GraceKennedy Foundation Project Officer Jade-Ashley Carberry-Meikle and TV
host Zay Harding at Kingston Harbour during filming of The Visioneers With
Zay Harding.
PHOTO CREDIT- ZAY HARDING
GraceKennedy Foundation Project Officer Jade-Ashley Carberry-Meikle and TV host Zay Harding at Kingston Harbour during filming of The Visioneers With Zay Harding. PHOTO CREDIT- ZAY HARDING
New York, NY – For the second time in less than one month, Jamaica will once again be prominently featured in the hit television series The Visioneers withZay Harding. This follows an initial appearance in the show’s Season 2 premiere on October 4. The new episode showcasing Jamaica, titled Plastic Education, airs Saturday morning, October 25 on CBS. It is part of the “CBS WKND” educational/informational programming block (check local listings).
The Visioneers with Zay Harding
Produced by Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG) in an exclusive partnership with VoLo Foundation, The Visioneers with Zay Harding is a 30-minute weekly series. It is hosted by international explorer and veteran adventure presenter Zay Harding. Each episode highlights innovative initiatives around the globe led by scientists, engineers and everyday people. These initiatives offer real-world environmental solutions.
Jamaica’s dual appearances on the series were made possible by the Kingston based GraceKennedy Foundation. This foundation was instrumental in coordinating and facilitating the trip to Jamaica by Harding and his crew during the summer.
The goal was to document for the series the work of the GraceKennedy Foundation along with its partners. These partners include the Netherlands based nonprofit organization The Ocean Cleanup, and local ally Clean Harbours Jamaica Limited.
The Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project (KHCP)
The three entities are jointly spearheading The Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project (KHCP). This is an ambitious effort to reduce plastics and waste flowing into the island’s Kingston Harbour. It is the seventh deepest natural harbour in the world.
The Ocean Cleanup
In the widely viewed and very well received Season 2 premiere on October 4, Harding interviewed Erik Holmbom. He is the Operations Manager at The Ocean Cleanup. Harding also interviewed Michael McCarthy, Managing Director of Clean Harbours Jamaica Limited, about their innovative floating fence solution known as the “Interceptor™”.
The Interceptors have been placed at nine of the most polluting gullies in the Kingston Harbour. They trap and prevent waste from entering it.
The October 25 episode essentially picks up on this narrative. Harding joins Jade-Ashley Carberry-Meikle, Project Officer at the GraceKennedy Foundation. He participates during a hands-on outreach session at The KHCP’s offloading site with children from Di Cawna Library in Kingston’s Rose Town community. The segment underscores the importance of youth education in building a long-term understanding of, and appreciation for, environmental awareness and preservation.
According to Harding, “After the great response to our Season 2 premiere featuring Jamaica, this episode is hugely exciting and eagerly anticipated.”
“To see the faces of these young Jamaican kids light up with interest and enthusiasm about the importance of a clean ocean and for the work that the GraceKennedy Foundation and its partners are doing was awesome.”
“The episode also features a really great moment showing how the kids all pledge to do their own small part for the environment in the future, and I can’t wait for viewers to see that. It’s already one of the highlights of the entire season for me, without a doubt.”
GraceKennedy Foundation
For GraceKennedy Foundation CEO Caroline Mahfood, collaborating with Harding and the series to highlight the Foundation’s work and its role in The Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project was a welcomed opportunity to share Jamaica’s leadership role in environmental stewardship with the world.
Caroline Mahfood – CEO of the GraceKennedy Foundation
“The Visioneers with Zay Harding sheds light on the work we have been doing since 2022 to improve the health of Kingston Harbour,” she says. “As project facilitator, GraceKennedy Foundation plays a pivotal role in managing The KHCP’s project funding, fostering collaboration between government and private sector stakeholders, and coordinating outreach initiatives with schools and community groups.”
“The Foundation also enhances public engagement by conducting tours of the offloading site, which doubles as a waste-processing hub and interactive visitor’s centre. We are proud of the project’s progress so far. We hope that airing these two episodes on CBS will inspire other countries and organizations to follow our lead. This is the action we need globally.”
GraceKennedy Foundation Project Officer Jade-Ashley Carberry-Meikle (second from left) and TV host Zay Harding (third from right) with children from the Rose Town community during filming of The Visioneers With Zay Harding at Kingston Harbour. PHOTO CREDIT- ELENA GARCIA
In the last three years, the Foundation worked with The Ocean Cleanup and Clean Harbours Jamaica Limited. Together, they launched the Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project. This project has taken out over 3 million kilograms of waste from Kingston Harbour.
The Foundation has taught over 3,500 children and young people through school talks and tours of the offloading site. In partnership with The Ocean Cleanup, it has raised close to J$1 billion in support of The KHCP.
Viewers in Jamaica and other countries outside the USA can watch The Visioneers with Zay Harding. They should check with their local cable, satellite, or streaming providers for availability. They can find out how to access CBS and the series.
