FREEPORT, Bahamas – The Keep Grand Bahama Clean (KGBC) committee lent a helping hand to the Bahama Hotel Association’s (BHA) Junior Hotelier Program on Tuesday.  KGBC committee members, along with representatives from BHA, traveled to Holmes Rock Primary School for a brief tree planting exercise.
 
Over twenty students listened attentively as KGBC Chairperson, Mrs. Nakira Wilchcombe, illustrated adverse effects of littering and illegal dumping and encouraged the youngsters to become ambassadors for the environment.  
 
“Encouraging individuals, particularly our youth, to be environmental stewards  is a regular feature of the KGBC school visits, so we were more than happy to support BHA in the introduction of their new program, especially as it relates to keeping our surroundings clean” said Wilchcombe.
 
KGBC and The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited were pleased to present Holmes Rock Primary School with numerous plants for the landscaping of the school’s premises.

 
Miss Thelma Sturrup, Workforce Development Manager, BHA, was appreciative of the gesture.
 
“We are very excited about this program and the positive impact it will make on our ‘young minds’.  The tree planting provides an example of how our environment should look and the interactive lecture serves as a follow-up of how to keep our surroundings clean at all times,” explained Sturrup.
 
The Junior Hoteliers Program is being offered through the Workforce Development Unit of BHA. The program’s purpose is to offer children early exposure to the various components of the tourism industry and Holmes Rock Primary is the pilot school on Grand Bahama Island.
 
“We’ve found that interest is more intense at the primary school level, so it’s important for us to reach this age group with our message,” said Mrs. Wilchcombe.  “We want these youngsters to fall in love with their environment and that begins with knowledge, which they can then put into practice.”

Photo 1: AMBASSADORS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: Mrs. Nakira Wilchcombe, Chairperson, Keep Grand Bahama Clean (KGBC), addresses Holmes Rock Primary School Students on the importance of keeping the environment clean.
 
Photo 2: TREE PLANTING CEREMONY: Keep Grand Bahama Clean (KGBC) committee members donate trees for landscaping to Holmes Rock Primary School. Pictured along with the students are (from left to right): Miss Thelma Sturrup, Workforce Development Manager, BHA; Mr. Wellington Ferguson, KGBC Member; Mr. Tashard Major, Apprentice, GBPA; Miss Berylyn Smith, Apprentice, Grand Bahama Tourism Board & BHA; Miss Fredricka Black, KGBC Member; Mrs. Nakira Wilchcombe, KGBC Chairperson; and Miss Olethea Gardiner, KGBC Member.