The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica – Once again, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is launching a Task Force to assist with the mobilisation of the region’s public health providers to deal with an incoming virus. Four years ago, the Zika virus triggered the response; today it is COVID-19.

Again, the Task Force will be chaired by The UWI’s Professor Clive Landis, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies and former Director of the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, who has considerable experience in the field of Caribbean public health.

The University is currently delivering a software engineering degree programme at its joint Institute in Suzhou, China, and has a large registered cohort of Caribbean students. It is engaged directly with public health officials in Suzhou, Caribbean diplomatic corps in Beijing, and the leadership of its partner university, the Global Institute for Software Engineering (GIST).

Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles stated, “Against the background of dealing with its internal affairs in China, The UWI has been working in close collaboration with regional health ministries and the relevant CARICOM agencies.” The purpose, he added, is to “provide the necessary scientific data on the virus and to work with government colleagues in creating an effective communications strategy for the region.” He concluded saying, “The Task Force will have a critical role to play in solutions building in the immediate future.”

Membership of the Task Force is drawn from the regional UWI medical faculties and external experts experienced in the laboratory and field deployment of an active scientific approach.

Commenting on the work of the Task Force, Professor Landis stated, “It is right that The UWI should deploy its full expertise as a public academy to help Caribbean communities cope at this instance of the COVID-19 epidemic. The primary emphasis of the COVID-19 Task Force will be to provide accurate and reliable information through UWItv and other channels of communication. Armed with good information and strong partnerships we will get through this viral outbreak as we did for ‘swine flu’, Chikungunya and Zika before it.”

Director of the Barbados Vocational Training Board (BVTB), Henderson Thompson, envisions a campus which will enable them to accept more students and minimise the need for multiple centres currently used across the island.

He therefore reiterated BVTB’s call for land, while responding to a question posed to him about non-academic training during the recent Appropriation (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

“We have some great plans for vocational education in this country, but capacity is our greatest challenge,” he declared.

The Director sought to explain to government officials that BVTB has several popular programmes, however, is able to accept only a small per cent of applicants.

“We have some very popular programmes at the Board and there are lot of young people applying for them. For example, with International Cuisine which is being offered at All Saints in St. Peter, we have over 300 applicants every year since its commencement, but we can only accommodate 16 persons per year. Also, with Bobcat Operations we have over 250 applying per cohort, it’s a one semester programme, and we can only take in 16 persons per year.

“Our problem isn’t being able to offer the programmes – we have the capable people to do it, but we don’t have the physical capacity…

“We need a plantation, that type of land about 50 acres plus, that we can really offer programmes and the private sector is willing to help,” he indicated.

“The government doesn’t have to do it all on their own; we are not asking for that. We are asking for assistance in getting land, so that we can train young people in a number of these highly demand areas, in fact in one location.”
(TL)

Efforts have to be made to change Barbadians’ perception of the Government Industrial School (GIS) and the children who are sent there.

That’s the view of the Minister of Home Affairs, Edmund Hinkson, under whose responsibility the GIS falls. He was speaking yesterday morning during the opening ceremony of the New Directions for Youth Justice Conference, hosted by The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus’ Institute for Gender and Development Studies: Nita Barrow Unit, the Ministry of Home Affairs, UNICEF and the Oxford-Caribbean Youth Development Project, at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management.

He noted that there is a stigma attached to the GIS and there is a feeling by some that the GIS is a “place of incarceration” and that the children who are sent there are bad. Minister Hinkson lamented that in a small society like Barbados, even though the juvenile record is wiped clean when they enter adulthood, the stigma of having been sent to the GIS remains with them.

“The stigma of you going in a Government Industrial School, which is recognised, or thought of by some as imprisonment, will carry with you for the rest of your life and will continue to serve as a disadvantage. We have to change those kinds of mindsets and realities. Therefore, education of these children is paramount,” he said.

In that vein, he said his ministry is eternally grateful to Oxford University and Tulane University for the assistance they have offered in terms of the assessments done on the children and the mentoring provided. His comments came as he said there is also a belief in society that the children, when sent to the GIS, do not receive any formal education. He said that is certainly not true, and added that improvements have been made by Oxford and Tulane over the last year.

“Also, we have been trying to get the Ministry of Education to realise that yes they have a role to play, and under the guidance of Minister Santia Bradshaw, I’m sure that the Ministry of Education will assist us in this regard. We have no choice but to do it. And even though we said there are only 30 students now, we have as the policymakers in this country, a duty to each of these children,” he stated.

