CitCo Donates for Samuel Haynes Institute’s Beautification Program

For the past three to four years, the Samuel Haynes Institute of Excellence has been facilitating a landscaping and beautification program for single mothers and youths from the Pickstock constituency. Over a thousand plants and flowers have been rooted across the area throughout the years and today, the facility received a donation of rakes and other supplies for the program. The implements, valued over one thousand dollars, were handed over by the City Council in an effort to expand the program to include more than sixty-five residents.

Barbara Elrington

Barbara Elrington, Member Director, Samuel Haynes Institute of Excellence

“One of our top development priority is our income generating training program and one of these programs is our landscaping and beautification program where we train single women and youth in how to beautify their areas; how to clean, maybe wash building and decorate, do the landscaping aspect of it and certainly how to carry this skill to their very environment where they live—their yards, their neighborhood.”

Dion Leslie

Dion Leslie, Councilor, Responsibility for Sanitation, Cemetery, Foreign Affairs and Sister City Relations

“It’s over a thousand dollars worth of equipment that we’ve gotten to donate to the Samuel Haynes Institute of Excellence. Three years ago when we were first made aware of the project, it was something that the Council, myself and colleagues all wanted to assist on and so now we are trying to do that. We are trying to expand; we are trying to give them more tools.”

Wilfred Elrington

Wilfred Elrington, Area Rep., Pickstock

“The dream really is to make the area a garden area and I am happy that the city council is now partnering with us because when we plant along the side of the street that has to be maintained and kept clean and we don’t necessarily have the resources to keep it clean. But if we plant it and the city council helps to keep it clean, then it helps to enhance the area. It’s going to help us to continue to provide employment for badly needy persons who will need employment; especially the unemployed mothers and of course it is going to help us to beautify the area and there is something magical about a beautiful area.”