Two weeks ago I was in Panama City on a Sunday morning running in an International race with another equally as crazy running amiga. I have participated in many of these events over the last 2 years and enjoy running through the city at 6am in the morning and watching the city come alive. On this Sunday morning something was different. We do not go into Panama often, and when we do we are in and out pretty quick and we certainly are not stopping to smell the flowers. It was at this particular event or visit to the city that I noticed a huge difference in the cleanliness and the absence of garbage on the streets.
The running events in the city usually attract anywhere from 300 to 700 participants. Along the route we are given bags of water and at certain points Gatorade. This creates a lot of used plastic that is usually thrown on the streets once the water or Gatorade is consumed, which is the norm for any running event. What I was so elated to see is at this race at each water station there stood 3 people with green painted faces, adorning green clothes holding up a huge sign that read "Recycle, Reuse and Reduce"(english translation). This is the first I have seen in Panama and it pretty much brought a tear to my eye. As I ran by these volunteers, I couldn't help but holler out a "Woohoooo" with a big thumbs up "Gracias". These green painted people were also responsible for cleaning up all the plastic bags and cups from the runners.
After the race, we walked down Via Israel to find a taxi. As I was walking I saw that the street cleaners were out with their brooms and garbage collectors, cleaning up the streets with their AAUD uniform on. At first I thought they may have been employed by the race committee, but I was mistaken, they were municipal workers out cleaning the streets of Panama. I also noticed that almost every street corner now has big garbage bins. Garbage bags are now seen in piles waiting for pickup in designated areas. What I also noticed which had me jumping up and down with excitement was 4 attractive recycling containers on the Cinta Costera each marked with what should be deposited in each bin.
The new initiative which started on January 4th of this year, headed up by Enrique Ho who is the manager for the Authority for Urban and Household Cleanliness (AAUD) has really made an impact. There is money being invested into educating the citizens on the importance of recycling and the burning in the city is now being regulated. There are fines for littering and there are fines for not following the process of ensuring your garbage is left in the designated areas.
This initiative in my speculation has made a huge dent in what was once a big issue in the city. I can only assume that this new consciousness will roll out to the interior and hit all borders from sea to shining sea. At the moment I can say I am really looking forward to future running races. In just two short years, I can honestly say it is a different city, filled with beauty, history and now cleaner parks and streets. Woohooo Panama ~ Gracias.
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Karyn Saunders is a young expat who has been living in the Playa Community for close to 3 years. Her passion for Panama and for her community has been seen through her articles that bring insight and discussion, and often offer useful information on living in the tropics. Karyn is a Virtual Recruiter, Article Writer and has come to specialize in Social Media Marketing. Her passion however is Personal and Professional Life Coaching and Motivational speaking.
