Education needed to stop some expats from littering
While lamenting that civic pride is diminishing across the territory, businesswoman Maris Hodge-Wright has stated that it would help if new expatriates are educated on the territory’s standards for civic pride and garbage disposal practices as soon as they arrive.
Hodge was speaking on a recent airing of the Talking Points radio show, where the matter of poor waste management was being discussed.
She said she has noticed that some groups of expats treat the BVI the same way they treat their home countries; even though their habits may fall below the Virgin Islands’ standards.
“I think education has a part to play. I’m not going to call names but I’ve been to some countries where from the time you get out the airport, it’s just filthy and you can’t expect those people to come with their culture and be different. If you throw the garbage anywhere where you live, when you go somewhere else you will do the same thing,” Hodge-Wright explained.
She continued: “Maybe in some instances, we need to have education built in for people who are coming. When they get a work permit, we can give them a paper that explains where garbage needs to go; just cultural things so they know that this is what we expect from you.”
While agreeing with Hodge-Wright’s point, host of the programme Violet Gaul added that the culture around beautification and civic pride has to be championed by Virgin Islanders. She said the territory shouldn’t expect expats to uphold practices that residents aren’t.
The issue of garbage disposal continues to be a hot topic in the BVI as the community continues to debate the healthiest way to dispose of solid waste amid its growing and diverse population. Pockwood Pond — one of the main landfills in the territory — is never left out of those conversations as occasional fires at the dump pose health hazards to the community.
In the meantime, co-host Damion Grange suggested that though residents have a part to play, the government also has a responsibility to create the environment for good garbage disposal. He said the Virgin Islands needs to transition to a stage where garbage is properly sorted and picked up from homes regularly.
“That way citizens don’t have to travel with it (garbage). That way you have a managed system going on and it reduces the ability for this mess around the place,” Grange said.
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Do you mean to tell us expats are the only group of persons who litter? Are you folks serious? Another level of xenophobic. Blame expats for all that ails the BVI. Take a look in the mirror folks and stop your prejudices.
So we are now blaming expats for the littering? Unbelievable! Our local backsides is one that don’t obey our own laws. Why they put this fake doctor on the radio to spout nonsense? We now turning littering into a local vs expat issue? Are we serious?
The Spanish expats are generally guilty of failing to keep things tidy, throwing rubbish onto the streets, and collecting/storing bits of cars, boats, trailers, machinery and mess around their houses. They are also frequently guilty of noise nuisance coming out of their homes.
The white expats generally tidy up after themselves and don’t commit noise nuisance – they do seem to smoke a lot and drive home whilst drunk.
We still throw garbage out of our car windows, play our car and boat speakers far to loud, don’t tidy our yards, park wherever we like, and drive terribly.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA
Have seen belongers throw out of their cars, not stop to pick up what they’ve missed throwing into the dumpsters, and dropping bulk items on the side of the road. Everyone is responsible for keeping our home clean and taking pride in their country.
Dem bring dem nastiass habbits here
it is so easy to blame the expats for everything that ails BVI Society.
Jamaica, Guyana, Dominican republic to name a few
….than the big trash pile next to the end of the airport runway to welcome visitors to Virgin Gorda …but that is one of many here, all on local land….could be beautiful…stuck with eye sores until it starts raining again and gets overgrown by bush
… and dem kan no writ propor engLish nethor
Why did BVI News post this? WHY?
Are truly to blame for the state of the islands nastiness. The government and local owned garbage removal companies are responsible for trash removal. Burning landfills, overflowing dumpsters, trucks that don’t contain the trash only allow it to leak and litter the roadsides, no bulky materials dump site except all the way down to the other end of the island. A majority of properties that have an over abundance of broken down cars and boats and a total lack of pride of cleanliness are your true own. BVIslander real good at the blame game, take responsibility for the real problem just once please.
WTF lIKE WTF SAY what who educate you
Yall are so hateful to just call out a certain few. How about locals who litter on the road when the garbage at the top of their vehicle fall off.
Immigration numbers increased exponentially over the past 20 years and littering, garbage disposal increased exponentially during the same time (wish I had firm stats not trends). What is xenophobic about that? I grew up here from birth and the Territory was never this nasty!
You ever see a c¡rcus refuse a cl●wn?
We must be more responsible with the statements we make.
