is “Water Access and Sanitation in Homes”, piloted in St David
- WASH to ensure household access to clean water and sanitation facilities by 2027
- Nation Builders under Ministry of Mobilisation, Implementation, and Transformation
The Grenada Government has launched an initiative to remove the bureaucracy when implementing community projects. Called “Nation Builders,” the initiative is described as a facilitator for citizens’ involvement in the building of the country.
The first project under the Nation Builders initiative is a “Water Access and Sanitation in Homes” (WASH) project, piloted in St David, represented in the Lower House of Parliament by Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.
“The WASH programme is an initiative by the Government of Grenada to ensure that every household in the country has access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities by 2027. “We believe that access to clean water and adequate sanitation is a basic human right, and we are committed to making this a reality for every household in Grenada,” said the Prime Minister when he introduced the idea at a town hall meeting in St David on 15 March 2023.
He explained that the pilot will target 23 homes to receive toilets and face basins, and volunteers will install them. Under the previous New National Party administration of Dr Keith Mitchell, there was an equivalent project under the Ministry of Social Development. However, the construction work and installation were paid for by Government.
Explaining Government’s decision to launch the initiative, Orlando Romain, the Public Relations Officer who is also serving as an advisor to the Government in the Creative Economy Ministry, said, “We recognise the interaction with Government agencies could be quite bureaucratic and frustrating. We have persons in the diaspora wanting to give back, wanting to contribute, and the process sometimes discourages and frustrates them.”
“Essentially, Nation Builders is a programme that seeks to connect citizens, private sectors, and the government in a seamless way to engage in community base activities,” Romain explained. “For example, if I want to build a playground, instead of going to the Ministry…there is an entity now that will facilitate that process for you to ensure that your projects are heard, recognised and that we channel it to the right ministry or agency for fast implementation. Nation Builders will also seek to collaborate with the private sector, to ensure the effective execution of those projects.”
Nation Builders will be a division under the Ministry of Mobilisation, Implementation, and Transformation. “The Division will foster an active civic involvement to empower individuals to participate in community projects for the nation’s development,” Romain said. “It will create a structural mechanism for the execution of community projects.”