The Home Affairs Minister made the point while noting that a lot of children leaving the Government Industrial School continue to be in conflict with the criminal justice system as adults, and he is adamant that trend has to be reduced. In that respect, Hinkson said it must be an all-of-society approach, noting that historically, many of the children at the GIS have been children of fathers who at some stage were also in conflict with the criminal justice system. To that end, he said the relevant authorities have a duty to work to reverse those trends.
(JRT)

Members of the Prayer Warriors International Foundation, recently sought to show appreciation for their founder and leader, former Barbados fast bowler Pastor Courtney Selman.

Pastor Selman, who heads the Prayer Warriors International Foundation, was recently presented with an award for his outstanding selfless contribution to the moral, social and spiritual landscape of Barbados, the Caribbean and further afield.

The award was presented by Prayer Warriors International Foundation Public Relations Officer, Ernie Young on behalf of its members, ahead of the launch of the Foundation's "We Gatherin' for Prayer" event, on location at the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), Harbour Industrial Estate, Building 6A, St. Michael. That event which will form part of the country's We Gatherin' 2020 activities, is slated for March 4, in Jubilee Gardens, Bridgetown.

The Prayer Warriors International Foundation, which is comprised of a group of inter-denominational faith believers, was founded by the former fast bowler in New York. Prayer Warriors does not have a church building, but has a vast listenership in Barbados, the Caribbean, North America and across the globe. Prayer Warriors is well known for its "Quarter Hour of Prayer Power" broadcast on local radio.

For the past ten years, Prayer Warriors International has organised the "Caribbean Day of Prayer" on March 4, with a theme of "March Forth on Your Knees". In the past, the group has made prayer stops to conduct prayers at Government Headquarters and offices, schools, Central Police Station, at print and electronic media houses, the ports of entry in Barbados, as well as at local beaches – praying against social ills affecting the country.

Prayer Warriors International Foundation has over the past years taken the opportunity to honour a number of up-standing and outstanding Barbadians. As part of its charitable efforts, the Foundation has given out food hampers and stationery to school children, given wheelchairs to disabled persons in need of them, given weed whackers to the prison ministries programme, in order to create employment for those who were later released, and distributed water to people affected by water shortages in parishes across the country.

This year, instead of its customary Caribbean Day of Prayer, Prayer Warriors International will be hosting a We Gatherin' for Prayer event on March 4, 2020. Ministers of Government, dignitaries, members of the clergy and school children have been invited to participate, as a special Prayer Wall on which prayer requests concerning social ills will be erected in Jubilee Gardens, The City, with prayers offered throughout the day for the country and the issues affecting it. (RSM)

After being away from the entertainment calendar on the island for some time, Neil Berg's Broadway to Barbados came back to the Frank Collymore Hall on Tuesday with a bang, bringing to patrons one of the most energetic ensembles of international musicians ever seen here on the island. 

Though that may sound like the dictionary definition of hyperbole, words simply cannot explain how amazing and well put together the cast of musicians were during the evening's show. As Neil Berg and his crew of performers took patrons on the joyous musical ride, making stops from the 60's era of classic Rock and Roll, all the way to the contemporary interpretations found in the 2000's, all eyes and ears were enchanted by their mesmerising versions of the most popular hits from yesteryear. 

One can not praise the band however without first starting with Neil Berg. His impressive memory within the sheer volume of musical hits is envious for most. With him recounting all of the intimate details behind bands such the Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin and others, patrons received a better understanding on what made the earlier hits so great at those select times in history. It was clear from the onset that Berg was not simply going to bring great music to the stage, but bring us along on the journey with him to fully bask in great music that shaped the world. 

Five special singers featured during the night; Danny Zoli, Miss Yaya, Brook Wood, Joey Calveri and Jarran Muse. 

Each of these singers had their own unique energy and flare during the night, with all of them having powerful voices that meshed well with each other. 

Though it's hard to choose, patrons definitely had favourites during the night. Danny Zoli is known for his uniquely pitched voice, but his authentic old school Rock and Roll control over his vocals was fantastic. 

Joey Calveri was born to sing Rock and Roll. His Freddie Mercury-style of stage presence along with his Elvis Presley-inspired vocals delivered a vivid and raw expression of what embodies the purest form of Rock and Roll. 

This concert was organised by the Broadway to Barbados Charitable Trust in support of raising much needed funds for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. With the sold-out crowd seen on the very first night of the show, members of the board expect to see great numbers monetary wise at the end of the show's run. 

Neil Berg's Broadway to Barbados 2020: 50 Years of Rock and Roll, is an experience that all fans of Rock and Roll, and great music on a whole, must see live. (SB)

IT may rain a little, but the St. Thomas Parish Organising Committee (POC) is urging Barbadians to come prepared for the weather and come out in their numbers to the events planned for We Gatherin’ St. Thomas, which officially starts today.

