DIADESOL cleanup activities take place in Guanacaste beaches

DIADESOL cleanup activities take place in Guanacaste beaches

(Infocom) — Last Sept. 27, several Guanacaste coastal communities joined the DIADESOL (Inter-American Day of Sanitation and Citizenship) Cleanup Campaign, whose theme was “Juegale Limpio a tu Comunidad” — Play ‘Clean’ (Fair) with your Community.

In Brasilito, for instance, the cleanup effort was supported by the community and organized by the Municipality of Santa Cruz’s Department of Environmental Protection and Sanitation and DIRSA-Costa Rica.

The institutions and organizations that collaborated in this activity were Reserva Conchal’s Ecological Blue Flag Committee, CEPIA Foundation, the Brasilito Development Association, the Diria Biological Corridor, the Santa Cruz branch of the State University for Distance Education (UNED), the Brasilito Elementary School, La Paz School, and the Brasilito Ecological Blue Flag Committee. Also taking part in the activity were the Youth Action Foundation, Catalina Cove, and Hotel Paradisus Playa Conchal’s Department of Environmental Administration.

Some 250 people joined in this beach cleanup affair, which included the separation of reclaimed waste for recycling, exhibits by various institutions and organizations, and passing out and sales of educational materials and products. The campaign included much more than picking up trash.

Organizers also provided a venue for cultural presentations, including traditional dances by La Paz School students, a dramatic reading by children and teachers from the Brasilito Elementary School, and more traditional dances by the Colpachi Group. Children also participated in an environmental drawing contest, all receiving a small gift from the organizers.

Overall, the event was filled with joy and much activity on the part of attendees, including national and international tourists who came to enjoy the day’s activities. Promoted by the organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), the Inter-American Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (AIDIS), the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA), and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA). DIADESOL was started in 2002 with the goal of building and consolidating citizenship awareness about the importance of taking care of the environment, keeping areas clean and avoiding contamination from solid waste.

DIADESOL was celebrated in all Latin American and Caribbean nations the third week of September. DIRSA-Costa Rica, which is the national AIDIS chapter, was in charge of coordinating all necessary actions to promote the celebration of this day in Costa Rica, engaging government institutions, community associations and the private sector.