Carib Scope

作者： admin

  • CariPHLN Workshop strengthens Caribbean laboratories networking and capacities

    CariPHLN Workshop strengthens Caribbean laboratories networking and capacities

    Between September 8 and 10, 2026, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) successfully concluded its 11th Annual Caribbean Public Health Laboratory Network (CariPHLN) Workshop in Bridgetown, Barbados. The three-day hybrid event, made possible by funding from CARPHA’s Pandemic Fund grant, united 26 laboratory directors alongside public health laboratory specialists, CARPHA personnel, and regional stakeholders to advance core public health priorities across the Caribbean.

    CariPHLN functions as CARPHA’s flagship regional coordination mechanism, designed to connect national laboratory leaders, expand institutional capacity, improve access to specialized testing and specimen referral services, enforce standardized quality protocols, and enable coordinated cross-border action across CARPHA’s Member States. For the 2026 workshop, 11 laboratory directors traveled to Bridgetown to attend in person, representing Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Curaçao, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. An additional 15 directors joined virtually from a roster of territories and nations including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Bonaire, the Cayman Islands, Grenada, Haiti, Montserrat, the Netherlands, St Kitts and Nevis, Sint Maarten, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Personnel from the CARPHA Medical Microbiology Laboratory (CMML), based across CARPHA’s three regional campuses, also contributed to workshop discussions and activities.

    In her opening remarks to attendees, CARPHA Executive Director Dr. Lisa Indar emphasized the non-negotiable role of robust laboratory systems in safeguarding regional population health. “Public health laboratories remain one of the most critical foundations of regional health security,” Dr. Indar stated. “The ability to rapidly detect a pathogen, confirm an outbreak, identify antimicrobial resistance, share reliable data, and refer specimens safely can determine how effectively we protect our populations.”

    Dr. Gabriel M Gonzalez Escobar, Assistant Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control (SDPC) and Head of the CMML, echoed this sentiment, highlighting that sustained regional collaboration is the only way to address evolving transboundary health threats. “The CariPHLN meeting provides a critical opportunity for laboratories and public health professionals from across the Caribbean to come together, share experiences, and strengthen the regional systems that protect our populations,” Dr. Gonzalez Escobar explained. “As health threats continue to evolve, collaboration, timely data sharing, and laboratory excellence remain essential to safeguarding the health security of our Member States.”

    A central focus of this year’s workshop was closing the gap between laboratory-generated data and timely, evidence-based public health intervention. Attendees explored actionable strategies to improve tracking of regional laboratory capacity, streamline specimen submission and transportation protocols, and strengthen cross-border data-sharing infrastructure. The workshop also served to expand awareness of two key CARPHA tools: the Regional Integrated Early Warning Surveillance and Response System (RIEWSS), which consolidates multiple surveillance data streams to enable earlier outbreak detection and coordinated response, and SENAITE, a cloud-based Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) designed to optimize laboratory workflows, centralize data management, and facilitate secure information exchange.

    Beyond data infrastructure, discussions centered on top regional health security priorities, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR) monitoring, tuberculosis surveillance and diagnostic access, preparedness for measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, biorisk management protocols, improvements to cross-border specimen referral, and the integration of laboratory data into public health decision-making processes. Participants also exchanged on-the-ground national experiences in outbreak response and capacity building, collaboratively identifying concrete next steps to advance network goals across the region.

    The 2026 workshop built on measurable progress delivered since the 2025 gathering, including strengthened CariPHLN governance through regular executive committee meetings, renewed activity across all Technical Advisory Groups, the launch of a dedicated AMR Technical Advisory Group, expanded regional diagnostic capacity, improved overall pandemic preparedness, targeted workforce and institutional capacity building, harmonized technical standards across member states, upgraded cross-border specimen referral systems, and enhanced data sharing and communication between national authorities.

    Looking ahead, CARPHA will continue leveraging the CariPHLN network to support Member States in building resilient, sustainable laboratory systems, strengthening regional connectivity, and ensuring high-quality laboratory data drives earlier outbreak detection, faster response, and more robust overall health security across the Caribbean.

    ### Background: The CARPHA Pandemic Fund Project
    CARPHA serves as the Executing Agency for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Project, with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) acting as Implementing Entity. Running from 2024 to 2026, the project’s core mission is to reduce the public health impact of pandemics across the Caribbean through expanded prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) capacity. Its key objectives include building out regional and national pandemic PPR infrastructure, including surveillance and early warning systems, upgraded laboratory networks, and strengthened workforce capacity. By advancing these goals, the project aims to slow the transboundary spread of infectious diseases and improve both regional and global health security. CARPHA is the primary beneficiary of the PF grant, with all CARPHA Member States participating in project activities. More information is available via CARPHA’s official Pandemic Fund webpage.

