The Esirom Foundation is exceptionally proud to announce that our Sustainability Manager, Khalia Hall, has been awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s National Youth Award for Excellence in the category of Environmental Protection. This national honour is a testament to her visionary leadership, her ability to mobilise communities, and the profound impact she has made on both our foundation and Jamaica’s environmental landscape.
“We’re so proud of Khalia. This award is such a well-deserved recognition of her passion and drive,” said Alex Morrissey, Founder and Director of the Esirom Foundation. “From the moment she joined the team, her energy lit up the place. She didn’t just pitch ideas, she also built movements that got national attention. She really lives our motto, ‘Change Starts Here,’ and has helped shape who we are as a foundation.”
Since joining the Esirom Foundation, Khalia has been the driving force behind our most impactful environmental initiatives. Her work demonstrates a unique talent for connecting high-level strategy with grassroots action, making her highly deserving of this award:
- The “Bring Yuh Owna Tings” (BYOT) Campaign: Khalia championed the widely successful BYOT campaign. Moving beyond a simple slogan, she developed a comprehensive awareness strategy that significantly elevated the national conversation around single-use plastics. The campaign encouraged a culture of reuse among Jamaicans and pushed businesses to adopt more sustainable practices.
- Earth Hour Jamaica: Khalia’s leadership was pivotal in growing the Earth Hour movement and ensuring the event was executed as sustainably as possible. She successfully introduced “Free Water” dispensers to encourage patrons to bring their own reusables and cut back on single-use plastics, as well as Bamboo booths to eliminate the fabric typically used to decorate vendor and sponsor areas. Her efforts also amplified the educational message around environmental awareness through interactive quiz boards, games like our Upcycled Plastic Bowling Alley, on-stage Q&A and so much more.
- Kingston Harbour Eco-Restoration Initiative (KHERI): At a strategic level, Khalia was a key driver in the Foundation’s main project, KHERI. She worked to build out a School Education Programme which engaged approximately 400 students across 3 high schools located closest to Kingston Harbour. This included the Kingston Harbour Tours which took students on the harbour to learn about the pollution problem up-close, as well as Harbour Cleanups facilitated by the Foundation’s waste-collector pontoon, water suits and tools. Students left with new knowledge and a renewed sense of inspiration to adopt more environmentally responsible behaviours.
Receiving her award, a humbled Khalia Hall shared her thoughts: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award from the Prime Minister’s office. This is not just a personal achievement, but a reflection of the collective effort of the entire Esirom Foundation team, our community partners, volunteers and project donors who contribute to the protection of our beautiful island. There’s still plenty of work ahead and I’m extremely excited to continue working to make real, tangible impact in Jamaica’s environmental space.
The Prime Minister’s National Youth Award for Excellence is the highest national honour bestowed upon young Jamaicans between the ages of 15 and 29 who have excelled and contributed to national development.
We congratulate Khalia on this outstanding achievement and look forward to supporting her continued journey of impact.