Yesterday the POC, joined by parliamentary representative Cynthia Forde, highlighted some of the events planned for the month of activities, which will begin with a multi-faith church service at the Lester Vaughan School at 4 pm today.

Being held under the theme “Nature”, the organisers explained that not only will events focus on the natural beauty of the parish, but it will seek to encourage volunteerism and philanthropy, recognising that there are a number of persons in communities that are are in need.

In her capacity as Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Forde used the opportunity to encourage greater partnerships with Corporate Barbados and urged all Barbadians who may have a bit more to share, to do so. She highlighted the need for wheelchairs in the Gordan Cummins District Hospital, work that can be carried out on the schools in the parish, including Bagatelle Day Nursery, which also falls in St. Thomas.

“I have the most vulnerable people in Barbados under the People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Ministry so I have senior citizens who require small things, a few galvanise sheets to stop the wind from coming in. As we know the government can’t do it all, there are private sector people who do it discreetly but we are asking those businesses to help them... to change from the pit toilet to waterborne toilet, to build a ramp...”

The organisers reminded Barbadians that Mt Hillaby, in St. Thomas is the highest point in Barbados. Other areas of interest include Harrison’s Cave, Welchman Hall Gully, Jack-in-the-Box gully and also Rock Hall which is the location of the first free village in Barbados.

Committee member Kevyn Henry said major focus will be placed on service activities including “connecting the generations” activities. “Taking older persons from the community and matching with the schools to have chats with them, sharing experiences, values, traditions of growing up in St. Thomas every Tuesday throughout the month.

He said Barbadians should come out and just enjoy the great outdoors.“Come to St. Thomas, spend some time in the outdoors, take your heads out of your phones, off of the video games, come out with your family and enjoy the fresh, cool air that we have in St. Thomas. Let’s keep our society moving.”

Chairman of the POC Steve Devonish explained that during the two-day Heart of Barbados event scheduled for March 28 and 29 will also showcase the natural beauty of the parish. He noted that there will be a passport with a fee attached, adding that there will be special promotions offered including Harrison’s Cave which will be providing discounted rates.

With the full calendar of events to be found on the We Gatherin’ website, organisers say they intend to touch as many communities as possible, through the events which will feature shop crawls, domino limes and will feature the 9th Tom Adams Memorial Lecture to be delivered by Dr. Henderson Carter on March 17 and an awards ceremony on March 31.(JH)

The City of Bridgetown came alive with the sights and sounds of a military parade, as the Barbados Defence Force, in recognition of the 72 anniversary of the receipt of its Regimental Colours, hosted a Freedom of the City March from Pelican Village via Cheapside, to Independence Square yesterday.

The Barbados Regiment marched steadily and swiftly through the City’s streets, attracting the attention of locals and visitors alike, who took up various vantage points to get a glimpse of the well attired troops or to take photographs and video footage of the exciting activity.

Major Andrew Skeete, Parade Commander for the Freedom of the City March, told the Barbados Advocate that the parade concluded a week of activities, in celebration of the 72 anniversary. He also indicated that whilst there were competing activities that took away from reserve numbers, he was happy with the turnout from the troops and the performance they gave.

“Essentially, this event concludes one week of activities commemorating the 72 Anniversary of the formation of The Barbados Regiment. The main emphasis today would have been in preparing the form and showing that the weapons are clean, boots are nice and tidy and uniforms were pressed and that we were clean and ready for the parade. This is essentially a routine type activity” Major Skeete noted.

“We are happy (with the turnout). With the reserve, we could have had a few more numbers, but there are so many competing events and activities, which would have affected especially the reserve numbers this morning. However, we had a very good number, a full detachment on Sunday, for the Colour to Church Parade. This morning, competing activities have affected our attendance, but we are happy with the turnout, we are happy with the performance of the troops and I am sure they are happy themselves with their performance” he added.

“The Commanding Officer and the Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force would be pleased with what has happened today. It added to what is happening in Bridgetown. We talk about Bridgetown Alive, well I think it was alive this morning. We had many questions from tourists and locals alike, as to what was happening and what we were doing and we were happy to entertain them” the Parade Commander told this newspaper.

Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), James Paul is pleased that each year Agrofest has been able to attract younger exhibitors, particularly in the livestock category.

He stated this as he spoke to the Press yesterday, on the second day of the three-day national agricultural exhibition. Giving an update on how the event held in Queen’s Park has been progressing, he said it has “been going good so far”, though there have been challenges from time to time. He thanked patrons for their continued support.