  • Lakeyia Joseph calls for greater regional cooperation as US$12.55 million fisheries resilience project gets underway

    Lakeyia Joseph calls for greater regional cooperation as US$12.55 million fisheries resilience project gets underway

    As climate change continues to intensify threats to marine ecosystems and fisheries across the Eastern Caribbean, a senior Dominican agriculture official has issued a urgent call for coordinated cross-border action to protect the region’s critical fishing sector. Parliamentary Secretary Lakeyia Joseph, who serves in Dominica’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Blue and Green Economy, made the appeal during the September 15, 2026 official inception meeting for the Climate Change Resilience in the Caribbean Fisheries Sector Project, widely known as CC4FISH-II, hosted in Dominica.

    Backed by $12.55 million in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), CC4FISH-II represents the second phase of a regional initiative designed to help Caribbean fishing communities build long-term adaptive capacity to climate-driven disruptions. Joseph emphasized during her opening remarks that the interconnected nature of climate challenges facing the regional fisheries industry makes isolated national action ineffective. “No single country can address these climate change challenges alone,” Joseph noted, framing the new project as a landmark opportunity to strengthen collaborative frameworks across Eastern Caribbean nations.

    She went on to stress that intentional regional partnerships are foundational to supporting all fisheries stakeholders as they navigate shifting marine conditions, and to safeguarding the millions of livelihoods that rely on a healthy, productive fishing sector across the Caribbean. A core priority of the effort, Joseph added, must be equipping frontline fishing workers with the tangible resources they need to adapt to a changing climate. “We must ensure our fisherfolk, fisheries officers and other stakeholders have access to knowledge, tools, technology and training necessary to operate sustainably in an increasingly challenging climate,” she said.

    Joseph’s call for action comes at a moment of growing crisis for Caribbean fisheries. The sector is already grappling with overlapping threats: declining wild fish stocks, irreversible damage to critical marine habitats such as coral reefs and seagrass beds, and accelerating biodiversity loss. These threats do not only harm marine ecosystems — they put regional food security, tens of thousands of jobs, and broader economic development across small island Caribbean states at severe risk.

    CC4FISH-II is being carried out by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) in formal partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), alongside a network of national and regional implementing partners across the region. The initiative builds on the lessons and progress of the first phase of the program, the original CC4FISH, which ran from 2017 to 2022 and laid the groundwork for expanded climate action in the sector.

    Unlike the first phase, CC4FISH-II will extend its reach to benefit more than 21,800 people across five participating nations: Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. The project will run through 2030, engaging a full spectrum of industry stakeholders including small-scale fisherfolk, boat owners, fish processors, market vendors, cross-border traders, and entire coastal communities. A key equity-focused priority of the initiative is strengthening livelihood resilience and expanding economic opportunities for women and young people, groups that are disproportionately represented in frontline fishing work but often face barriers to resources and decision-making power.

  • UWI Five Islands to Welcome New Students at Matriculation Ceremony Thursday

    UWI Five Islands to Welcome New Students at Matriculation Ceremony Thursday

    The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus is gearing up to officially induct its incoming cohort of students during the 2026 Matriculation and Welcome Ceremony, scheduled for this Thursday. Set to kick off at 4 p.m. at the campus’ on-site gymnasium in Five Islands, Antigua, the formal event comes with a clear dress code for new participants: all students are required to wear formal black bottoms (either skirts or trousers) paired with white blouses or shirts.

    Far more than a simple ceremonial gathering, this event marks the formal acceptance of new students into the broader UWI academic community, and grants attendees the opportunity to recite the centuries-old matriculation pledge that binds students to the institution’s core values and academic standards. The ceremony is deliberately scheduled after students have completed their first few weeks of coursework, orientation programming, and initial adjustment to campus life, allowing new enrollees to already acclimate before their formal induction.

    In a public statement announcing the upcoming event, campus leadership framed the milestone as a moment to solidify students’ new journey: “Your first weeks brought new classes, new faces and probably a few ‘wait … which room?’ moments. Now it’s time to mark the official beginning of your journey.”

