With the nation’s children returning to campus this term, Wibisco was finally able to launch their long-awaited Hydrate Barbados water station at the Wesley Hall Primary School on Tuesday.
As restrictions eased, and education officials were ensuring a safe environment was ready for the students to resume face-to-face instruction, the installation of the contactless, water station at the school got underway.
Newport Water’s Hydrate Programme is no stranger to schools, but Wesley Hall is the first primary school to benefit from the free, purified drinking water which sponsors facilitate.
Being the 14th station, it also came with a new look. The public is familiar with the larger water stations, but Newport wanted to create a smaller, yet just as powerful version that provides the same benefits.
However, it is a cost-friendly option for businesses that might not be able commit to the full-sized Hydrate Barbados station, but can fit the mini into their budget. This makes the programme truly accessible to everyone, both potential sponsors and the public.
In the recent budget speech, Prime Minister Mia Mottley emphasised the importance of health and wellness in Barbados, which saw the doubling of taxes on soft drinks. While this is welcomed, other provisions must be made that encourage and support change.
Producing programmes that encourage making healthier choices in a fun and interactive way is key to achieving the goals set out by these measures. If no alternative is provided, children will find a way to justify purchasing unhealthy beverages. At this young age, it’s the perfect time to drill home the messaging of water as the first choice for hydration, to avoid raising another generation suffering from non-communicable diseases.
“We find ourselves concerned when the problem has gotten too far, and persons are adults in a routine perpetuating a poor lifestyle. At this point it’s hard to impossible to change their standard of living.
If we could get more businesses to support the Hydrate Programme in primary schools, we would significantly increase the probability of turning the future of our nation around,” Newport representative Alicia Barrow said.
“We’re just now seeing an ease from the pandemic and its effects, but what have we learned? Can we truly say that there has been a major shift in the mentality and lifestyle of Barbadians? Or have we all breathed a sigh of relief and moved on, happy to be experiencing some semblance of the life we had before.
“Often we find that health products are marketed as such and shied away from because the stigma associated with them is that they don’t taste as good nor are they affordable. These water stations remove that barrier because it’s free to the end user and effortless,” she said.
Newport is hoping to continue the momentum of the Hydrate Barbados station in the coming months, and deploy additional stations across the island.
The plan is to have a station in every school and every public space.
(PR)