“I’m really impressed over the fact that we continue to get the support of the public… You can see from the exhibitors here, especially in the livestock category, we are getting a younger and younger exhibitor and I think our work in the schools as far as that is concerned is really beginning to pay off. So I really anticipate that as we go into the next day (Sunday), I think we are going to have larger crowds.”

Paul, who spoke to the Press after accompanying Governor General Dame Sandra Mason to view the judging of the livestock contest, added that farmers are also “very appreciative of the support that they receive from the public, very appreciative”.

“It is not something that they take for granted at all because they do put a lot of effort into what they are doing. You can see for instance in term of the animal breeds, we are seeing improvements year after year and, as matter of fact, based on the insemination programme that they have in the cattle industry, I think that you can only see even further improvements as we go on. So I am very pleased with what I am seeing right now and, of course, we have the sheep show on tomorrow [Sunday], which I think people will see some very good animals.”

This year’s event with its theme, ‘We Gatherin’ We Fruits’ comprises a total of 249 exhibitors. Paul said this figure is similar to last year. He however said in the past there were more exhibitors, but pulled sponsorship has resulted in the dip.

“We used to get support from the Rural Development Commission in terms of they used sponsor quite a bit of the exhibitors. Since they have stopped sponsoring those exhibitors, those people are not coming. We are reaching out to them still because one of the things that you want to do of course is to show people that you can actually do things and get in on your own. But that is something we continue to work on because a lot of those people too were people that had the types of exhibits that we would have wanted to encourage them to bring."

It’s official. The Speightstown bypass road is now named the K.N.R. Husbands Highway.

This section of road in front of the BTI Carpark in the northern town was officially renamed on Friday during a ceremony held in the carpark. The road now carries the name of the first Black person to be elected as Speaker of Barbados’ House of Assembly, the late Sir Kenmore Nathaniel Rhystone “Doc” Husbands.

These proceedings were attended by relatives of the late Sir Kenmore as well as by Prime Minister, the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Attorney General, Dale Marshall, Minister in the Ministry of Transport Works and Maintenance, Peter Phillips and Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations and Member of Parliament for St. Peter, Colin Jordan.

In her address, the Prime Minister acknowledged the many professional roles played by the late Sir Kenmore throughout his life. These included that of a schoolteacher, the Assistant General Secretary of the Barbados Workers Union (BWU), a Speaker of the House of Assembly and a government minister. She stated he “gave service to the people of this parish and the people of this nation, we therefore deemed it only appropriate and fitting that we should acknowledge his presence in one of our oldest towns.”

Mottley also said that renaming the road after the first black Speaker of the House of Assembly was honouring a request made by residents of St. Peter. She added it comes at a time when parliament “is celebrating 381 years old this year”. Additionally, when the late Sir Kenmore if he were still alive “would have been 115 years old in three months time.”

Meanwhile in his remarks, Jordan stated through the recognition of the work done by this island’s nation builders present generations should be inspired to do or achieve greater things.

“I would encourage all of us to realise that when we applaud those who have gone before, those who have worked hard for the development of the country, when we applaud these people it is not just to have a name affixed to something somewhere. We recognise our stalwarts, those who have worked hard in our past because we want to use them as inspiration. That is essentially the reason we recognise those who have gone before.”

The sign bearing the new name for the road was unveiled by the Prime Minister and family of the late Sir Kenmore, Austin Husbands and his granddaughter, Zhori Parris. The K.N.R. Husbands Highway was first opened by the late Prime Minister J.M.G.M “Tom” Adams on the January 18th, 1984.

TWO government entities have been working collaboratively to promote genealogy tourism during the We Gatherin’ activities.

Branding and New Product Officer with the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), Madge Dalrymple, stated that organisation has joined forces with the Archives Department to do this. She was speaking on the sidelines of the recent Genealogy Marketplace during the Speightstown Alive event held in St. Peter where both entities shared a booth.

Dalrymple said the public’s interest in researching their family history and reconnecting with the past has been growing. She said this is the case locally and within the diaspora.

“Genealogy has evolved, and it is now on its own and it is ready to be marketed because we did all the awareness and we have found that people are interested in it. We want to go out into the diaspora. Persons from Canada are even saying that we should bring the marketplaces to Toronto and I think that is something that we should look at because it is more than a brand, it is something that is interesting. It is something that people want to know.”

She added that because there are Barbadians, some second and third generations, who are interested in knowing about their family’s origin, genealogy tourism is a niche market that could be tapped into a greater way to attract persons to the island.

“We don’t want to continue to market only sun, sea and sand. So this is a niche market, alternative to what we have done before and as everyone will know genealogy is where it is at. Everyone wants to know where they are from. So worldwide it is a big trend and we think that it can be a lucrative and interesting market for us.”

