A Barbadian retail brand is pushing forward a long-held culture of corporate giving, hoping its latest contribution to a local educational institution will spark a wave of similar initiatives across the island nation. On Tuesday, Fusionz Boutique formally handed over a new water cooler to Cuthbert Moore Primary School, which is located in St Helen’s, St George, marking the latest entry in the company’s years-long record of community investment.
Representatives from the boutique presented the donation to school leadership, emphasizing that this act of support is far from a one-off publicity stunt. For Fusionz Boutique, giving back to local communities is woven into the core identity of the business, according to floor manager Roger Agard. In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Agard explained that as the retail chain continues to expand its footprint across Barbados, it will only ramp up its commitments to local institutions, particularly schools.
“This is not the first time that we’ve donated to a school. We’ve donated to schools before and this is something we’ve done before. We intend to be a part of the community,” Agard said. He added that the company’s outreach does not limit itself to educational facilities near Fusionz Boutique’s store locations, with past donations reaching campuses across multiple parishes including St Michael, as well as other institutions in St George and St Alban’s. The handover of the new water cooler was met with enthusiastic gratitude from Cuthbert Moore Primary principal Andrew Haynes and senior teacher Rhonda Mayers, Agard noted.
Fusionz Boutique’s long-term vision extends beyond its own giving: the company hopes its example will encourage a broader culture of corporate social responsibility across Barbados. “Our endeavour is to keep the community at hand so that other businesses will follow through and become a part of our legacy where we tend to keep doing and improving on our community,” Agard said.
That message was echoed by the boutique’s owner, Yusuf Hafejee, who explained that the decision to publicize the latest donation was not to celebrate the company’s own work, but to show other local businesses how even targeted contributions can deliver meaningful impact to surrounding communities. Hafejee, who oversaw the opening of Fusionz Boutique’s newest branch at Lower Estate on May 20, said he hopes the chain’s track record of giving will motivate more corporate citizens across the country to take an active role in driving national development.
“It’s just highlighting what we’ve done so far as a business… and we encourage other businesses to do their part as well,” Hafejee said.