    The 2026 matriculation arrives at a time of consistent expansion for the relatively young Antigua-based campus. First opened in 2019 as UWI’s fifth physical campus and the institution’s first new bricks-and-mortar campus in more than 50 years, the Five Islands location held its inaugural matriculation that September, when it formally welcomed its first cohort of 147 students.

    Growth has accelerated rapidly in the years since its launch. In the 2025 admissions cycle, the campus accepted 443 new students from a pool of 750 total applicants – a new record for application volume – pushing the institution’s total enrolment across all programs past the 1,000-student threshold for the first time. To match its growing student body, the campus has also broadened its academic portfolio, adding new programs across high-demand fields including health and behavioural sciences, business administration and management, computer and natural sciences, technology, humanities, and education.

    This Thursday’s ceremony will not only formally recognize the newest cohort joining the expanding campus, it will also underscore the academic and community responsibilities that come with membership in the global UWI network, one of the Caribbean’s most prestigious higher education institutions.

  • PAHO opent toegang tot halfjaarlijkse hiv-preventie-injectie in 14 landen

    PAHO opent toegang tot halfjaarlijkse hiv-preventie-injectie in 14 landen

    Fourteen countries across Latin America are set to expand their HIV prevention toolkit after the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) secured a landmark access agreement with U.S.-based pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences for lenacapavir, a groundbreaking long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) administered just twice per year.

    The deal covers Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, with Suriname excluded from this specific arrangement. Participating nations will be able to purchase the drug through PAHO’s Regional Revolving Fund, a bulk procurement mechanism that aggregates demand across multiple countries to secure lower prices and more reliable supply of critical health products compared to individual national purchases. Before the drug can be rolled out to at-risk populations, each country must still complete national regulatory approval and program implementation processes.

    Unlike traditional oral PrEP that requires daily adherence, lenacapavir is delivered via injection just once every six months. The World Health Organization (WHO) formally endorsed lenacapavir as an additional HIV prevention option in 2025, following clinical trial data published by PAHO showing the drug achieves nearly 100% effectiveness in blocking new HIV infections. This half-yearly dosing model fills a critical gap for people who struggle to maintain daily or frequent dosing schedules required by existing prevention methods.

    Public health data underscores the urgent need for expanded prevention tools across the region: PAHO records roughly 140,000 new HIV infections annually in Latin America and the Caribbean. “The Americas have access to increasingly effective tools to prevent HIV, but these innovations only make an impact if they reach the people who need them most,” said PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa. He noted the new agreement will help narrow gaps in access to lenacapavir and give countries more flexible options to expand their prevention outreach. This procurement arrangement operates alongside existing voluntary licensing agreements for lenacapavir that already cover 24 Latin American and Caribbean nations, as part of a broader global access program reaching 120 countries worldwide.

    In a complementary commitment included in the deal, Gilead has agreed to pursue technology transfer to Brazil to enable local manufacturing of lenacapavir in the future. No firm timeline or specific operational structure for local production has been finalized, but PAHO projects that regional manufacturing will boost long-term drug availability and create more sustainable, affordable procurement pathways for the region.

    Rollout of lenacapavir into national HIV programs will proceed in a phased, gradual manner. Participating countries will need to update national public health regulations and clinical treatment guidelines, train healthcare workers on administration and patient support, and adapt existing care systems to integrate the new prevention option.

    Lenacapavir will complement existing HIV prevention tools currently available across the region, including daily and on-demand oral PrEP, another long-acting injectable option called cabotegravir, and condoms. PAHO frames the expansion of prevention options as a core part of regional efforts to cut new infection rates further and achieve the global target of ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030.

  • According to the World Bank, Haiti retains real assets for building a sustainable recovery (report)

    According to the World Bank, Haiti retains real assets for building a sustainable recovery (report)

    In a newly published assessment of Haiti’s struggling economy released on September 14, 2026, the World Bank has drawn a nuanced picture of the Caribbean nation’s trajectory, acknowledging years of devastating contraction while outlining underutilized assets that could form the foundation of a sustainable long-term recovery. Titled *Haiti: Growth Trajectory Amidst Heightened Risks*, the report lays bare the deep-seated economic challenges that have plagued Haiti for decades, while also identifying actionable pathways to reverse decades of decline if bold structural reforms are prioritized.