Imagine all for garbage expats getting blame and expats doing n contributing to yall country more than yall. Am tired of this s**t every min bout expats. Yall dumb all over it have ppl from other countries that they’re not from. Is here alone like if everybody leave here wtf here would be because yall lazy mc don’t like work yall like to just party buy chain cars etc and feel that’s success. This is the worst place I’ve been to to work absolutely nothing here no resources nothing other than the money that we expats work hard for honestly. Yall just mad because we progressive an ambitious and when we work for we money we build we big house back home n then leave here for yall sickening arsed
Racism is alive and well in the BVI. Als @BVI news maybe not post every brain fart you come across?
Education on littering is necessary but should most definitely extend to entire population (trying to be polite)
She is right. They should take example of how we handle our garbage…….look at Pockwood Pond. lol
All jokes aside, its very unfair to blame just one group of people for something members of all groups are guilty of. She is pushing this narrative of them vs. us. If we all work together we will have a better society. It’s 2023 for heaven’s sake. Yes many of the older Virgin Islanders are mourning the old times where everybody know everybody but we have moved past that. We need to learn how to work together for the betterment of our country.
This is absurd. You cannot single out expats for this. Everyone on this island should be held accountable for cleaning up their litter and disposing of their trash correctly. You cannot use expats as a scapegoat in this situation. BVIlanders go on about pride and respect, this is disrespectful to the expat community who do their part to work, volunteer and enjoy these islands that they call home. They take just as much pride in living here as Belongers do. The government does need to step up and do a campaign to raise awareness island wide and for all communities.
Are some people husband not expats. I wondering all of a sudden is this a marketing ploy to gather business since the new competition. Probably things sour in the relationship. Face it madam, tolans has proven to be some of the mist dirtiest people, nation I came across. Only Haiti is worst.
expats, boycott whatever business this woman has!
The BVI is a small country with a significant immigrant population. The division within the population is unhealthy, and it has seemingly gotten worse over the years. Through its influence on our politics, economy, and cultural attitudes, xenophobia is consuming every aspect of our society.
The media’s strong bias and stereotyping of Expats, which feeds into this xenophobic attitude, is NOT helpful and just adds more fuel to the fire. People’s lives can be significantly impacted by regularly encountering this kind of bigotry. Before we become an overbearingly bitter nation and no one wants to visit our shores, we must find ways to improve on sharing our country with others, and find ways to bridge this gap through education, community discussions, etc. but this is not a true reflection of who we are as a people and we have to do better.
I have watched a number of locally owned construction companies empty their trucks into the tips in violation, and leaving large items beside the tips.
Since you have so much spare time, go down by immigtation and educate them as they exit the door. Lol one day christian yuh be!
I really don’t understand this comment. Can she visit some of those expat countries and see how clean they are. expats are the ones cleaning and planting and keeping their surroundings clean. I think you should start from the school and teach the kids that not Big people.
Can you please tell me which country allows you to threw garbage anywhere??
Who is this f@qking I**ot: Maris Hodge-Wright? What business does she own? So that I will not buy anything there
This lady serious? So its primarily the expats got the place dirty and its because they not educated to our “standards” of keeping the place clean because they not accustomed to where they come from being clean bofl!! What kind of actual business person would say something so ignorant and offensive; and I from here! We all can do a better job keeping the place clean.
She should be careful not to bite her tongue with her enormous teeth when agreeing with shiet that one of her guest may spew on her little show
Her house must be just as dirty as the streets always blaming the expats why so much hate and bitterness.
What would you say to some of the locals who have business in Road Town that treat the capital like a ghetto, the stench that coming from some of these places that sell food not even my dog or cat I would allow to eat from these place. Rat and roach infested but it is ok because “I bahn hey “. Thanks to Irma some of them were force to refurbish and paint but major improvements are needed for a clean capital
Publishing opinions because people may be of a specific social status is not worth anything if these opinions are useless: typical example CSKs diatribes: get with it please.
You got me at the Territory’s standards for civic pride and waste disposal. Regular household garbage is a great idea, but no one will want to pay a monthly fee for it. There is also the issue as to how garbage is disposed of here. Not much of a standard in civic priden IMHO
Pigs cannot be trained to become swans,
Garbage in garbage out.
You open the flood gates of the BVI and scrape in garbage till it overflow so what do you expect.
Every aspect of living has been diminished by the presence of one and only one demographic that was pitied,offered and given a new and better life. Their better life has become the VI’s nightmare.
ALWAYS someone else’s fault.
Have you seen the government run Pockwood Pond?
What you mean you locals have civil pride.
GTFO you xenophobic piece of rubbish.
