The Tribune

MONTHS after launching the Be A Hero environmental campaign in Nassau, officials recently took the message of keeping your surroundings clean to the nation’s second city, Freeport.

Minister of Environment and Housing Romauld Ferreira drummed up support for the initiative by challenging students at Bishop Michael Eldon Primary School in Grand Bahama.

“Today is a very exciting day for me,” said Mr Ferreira. “I am so pleased to kick off the launch of the national #BeAHero campaign right here in Grand Bahama. Your island has always had a tradition of keeping the island clean, so this is nothing new to you. We expect great things from Grand Bahama and we expect you to be leaders in this campaign.”

The visit to Bishop Michael Eldon Primary was the 19th visit to a school since the #BeAHero team began delivering the anti-litter message, in a way that would appeal to students; complete with superhero capes, masks, backdrop and group participation.

The minister and his team challenge students to compete for their schools to win the right to replace hero images throughout New Providence and become heroes themselves by identifying and carrying out a clean-up and beautification project that makes a difference.

Projects can be on school grounds or in communities with before, during and after photos posted on the campaign’s active social media platforms including #ReplaceTheHeroes Contest. Winners will be announced before the end of the school year.

“This programme was initially only intended for Nassau to instill in young people the message that this is their land and keeping it clean and green is their responsibility,” said the minister. “But when schools in Nassau started posting their projects online, students from Abaco and Grand Bahama wanted to join and we welcome the opportunity to expand. We will take this nationwide and visit as many islands as we can. To change the culture and create a cleaner, greener Bahamas in the future, we have to start with the young and we are discovering that they understand and want to find creative ways to make that difference we are seeking.”

The plan has received endorsements from well-known sports heroes like Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, Jonquel Jones, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, and basketball star Chavanno “Buddy” Hield.