For the past few months, after the pandemic-related halt to all social activities and public gatherings, the monthly clean-up initiative in Malindi township has continued undaunted with a new initiative that has been even more successful than the one started in March 2019. Citizens and residents every second Saturday of the month take to the streets, no more than ten people per area, to clean the spaces outside their homes and the surrounding area.
It is an exercise in responsibility and setting an example for all, beyond the utility of the operation and undoubtedly Malindi is positively affected.
This is thanks to the perseverance of the Progress Welfare Malindi Association, which is always at the forefront of initiatives and has been able in recent years to unite various forces in the field, from local and county institutions to private activities, tourist and otherwise, in Malindi. Together with many social and environmental bodies, such as the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Red Cross.
There is always work to be done," comments one of PWAM's founders, Sabina Vivaldi, who is also the owner of the Boutique Hotel "Cozy Point" in Casuarina, "but we are delighted to note that some of our guests who have returned to Malindi after some time have noticed an improvement in the care and cleanliness of the tourist destination.
In the recent times of the pandemic crisis and the subsequent economic gap on the coast, it was essential to convince even Kenyans that investing in Malindi could be a good idea for the future. Thus, "expats" who had been living abroad for years, in the United States, Belgium, Great Britain and even Italy, have arrived and decided to bet on their country again and have chosen the magic of this corner of the coast.
In any case, on the morning of Saturday, 14 August, the appointment is for everyone to meet in front of their own house or a little further away, in the initiative that in Swahili is called "Nyumba Kumi", meaning take care of the 10 houses closest to yours and if everyone does the same, we will have a "domino effect" that will bring more care to the entire town.