KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) is working to reduce household fires in inner-city communities, through its Environmental Wardens Programme.

During his tour of the inner-city community of Majesty Gardens in downtown Kingston on Labour Day, managing director of JSIF, Omar Sweeney, told JIS News that the wardens have been helping residents to practise proper waste disposal techniques, in order to reduce fires.

In recent months, there have been several fires in some inner-city communities, resulting in loss of lives and properties.

The environmental wardens programme is one of several being implemented by JSIF as part of the Sustainable Programme for Environmental Resilience, funded by the World Bank’s Integrated Community Development Programme (ICDP).

Its objective is to improve environmental health and awareness in selected underserved communities through capacity building in solid waste management.

Sweeney said the programme has been getting tremendous feedback on the work that they have been doing to engage residents in proper disposal practices.

“Many of these inner-city communities have quite narrow walkways and so the solid waste collection (trucks) cannot get into those back alleys. People need to carry their garbage where it can be collected,” he said.

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is partnering with JSIF on the initiative.

Meanwhile, Sweeney explained that under the programme, JSIF is working to achieve urban renewal within inner-city communities.

“We are seeking to formalise these areas and reintroduce government services into these communities. That is our objective,” he said.