In towns where the garbage once piled so high,
And plastics would float as they reached for the sky,
A movement took root, with a mission so clear—
To clean up our islands and hold them more dear.
With bins in their hands and a spark in their soul,
They marched for a planet that’s healthy and whole.
Not waiting for leaders or laws to appear,
These heroes stepped up without praise, without fear.
They gathered the bottles, the plastics, the cans,
With gloves on their fingers and purpose in plans.
Each item they touched was no longer a waste—
But something of value, reborn in its place.
From schoolyards to churches, the message was spread:
“Don’t throw it away—recycle instead!”
Each child, each elder, each teacher who came,
Became part of a legacy greater than fame.
But what of the zeroes? The ones cast aside,
Those told they were “less,” who tried hard to hide?
They too joined the fight with fierce dedication—
Transforming their pain into bold innovation.
A young girl in braces with fire in her stride,
Led talks about oceans and rising tide.
A man who once struggled to walk on his own,
Now helped others move past what they’d always been shown.
For disabilities weren’t seen as defeat,
But power reshaped from the soul to the street.
And Antigua, Barbuda, our islands so bright,
Made room for all voices to join in the fight.
“Let’s build it with ramps and wide paths to explore,
Let’s open our parks and our government doors.
Let’s teach our young artists to paint with new hues,
And write out a future the whole world can use.”
From waste to new purpose, from silence to song,
These heroes proved all of us truly belong.
They sorted the glass and they counted each ton,
And tracked how their mission was only begun.
The beach, once polluted, now sparkles again,
Thanks to the hands of these women and men.
The bins overflow not with garbage or shame,
But with pride in their purpose and pride in their name.
They’re teachers, mechanics, young kids after class,
They’re changemakers rising like dew on the grass.
They measure their worth not in dollars or gold,
But in lives that they’ve touched and the stories they’ve told.
Some say, “It’s just trash, why bother at all?”
But heroes know greatness can come from the small.
A bottle, a can, a forgotten old shoe—
Each one holds a chance to start something new.
So here’s to the zeroes recycled with care,
To people who dared just to stand and declare:
“My value’s not tied to what others may see—
I’m strong, I’m aware, and I care endlessly.”
In cities, in villages, near oceans so blue,
The green wave is rising with each thing we do.
It’s powered by love and by purpose that grows—
From compost and courage to gardens and shows.
Yes, change is a journey, and storms may appear,
But these heroes stand tall, they’ve made that clear.
For the heart of a movement will always be those—
Community Heroes, Recycling Their Zeroes.