She further stated, “It has proven to be because we started it four or five years ago and we are now going to every parish on the island since it is We Gatherin’. I think the basis for We Gatherin’ is all about family and coming together and knowing who you are. So we decided to go to each parish … and every marketplace is different.” (MG)

The retail prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene decreased effective midnight Sunday, March 1.

Gasoline will be adjusted from $3.58 per litre to $3.45 per litre, which represents a decrease of $0.13; the price of diesel will drop by $0.22, from $3.06 per litre to $2.84 per litre, and kerosene will go from $1.37 per litre to $1.35 per litre, a reduction of $0.02.

These price adjustments are in keeping with Government’s policy of allowing retail prices to be reflective of those on the international market.

The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training has advised that all classes of the Lawrence T. Gay Memorial Primary School will remain at the four church locations until Thursday, March 26.

This is to facilitate continual testing in, and around the school. It is estimated that results and final reports will be with the Ministry within the next four weeks. At that time, meetings will be held with parents, guardians and unions to share information on what was done and what will be done going forward.

All current arrangements remain in place as it relates to school meals, security and transportation.

The Ministry extends gratitude to all four churches and those agencies assisting with transportation and security.

It also thanks parents and guardians for their patience and co-operation.

Barbadian children are playing their part, joining more than 1 200 K-Kids clubs globally with a pledge to show respect towards their environment. 

On Friday, February 21, students of Charles F Broome Primary School and members of local Kiwanis K-Kids club fulfilled their pledge to serve their neighbourhood and their school by planting twelve trees at their play park. The students who were provided gardening tools for the tasks thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor exercise. Approximately twenty-six students participated in the tree-planting event and they are part of the 36 000 K-Kids club members worldwide working within their community. 

A new project for the school, the Kiwanis Club, will hopefully be launched by the end of the term – it will be fully functional. Their efforts were a part of the national initiative for Barbadians to assist in planting one million trees on the island. This action brought to an end a week of activities celebrating K-Kids Week internationally which commenced February 17 and concluded on February 21, 2020.

K-Kids is an international student-led organisation providing members with opportunities to perform service, build character and develop leadership.

According to the K-Kids Club website, “K-Kids is a student-led community service organisation that operates under school regulations and draws its members from the student body. Community-based K-Kids clubs also can be established at churches, libraries, YMCAs, lodges or similar facilities. A Kiwanis club, composed of like-minded, service-oriented people from the community, serves as the club’s sponsor”.

Berger Paints Ltd, along with the assistance from the National HIV/AIDS Commission, has taken the step in assisting those members of the society who are too often shunned.

This was after the two entities partnered up to donate much-needed paint supplies to the Barbados Prison Fellowship, as that organisation sought to beautify their current home which is located in Carrington village.

Berger Paint’s marketing assistant Renee Cobham, said that though the company can’t fulfil all requests for assistance, on this occasion it was easy to help the cause.

“With Berger Paints’ involvement in this, we see it as part of our corporate responsibility. This was a chance for us to give in a different way, and give those former prisoners an opportunity to showcase a different light to them. We saw this project as a novel one and we thought it was a great opportunity to be on board with such an initiative because it’s not just about protecting, but it’s about beautifying on the outside as well and the inside,” she said.

Behavioural Change Specialist with the HIV/AIDS Commission, Cecelia Neblett-Murray, said that her organisation was in a fruitful working partnership with the prison fellowship, assisting in helping ex-convicts on the path of reacquainting themselves with society.

“The National HIV/AIDS Commission is in partnership with the prison fellowship; we have a behavioural modification programme to help the ex-convicts reform and transform their behaviours. We also seek to look at all the social systems involved, because we recognise that the infrastructure needs some work, we are also looking at partnering with all these corporate entities to see how best they can play their part in reducing crime,” Neblett-Murray outlined.

Prison Fellowship Barbados has been around for over 40 years, and has tasked itself with assisting prisoners in finding jobs, accommodation, and other necessities after they exit the prison system. During recently completed Christmas holidays, the organisation gave out over 600 gifts to children of ex-inmates, as they see the importance of not only caring for the inmates directly, but also their children who are often affected during long separations.

Baroness Dame Floella Benjamin wants Barbadians to be given more awareness about the importance of living kidney donation.

In fact, the Patron of Transplant Links Community (TLC) is suggesting the establishment of a dedicated hotline as well as ongoing public service announcements (PSAs).

Her comments came during last Friday’s announcement that the Queen Elizbeth Hospital (QEH), with the assistance of TLC, a British medical charity performed another successful living-donor kidney transplant surgery on February 27.

