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Ambassador Anthony Wayne, left: Ecoguardianes21 President Jorge Duarte and Right: Secretary Ecoguardianes21, Alberto Gallardo.
Ambassador Event
AMBASSADOR WAYNE VISITS "VILLA 21-24"
October 29, 2008
Ambassador Wayne and authorities from "Fundación Ciudad" toured on October 29 part of "Villa 21-24" in the neighbourhood of Barracas to learn about the sucessful program "Guardianes del Riachuelo" carried out by a network of neigbours.
It is two years now since this group-- known today as "Cooperativa EcoGuardianes21" develops a complementary, systematic and efficient garbage collection in the surroundings of the Riachuelo river lacking access to residential garbage collection services unlike the rest of city neighbourhoods. This initiative seeks to improve the environmental quality of the water and the banks of this contaminated urban river through neigbours' coalitions.
The Ambassador met the neighbours and talked with some of the 16 Guardianes who told him about their interest in carrying out this and other environmental services in southern city neighbourhoods.
"Guardianes del Riachuelo"
The program is an initiative of the neighbours of an area of the villa who designed a door-to-door garbage collection system in a city neighbourhood inhabited by an increasingly growing number of approximately 40,000 people. "Guardianes del Riachuelo" started with an agreement signed in 2005 between the city government and "Fundación Ciudad" in charge of the general coordination.
The main objective of the program is to improve the neighbourhood and the banks of the river as well as train the neighbours for active cooperation in this initiative, create good-quality jobs and a model easy to replicate under similar conditions.
