NYS-ESG Session 2 – Vidjaya Ramkhalawan | Dareem Jeffrey

The second training session of the NYSESG took place on Saturday, November 9th. Participants were introduced to the SDGs to deepen their understanding of each of these Agenda 2030 development pillars.

It was a pleasure to have Ms. Vidjaya Ramkhalawan, Manager of Permitting at the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), address the participants, sharing insights into the EMA’s roles and responsibilities, including the National Environment Policy and its efforts to uphold environmental standards for sustainable development in Trinidad & Tobago.

The highlight of the day’s session was undoubtedly Mr. Dareem Jeffrey, a recognized youth eco-entrepreneur and the Owner/Managing Director of Ecowash. His business is centered around a portable, autonomous car wash system that uses only 2 liters of water per wash without producing wastewater. Over two years, Ecowash has washed over 84,000 vehicles, conserving more than 14 million liters of water. At just 28 years old, Dareem has earned numerous awards, including the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Winner at the Youth Business International Global Summit and the National Youth Award 2024, among others. But it gets better: beyond addressing water conservation, Ecowash has employed dozens of young people, supporting efforts to reduce unemployment while providing a stable workforce. This integrates the social aspect of sustainability into a commercially successful venture, delivering an environmentally friendly service. In short, Dareem has not only incorporated sustainability into his business; he has made sustainability itself a business.

This is what hope for the future looks like. This is what instilling values in our youth looks like. This is what the Triple Bottom Line – People, Profit, and Planet – looks like.

At HARCON, we are extremely pleased and proud to have Dareem Jeffrey as part of this project’s journey to inspire youth in schools along a path of values-based, sustainability-driven economic activity.