In an effort to serve the people of Barbados with kidney failure, TLC and QEH teams have committed to continuing to work together over the coming years to further develop the sustainable Kidney Transplant Programme.

“I think one of the things that I would love to see happen while we are away from the island is to keep the whole initiative running; we don’t want it to die once we leave. I think we built a foundation and the way you can continue that kind of rapport between the nation and hospital is by having perhaps a dedicated phone line, so that people could call to say they want to donate, ‘what do I do?’ We did a radio programme and listeners called in saying they want to be part of this; they want to be a friend of Transplant Links – ‘how do I find out more?’”

“So, I think we need perhaps the government to give money to have a dedicated phone line, PR, leaflets, posters, etc. to keep reminding people… We want all the foundation that we built to continue, and it will only continue if money is poured into it to keep that momentum going. So, people who want to give; who want to make a difference; who want to save a life could participate,” Baroness Benjamin said.

Dr. Lisa Belle, Consultant Head of the Artificial Kidney Unit (AKU) at the QEH who initiated the sustainable programme with Consultant Surgeon at the QEH,

Dr. Margaret O’Shea, emphasised that there is an increasing problem of kidney failure in Barbados, and dialysis is expensive.

“It is a difficult existence with at least two sessions of several hours needed per week. A transplant costs less than dialysis and significantly improves patients’ quality of life. The development of this transplantation programme is therefore an important step in giving choice and hope to patients who are suffering,” she said.

However, while there are approximately 400 people on dialysis in Barbados, Dr. O’Shea further indicated that not all of them are capable of benefitting from transplantation.

“Not all are capable of having a transplant, so we do have a problem where the longer you are on dialysis it affects the heart and other parts,” she explained.

“You have to be fit to have a general anesthetic to go to sleep. So, we do full checks to make sure you can actually withstand having that operation. So there are some people who have been on dialysis for so long and are currently on dialysis that would not necessarily be able to get a transplant. But, we think maybe about 50 per cent – which is still a lot.” (TL)

Barbados has recorded its tenth successful living donor kidney transplant operation at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), with the support of British medical charity Transplant Links Community (TLC).

This latest surgery was conducted on Thursday, February 27 by Consultant Surgeon at the QEH, Dr. Margaret O’Shea, with assistance from Dr. Nick Inston, Consultant Transplant Surgeon and Clinical Lead of TLC.

Since 2016, TLC and QEH teams have been working together to further develop the sustainable Kidney Transplant Programme, offering patients affected by renal failure the chance of a
normal life away from a kidney dialysis machine.

Announcing the success of the surgery during a press conference at the QEH’s boardroom recently, Dr. O’Shea said, “I want to say thank you again to the charity for giving us the support and to Dr. Inston because we are doing more and more. And more of our patients are coming forward, so I feel real hope that this programme will be sustainable, and we are going to grow from strength to strength.”

The best treatment for patients suffering from kidney failure is a living-donor kidney transplant, where a healthy relative donates a kidney to save the life of their loved one. Following a transplant, the patient can then return to near-normal life, and will live a better, longer and more productive life.

“Transplantation is the best treatment for renal failure – renal failure is common and living with end-stage renal disease is actually a really miserable existence for many patients. There is a very
simple solution and that solution is transplantation,” Dr. Inston stressed.

“Now that message has to go across the whole community. I think it actually becomes a major political thing across the Caribbean. Renal failure is very expensive for the society and that treatment often lasts for a long time. But, with the transplant that becomes much cheaper – people get back to normal lives and it is not only the person who has the disease; it affects families…This is an operation where in one day you can transform someone’s life and the people around them.

“The next step in this programme is not necessarily for Transplant Links Community to be leading on this because the team in Barbados is actually at that point to lead, but this should become a routine in the health care in the Caribbean, and I think Barbados is the place to lead that,” he said.

Patron of Transplant Links Community, Baroness Dame Floella Benjamin, commended the great work carried out by Dr. O’Shea and Dr. Inston.

However, she expressed disappointment that only ten kidney transplantations have been performed so far. The Baroness, who is Trinidadian by birth, revealed the island started transplants in 2008 and they have done over 200 to date.

“I want to see Barbados as the beacon and the hub for the other neighbouring islands, for us to do more and more,” she expressed, therefore calling on persons to come forward as donors, “because Barbados has over 300 people on dialysis machines and it is costing the country a huge amount of money. People are not working; the nation is suffering because a lot of family members cannot really have a full life to work. I want the nation to be a fully fit nation and part of that problem comes from those people suffering from kidney failure and having kidney disease.”

