PHILIPSBURG--UNESCO St. Maarten has donated 100 copies of environmental children’s book, “Kim Saves the Ocean” to six local schools. This initiative was timed to coincide with World Environment Day on June 5 and World Oceans Day on June 8.
The books were delivered to Sister Borgia School, St. Joseph School and Oranje School in Philipsburg, as well as Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) John A. Gumbs Campus in Betty’s Estate, MAC Browlia Maillard Campus in St. Johns, and St. Dominic Primary School in South Reward.
Marcellia Henry, secretary general of UNESCO St. Maarten and a former curriculum developer for the St. Maarten government, emphasised the importance of engaging students with environmental education. She said books like “Kim Saves the Ocean” help foster a sense of environmental stewardship among young learners.
Authored by Sara Bharwani, “Kim Saves the Ocean” has already made an impact across the region. Since its publication in 2022, the children’s book has sold more than 800 copies in St. Maarten and was purchased by UNESCO for educational use.
The book is held in the Royal Archives of the House of Orange and the St. Maarten Library. It is also used in school outreach through the perpetual plastics programme of Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC).
The book was launched in Aruba in March 2025, where readings were done in local schools. According to UNESCO St. Maarten, a partnership has been established between UNESCO Aruba and the National Library of Aruba to translate the work into Papiamento and distribute the book.
