Samuel Chan (left) and Kyle Todd (center), two Grade 6 students from St. Andrew’s School in Nassau,  present Save the Bays Director Romauld Ferreira with a check for $100. The students did extra chores to raise the money after Ferreira visited their school for a presentation on the Planning & Subdivisions Act 2015.

Two Year 6 Students from St. Andrew’s School in Nassau Pool Chore Money for Good of Environment

It took about three weeks and committing to extra chores, but two Grade 6 students from St. Andrew’s School in Nassau pooled their resources to donate $100 to Save the Bays on Earth Day.

“They walked in and said ‘Do you remember us?’ “said Romauld Ferreira, Director of Save the Bays.

Samuel Chan and Kyle Todd met Ferreira when he visited St. Andrew’s in early April for a presentation on the Planning & Subdivision Act 2015. The talk, tailored for their particular age group, addressed the need for legislative framework surrounding sustainable development in The Bahamas, noting that adults are borrowing resources from future generations.

“It was a lively discussion,” said Ferreira. “A number of them [students] told me they wanted to raise money to help Save the Bays, and the next thing I know I got a call and they turned up with a check for $100. They seemed proud to be a part of the movement.”

In addition to visiting schools around Nassau, Ferreira, an environmental consultant and attorney with Ferreira & Company, hosts an annual Earth Day Science Competition, working with students on topics ranging from waste management solutions to renewable energy and deforestation with the ultimate goal of encouraging students to take the lead on environmental issues for the sake of their own future.

“You may not see any reaction [initially], but they’re taking it in,” Ferreira said. “They are the leaders in the environment that are going to solve some of these problems we have.”