TLC comprises of specialists who transfer skills to the local team, with the purpose of developing a sustainable programme within five years from the project’s inception. The Republic Bank’s Power to Make a Difference programme, the Elegant Hotel Chain and the Sir Peter Moore’s Barbados Trust have all contributed wholeheartedly to making this life-changing work a reality. (TL)

ସ

Principal of the Parkinson Memorial School Ian Holder addressed the audience at the annual Speech Day Ceremony with pride dripping from his every word, and announced to the world that he is of the belief that Parkinson and its staff are the best on the island.

The ceremony was held recently in the school hall where students, teachers, staff and hundreds of parents gathered to see the awardees receive glory deserved.

Holder beamed as he highlighted the excellence of the school over 2019, with the understanding that it is a family that makes Parkinson what it is.

“We are here to celebrate the excellence of Parkinson Memorial School and that product, that educational product requires a complete family. We have been building that relationship throughout the school year and before.”

Holder said that the Parkinson family includes not just the staff and the students, but also the public and corporate community and the Ministry of Education, represented by Minister of Education and Technological and Vocational Training, Santia Bradshaw.

He added that it is the contributions of all the family members that make Parkinson such a great institution.

The principal was proud to highlight that it is more than academics being developed but also the character of the students being produced at Parkinson, with the recognition that every aspect of the child is to be developed and valued.

“We have decided that at the end of the school year for any of our students, they must benefit from all of the social and emotional skills that we can give them along with the academic skills so that they are fully developed when they leave our shores.”

One of the proudest aspects of the character building initiative of the school is the understanding of the strength of honesty. Holder brought to light the work being done at the school through the Student Behaviour Programme, including the presentation of certificates to students because of their honesty during the school year.

“We have had to give certificates to those students who have shown a high level of honesty, one of the strongest areas of character you can get in a person. Students at Parkinson are finding money and returning it to the office for students to make sure they get it back. We are building our faith in character.”

The Best Overall Student for 2019 was Rowanika Jackson. Jackson also won the Pinelands Creative Workshop Excellence Award, was awarded for gaining six CSEC subjects at the general
proficiency level and shared the prize for the Most Outstanding English Student with Annisa Mayers. Ayesha King won The Jeff Broomes Award of Excellence for her work in the arts; Aaliyah Yearwood was the recipient of The Rodney Grant Excellence in the Arts Award; and the Principal’s Award went to Shakeel Gilles.

Most Outstanding First Year
Zahra Griffith

Most Outstanding Second Year and Most Outstanding Junior Student
Rihanna Richards

Most Outstanding Third Year
Sarah-Ann Drakes

Most Outstanding Fourth Year
Quiara Callender

This country is expanding its capacity to detect, contain and manage any cases of the COVID-19 and as part of that effort, will be making use of the old naval base facility at Harrison Point, St. Lucy to quarantine and isolate persons suspected of having the virus or infected with the virus.

Word of this has come from Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley. She made the comments in a press conference yesterday evening following a special meeting to discuss the coronavirus. That meeting at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, which brought together CARICOM Heads of Government, Ministers of Health, Chief Medical Officers and representatives from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency as well as representatives of the cruise industry, some joining via zoom, came just one day after CARPHA upgraded the risk of coronavirus transmission from low to “moderate to high”.

Mottley, who said she has already visited the St. Lucy site, which was last used to house prisoners after a fire destroyed Glendairy Prison, indicated that while the site was overgrown with bush and have been stripped of doors and windows, the buildings are in good shape. As such, she said they believe that “quick work” can be done to bring the buildings back into use.

She said they will start on a building by building basis with the goal of increasing the country’s capacity beyond the 80 to 100 persons that can be currently accommodated at the Elayne Scantlebury Centre, the old District Hospital, Paragon and the Barbados Defence Force’ Military Hospital. Furthermore, the immediate building they are considering at Harrison Point, can accommodate 150 to 160 additional persons. Such capacity she said is needed for Barbados which has a number of cruise vessels homeporting here.

“Luckily we have a number of buildings that would allow us to be able to do the quarantining and previously when it was used as the temporary prison there was also a temporary hospital provided there. So we have a building that we would have to bring back into shape – it is a couple weeks’ work to do all of it,” she said.

PM Mottley, who is the Chair of CARICOM, made the comments while suggesting that similar facilities should be set up in countries across the region.
“Whether it is a public health outbreak, whether it is hurricane or natural or man-made disaster, I am now satisfied that each country in the region needs some kind of facility that allows us to be able to retreat in times of emergency, in order to be able to sustain the State or to allow the State to contain a situation that is otherwise uncontainable,” the CARICOM Chair maintained.

