The Tribune

By RIEL MAJOR

MINISTER of Environment Romauld Ferreira yesterday launched 'Be a Hero, Keeping the Bahamas Clean, Green and Pristine,' a school-based campaign aiming to change the culture of young Bahamians and to instill pride in their surroundings.

Mr Ferreira said: "This is an ambitious, clean, green and pristine campaign. In the past, what we have largely seen is clean up campaigns, and I am advised that overtime we have a weekend long cleanup campaign in a community, it is an expensive undertaking that may have to be repeated.

"We want to go beyond cleaning up litter, waste and abandoned vehicles. We want to change the mind-set to install pride in the community so in the future we are not looking at a disaster and trying to fix it on a temporary basis but we are all enjoying cleaner, more inviting and safer communities. And to do that we have to start with young people."

In the upcoming weeks, a team from the Ministry of Environment will visit local schools around the country to spread the new initiative to keep the environment clean. The campaign will require students to identify a project, such as raising money for trash receptacles at their school; create a park; fund a vegetable garden or paint an abandoned building which can be improved in a six month period. However, students aren't allowed to mention the Ministry of Environment when trying to solicit funds.

The students will then post "before" images of their project on social media and continue to post updated images to document their progress. The students who have done the most impressive job and gained the most followers on social media will win a spot as a "hero" and be a part of national advertisements. And at the end of the six month period, each school will present its winners. Then from the winning group ten persons will be selected to replace the current campaign heroes.

The campaign partnered with local sports, music, and civic heroes including Buddy Hield, Jonquel Jones, Chris "Fireman" Brown, Shaunae Miller-Ubo, Kirkland "KB" Bodie, Ed Fields, Nancy Kelly, as well as Dyson and Wendy Knight.

Mr Ferreira said: "Those who made the most impact on their street or school will be honoured as the new super heroes and their images will replace the original heroes on visuals. They will have the opportunities to meet dignitaries, we hope including the governor general and we will invite them to the House of Assembly. They will become influencers, delivering the message that it's cool to care about your environment."

According to Mr Ferreira, there are strong statistics suggesting cleaner environments are safer environments.

"There is a vast body research showing higher crime rates and more aggressive behaviour in dirty communities and where litter is strewn all about. Even in highly dense urban areas of low cost public housing in the US, studies have shown that crimes is reduced when there are green and clean spaces.

"Filth breeds disrespect. Rats and rodents breeds disease. Disrespect for property transfers into disrespect for authority.

When streets and communities are clean, crime decreases, community spirits increases, schools and students fare better, people feel connected," he said.