So it don’t have no locals leaving mattress and washer and stove and old oil etc by the bin?… I guess locals don’t be putting their garbage on their vehicle roof only for it to fall off and be scattered all over the street and locals don’t drop their used bottles and cans and condoms on the ground all of that is the expats doing. Everything is always somebody else fault. So bvislanders haven’t contributed to this? To go so far as to say its because where they come from dirty and nasty is why they don’t know any better and we should teach them… Wow!
B***Sh***They there not litter in some places because theyll be locked up or fine. But here in the BVI some of them don’t give a darn. They along with others who harbor or create unpleasant surroundings are just NASTY.
You can assess the value that BVIslanders place upon waste disposal by the way which Pockwood Pond is prioritised by their elected politicians. Of course us ex-pats don’t get a vote so politicians care not for our opinions and priorities. Clearly BVIslanders do not care to keep (the formerly known as) Nature’s Little Secrets pristine by the very low importance given to the open burning of garbage here. But, yeah, sure blame the ex-pats for you all defecating on your own front porch if you want, whatever makes you feel better to shirk your own responsibilities.
It’s not just the population that is rapidly expanding, it is also the amount of packaging per item per person. Up to the early eighties, a lunch for a workman might well be some chicken and a mango, both “naturally” packaged. Woe betide the child who did not bring home the expensive plastic box for a sandwich. The environment took care of the litter relatively quickly. Now it’s a styrofoam clam shell usually containing several smaller plastic containers. At least one plastic bottle or aluminum can completes this modest lunch.
That is the best you can come with? You mean you claim to have a Masters and you cannot give anything better to work with?
Expats are the ones cleaning this place and brought this place back after hurricane Irma. Stop being clean unfriendly and blame others for your state of lazy minds. Expats work hard to keep you and this country clean.
Are the expats responsible for Pockwood Pond and the flaming landfill site? Nothing more needs to be said.
Locals and expats alike responsible for the mess. But this xenophobia going to only get worse if we continue to just let everybody from anywhere pour in to live in the BVI. If that not bad enough they want every right as you who born here. I doubt any of these important decisions are made with actual statistical data.
All blame to expats huh….how so sure expats are just the one littering? Not sure how this happen,,its all about education and discipline for everyone.. proper disposal of garbage!!
Are you serious blaming expats for all of those littering all over the island?? Unbelievable?? Everyone are responsible for proper disposal of their garbage.. education and discipline is a must!!
Has is occurred to you that maybe its possible that bvislanders themselves not just the BVI have changed as well over the course of 20 years?
this place has never been this messy, I lived here for about 45 years and the sides of the streets have never been this nasty, infact many tourists have commented over the years that they have travelled to many other caribbean islands and that the British Virgin Islands are the cleanest islands they have seen. In my observation it seems like individuals deliberately scatter garbage on the sides of the roads. In some areas the garbage appear as if someone or persons took their time and spread the garbage alongside the road, not toss from a moving vehicle but walk and literally spread it there
O how I wish one of these days we all will pack up and leave the bvi for bvi people alone.
Time is changing you guys will get you all wich soon.
That woman listening to the sh!!tt that’s coming out of her mouth
I Love the BVI but how you get to talk about our Caribbean Brothers and sisters like this? Locals is to blame if u ask me then talking down other countries, come on…
one question which country you visit and the smell of s**t smiling with u in the middle town. remove the sh***t from your mouth first u talking bullsh***t
Well go the F home if you don’t like the VI, who is stopping you? Guess why not, the same US$ is what has your attention! Ungrateful a$$!
WOW, HODGE-Wright ….That’s not Kind at all …neither is that True.
Yea right! After Irma which group(s) did the majority of the LOOTING in the BVI? Try to dispute the vessel leaving our port for another island and people traveling from our airport with hidden contraband/stolen goods! You may bring some good aspects but some nasty ones also to the BVI. Let’s be F’ing real!
She talking out her a** now.
What a crock, clean up your own back yard first lady. Most expats are better educated about litter than what the locals are……
Garbage isn’t the only problem that we have, we have to call out Ronnie Skelton and Ashley Ritter for the concrete deposits all over the sidewalk and on the hills. These guys wash the excess from their truck all over the island. Then we have the sewage water and the smell in the area of bellview, I drive tourists and I am so ashamed once I pass in that area and stop to look over at Giana island. It’s about time to government address these things. Give them heavy fines.
Y’all need to go clean your dirty houses…
Go clean u alldirty houses
Go clean your bathroom….
