By Foresee Foundation
St. Maarten is enjoying a new children's book that has made waves in the fight against plastic pollution. On February 4, 17-year-old author and environmental activist, Sara Bharwani, launched her book, Kim Saves the Ocean, at the Museum at Emilio's Estate. The launch event was well attended with renowned artist performer and local celebrity Clara Reyes captivating a group of about 25 children with a spellbinding book reading.
However, this is much more than just a children's book. Kim Saves the Ocean is the latest initiative of the Breathe Better Air Campaign, a project started by Bharwani in 2018 in response to the burning dump fires plaguing the island. The Campaign has been involved in numerous community events and initiatives, which ultimately played a part in the successful passing of a law banning single-use plastics by the Parliament of St. Maarten.
Now, Kim Saves the Ocean is set to play a vital role in the government of St. Maarten's Plastic Free SXM Project, aimed at educating young people in schools and raising awareness about the dangers of single-use plastics to the island of St. Maarten. And with Reyes bringing the characters to life as the audiobook narrator, this book is sure to make a lasting impact on the next generation of environmentalists.
When asked about the idea behind publishing and what she hoped to achieve, Bharwani had this to say: “While creating this book, I discovered what building a product from scratch meant. I started the first and second written drafts, I rough-sketched my vision of each page then, with the help of an illustrator, I could bring this vision to life. I gave the illustrator detailed descriptions of each page and photographs of St. Maarten places for the background. It was a long process that required patience, and there were many inspirations and changes along the way.”
Is printing the book the end of the project?
As a child, my favourite way to pass the time was to read picture books alone or with my mom. Reading was so impactful on my childhood that I was inspired to reach out to children who were at the most impressionable age, to have a meaningful impact on the world when they grow up. Now that the book has been published, I aim for it to be freely available to schools and at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library.
Go to https://breathebetterairsxm.com/book/ to listen to a free narration by Clara Reyes. A signed author’s copy of the book can also be purchased locally for US $25 by contacting Breathe Better Air Campaign via the website https://breathebetterairsxm.com on the contact page, emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., calling +1 721 554-9954 on WhatsApp or direct call +1 721 554-7242.
