NYS-ESG Session 1 – Mahalia Joseph

The training and awareness phase of the National Youth Sustainability and ESG (NYSESG) Pilot Project commenced with a positive and extremely encouraging outcome at the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) facilities. The EMA, as a major in-kind sponsor of this project, ensured that the venue was appropriately prepared and laid out to foster an atmosphere of learning and engagement.

At this initial session, participants from both schools, Queen’s Royal College and Trinity College, Moka, Maraval, included a diverse mix of stakeholders comprising students, teachers, parents, and alumni. They were apprised of the guidelines informing the project rollout and some of the exciting activities that will support it, before diving into the realm of sustainability. One highlight of this session was the creation of a word cloud, where each participant was asked to express in one word what they understood about sustainability. The participants’ contributions were profound and resonated with hope, indicating that at the start of this project, the youth, supported by other stakeholder groups, have a clear vision of the kind of world they would like to inherit.

Another highlight was the guest facilitator, Ms. Mahalia Joseph, a proud employee of HARCON and young female entrepreneur. During an official sabbatical from her duties at HARCON, she has pioneered the development of two sustainable offerings—Allamanda Flavours (look out for it at a supermarket near you), which provides natural, locally sourced dried herbs and spices through eco-friendly practices that support local farmers, promote healthy eating, and reduce food waste; and ECOBATT, an innovative invention that stores solar energy in sand, potentially outperforming lithium batteries in terms of energy output while minimizing environmental impact.

The participants expressed their excitement at the opening session and are enthusiastic to continue the journey.

We extend our gratitude to the Chairman of the EMA, Mrs. Nadra Nathai-Gyan, Mr. Hayden Romano, Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Marcia Tinto, Senior Environmental Officer, Ms. Khadine Charriandy-Wilson, Senior Corporate Communications Officer, and the rest of the EMA team for their support and commitment to this pioneering initiative.