Talking trash about expats and the same expats the local ladies in fancy dresses walking the streets are calling to clean their dirty and filthy home hahaha so expats don’t feel bad because we see in their houses every day how they keep their houses.
This is a new breed of people who continue to agitate the blame game. I would not like one day to wake up and find all the expat move away from this country along with their children and only renting their homes to white tourists.
I am appalled at the narratives that has been pushed by these three people , who lack the thoughtfulness and intuition of more serious topics to discuss.
Tell us about the solutions you three are willing to discuss and try to eliminate the gun crimes in the BVI.
How about a talk on internet solutions of what the communication companies sells to the BVI compares to the islands you have travelled to, some paid merely a20USA dollars for the cost of internet.
When you can advocate on serious issues people will listen ,if not get off the airwaves.
WE ARE ALLOWING TOO MANY POOR PEOPLE INTO THE COUNTRY AND GIVING THEM BELONGER STATUS
This animal is ?
Why should the women be so nasty and vile .
She needs to be educated on the following :
1. Used statistics when making such statements
2. You need to be educated on “ Cultural Sensitivity
3. You need to be educated on tje effects of words
4. You need to be educated that your statement do more harm than good see the responses
Now as a workman going into bvi home to …
BVI people stack up dirty dishes in their sink for days
They pitched down their dirty clothes on the ground and have clothes basket in their room
They lie down in their dirty clothes at night the men and only bathe in the morning
They have garbage pile up in front of their house for days before throwing away .
Some of the bathe with perfume without bathing
Ms Write that is what tou shoud : educate, speak and write about . The expatiate come places where rivers are plentiful
And jumping in a deep water hole for hours is part ot our growing up
No matter how small the house is it and its surroundings is swept with flower hedge around the houses
Stop creating more division in an already divisive society . We are getting unhealthy in out thinking
my expat brothers and sisters don’t be offended am a landlord in the hills and for years i got this problem with various Tenants from the islands throwing there garbage in the bushes the lady is correct
just like how u are spelling ..you are definitely illiterate..sthu!!!
Wonder what the expats took from you. Is it you
That is not true whoever you are,I’ve lived in two British territories and a few islands and when I came here to work was surprised to see hoe dirty the place was with garbage strewn all over the place,plus stray dogs and chickens in the trash bins ;located for trash disposal, shut up sounds like you never left here ..damn dirty place
the expats are not to blame for the garbage mess. First the people here don’t recycle, second when ppl come here they follow suit, majority of them. Don’t you see mostly the white folks going to the recycle drop offs all in the West End? There is no education in the BVI for proper trash pick up ,island is way behind ..
She needs to educate herself on how those other countries handles their waste management. The same garbage she sees on the ground are piled up and waste management comes and collect it from there. By the next morning it’s clear until residents throw their garbage there again for collection. And I bet those said countries have a much better incinerator than we do.
I BEEN TO HAWAII AND ITS VERY CLEAN BECAUSE AINT GOT NO NASTIASS ISLAND PEOPLE LIVING THERE
When I first came here the place was clean u couldn’t see any littering and or ppl
Use to be scared to try to litter as the penalty was enforced those days.
Now ppl jus do as they want
We drive on our vehicle on evenings and we use bags stored in the vehicle for any snack or drink then dump off at the last bin before our home it’s that simple
Thinks expats are nasty, but will gladly take their money when they use her business.
Whose homes are more dirty than locals. They are a bunch of nasty people
Which expats she talking about? She not been in Road Town after the late night drinking and parties of the locals at the weekends. Plus she ever driven up the coast road to Nanny Cay with all the scrap cars, lorries and boats and rubbish littered everywhere?
She doesn’t see the men peeing in the car parks in Road Town in daylight?
No Madea.She apparently cant see those things nor smell. Too busy checking every expat to have determined they are responsible for all the littering.
She single-handedly insulted every expat and, damaged her business in one swoop, and now have a lot of people thinking of her in a negative way.
That’s a big accomplishment if you think of it. She did not think this one thru before she spew her venom @ the expat community.
Soooooo, BVILanders don’t litter !?! come off here with that nonsense, everybody littering, by the way, I from here, born, raised and residing, STOP THE FRIGG !!!
Perhaps you should go check the education system for your BVI school and see where the next generation is going where the future of this country is headed before you come here and point figure on grow a** people who have a sense of direction and know where they are headed.
Silly narrative published to drive up expats vs Bvi-lander talk AGAIN!
We’ve seen this before this site is contrived & willful.