She had earlier said that the region needed to build capacity to help protect the health of its citizens and those visiting our countries as well as the economic stability of our countries. Speaking more to the regional response to the virus, the CARICOM Chair said that they have agreed to an expanded bureau of Heads of Government to see how “to marshal the resources” that would be necessary to increase the capacity to contain and manage any outbreak.

Mottley indicated that the sub-committee of the expanded bureau will include Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia and Antigua, and will be working in partnership with CARPHA and PAHO. She added that they have also agreed that a regional protocol establishing minimum standards as to what is expected from the cruise industry, what is expected from members states and the extent to which one member state may differ from another, will be collated and supplied to the cruise industry no later than Tuesday evening by CARPHA. Her comments came as she said CARPHA and PAHO have also been asked to help identify the gaps within respective member states. (JRT)

The high rate of unemployment among youth is concerning one social activist, who says that every effort must be made to expose the youth to non-traditional employment opportunities.

Corey Lane, founder and ranch chief of the Nature Fun Ranch made the point while speaking to The Barbados Advocate recently about the matter of youth unemployment in this country. He contended that the mindset of society has to change to recognise that the idea of a nine to five job in an office does not have to be the way for them to go. While commending the initiatives being rolled out by government to assist youth in securing gainful employment, Lane said government alone could not address the problem.

“If you look at The University of the West Indies alone, when their numbers were up in 8000, 9000, every two years they are putting out 6000 people into the society in search of work. In addition to that, children are leaving secondary school, not going on to further education and are looking for work. When you look at it, it is really a mathematical problem which spirals into an economic and social problem and to me we have to look at not what is the downside of all of this, but where are the opportunities,” he said.

He made the point while noting that not only in Barbados, but across the region, the days of the State being the largest employer are gone. He said with greater focus on technology, persons can seek to offer their services online to people across the world and have the flexibility to work from home.
“As we are into a digital age there are numerous opportunities. There is one site called freelancer.com for example where people could offer their services online. We are not using that site as the beginning and end, but using as a concept where people can offer services online to the entire globe. So then they become not just citizens of Barbados or employees of Barbados, but they become global citizens and global employees,” he said.

Equally, he said youth must be encouraged and supported, financially and otherwise, to be pioneering. Lane is also of the firm belief that young people have to use their youth to their advantage and use their “youthful exuberance” to look at what has not been done or areas that are lacking and seek to address those deficiencies.

“In Barbados and the Caribbean we are data poor and a lot of the time when we are looking at social ills and building programmes we usually have to pull data from the metropole, but yet the Faculty of Social Sciences has one of the greatest number of people graduating from the university. So in terms of youth unemployment we have to address the mentality that I go to school and I go and work for someone. Why can’t they have consultancies looking at data, research and development, because a lot of these things we import using great foreign exchange,” he stated.

Lane went on to say that there are a number of local small manufacturers, especially in the food industry, whose products are world class, but if they do get large orders they are not able to meet the demand. He is suggesting that there is a synergy between that and a possibility of seeing youth unemployment reduced.

“We can transform a lot of the bush we have in this country into produce, using advanced agriculture. Not brek back sweat with a hoe and fork, but the greenhouses, the aquaponics, the hydroponics where we take vast amounts of land and also going vertical to produce the mass at a premium quality and market it properly,” he added. (JRT)

Climate change has become a major topic for the UK and Her Excellency Janet Douglas, British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean has revealed that the High Commissioner’s focus will be on climate change this year.

Douglas revealed this to guests at the reception that was hosted to celebrate the relationship between the UK and Barbados at her residence recently.

She highlighted that in a few weeks time the UK will be hosting foreign ministers from across the Caribbean at their biennial UK-Caribbean Forum meeting. She explained that the Ministers will speak about issues of common interest and importance to all countries involved, and will include trade, commerce, development issues, infrastructure and climate change – which she described as the most important issue of all.

She said that they were looking forward to welcoming Barbados’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Jerome Walcott to the event.

“Speaking of climate change, this is a particular focus for the UK this year because the UK will be hosting the conference of parties, the 26th meeting which is commonly known as COP 26, in Glasgow in November,” she said.

“More than ever leadership in climate change is urgently needed and as a global leader the UK will be working with Barbados and the other countries of the Caribbean, to address the issues that are urgently affecting our planet and I think more than ever this is what our High Commission will be focusing on.

“This is a big year for my Government,” Douglas added.

During this meeting she stated that the UK will be working with Barbados and other partners across the Caribbean to come to an agreement on ways to reduce carbon emissions.

The 26th session of the COP 26 to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is expected to take place from November 9 to 19, 2020 in Glasgow, UK.