    Over the past 20 years, Haiti’s economic performance has lagged far behind regional peers, with the report confirming seven consecutive years of negative real growth through 2025. Between 2010 and 2025, per capita real GDP dropped by roughly 17%, leaving 2023 purchasing power parity (PPP) adjusted GDP per capita at just $3,281 — 15% of the average for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the lowest ranking in the entire region. Poverty rates have continued to climb alongside economic contraction: the World Bank estimates that 49% of Haitians lived below the $3.00 per day international poverty line in 2025, up from 44.6% in 2023, with projections pointing to further increases through 2026.

    Against this grim backdrop, the report emphasizes that deep-seated underperformance has obscured the country’s significant untapped economic potential. One of Haiti’s core competitive advantages is its large, young and growing workforce, complemented by a geographically strategic location positioned close to major North American consumer markets. The country’s extensive global diaspora also acts as a major economic pillar: remittances hit a record $4.4 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, accounting for Haiti’s largest single source of foreign currency. Haiti’s agricultural sector, which employs nearly half of the national workforce, also holds substantial untapped potential for high-value export crops including cocoa, vetiver, mangoes and coffee, though the report notes the sector currently receives less than 1% of all formal commercial credit, holding back expansion.

    “While security is a non-negotiable prerequisite for economic recovery, Haiti must simultaneously advance policies to tackle interconnected emerging challenges: creating gainful employment, managing shifting migration patterns, stabilizing volatile remittance flows, and expanding market access for Haitian exports,” explained Anne-Lucie Lefebvre, World Bank Country Manager for Haiti. “The World Bank remains committed to supporting Haiti to mobilize additional development resources, deepen international partnerships, and implement targeted reforms that strengthen national institutions.”

    The report outlines four core structural challenges that Haiti must address through concrete policy action to unlock recovery. First, the country must prioritize large-scale job creation, particularly for young people, whose lack of economic opportunity has been a key driver of widespread insecurity. Ongoing conflict has displaced nearly 1.5 million people internally, disrupting supply chains, spurring runaway inflation, and cutting off communities from access to essential services. Without a structural solution to mass unemployment, the report warns Haiti risks permanent economic fragmentation, with geographically separate regions cut off from shared growth.

    Second, Haiti must develop coordinated systems to manage the return of displaced populations. Internally displaced people already account for roughly 12% of the national population, and the country has also absorbed large waves of expelled Haitians from the Dominican Republic — more than 25,000 in May 2026 alone. Adding to this pressure is the uncertain legal status of roughly 350,000 Haitians holding Temporary Protected Status in the United States. These large population movements have stretched public service delivery systems to breaking point, but the report notes that improved management could turn this challenge into an opportunity, by leveraging the skills and experience of returning migrants to fuel recovery.

    Third, policymakers must address the growing volatility of remittance inflows, which make up the backbone of Haiti’s foreign exchange supply. With 79% of all remittances originating in the United States in 2025, Haiti is extremely vulnerable to shifts in U.S. policy. A new 1% excise tax on cash-funded remittance transfers went into effect in January 2026, and any reduction in outward migration combined with increased migrant returns could put severe downward pressure on foreign currency inflows, further weakening the already fragile economy.

    Fourth, Haiti must secure long-term expanded access to global commercial markets to protect its remaining industrial base. The HOPE/HELP trade legislation, which granted duty-free access to the U.S. market for Haiti’s textile sector, expired in September 2025. A four-month period of full tariffs preceded a retroactive extension approved in February 2026, but this temporary extension is set to expire on December 31, 2026. Securing long-term preferential trade access, while diversifying into new export markets, is critical to preserving Haiti’s textile and apparel industrial base.

    “To restart sustained growth against the backdrop of the heightened risks that define Haiti’s current economic climate, the country must implement macro-fiscal and governance reforms that will deliver stability regardless of short-term security outcomes, roll out a costed investment program for the Northern and Southern economic corridors that can launch immediately, and reconnect the national capital to regional supply chains — the most difficult and pressing short-term constraint,” noted Bernard James Haven, Senior World Bank Economist for Haiti.

  • ABTA Urged to Target Changing Traveller Interests Beyond Beaches

    ABTA Urged to Target Changing Traveller Interests Beyond Beaches

    Against a backdrop of shifting global travel consumer behavior, travel and creative communications industry leader Sarah Mair has laid out a new strategic roadmap for Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism sector, urging stakeholders to reorient their marketing and product development approaches to meet evolving visitor demands. Mair, who leads boutique creative communications firm The Fitting Room as founder and managing director, opened her address to tourism stakeholders by posing three core questions that every destination brand must answer to build long-term loyalty: “It’s why do you want to come to us, why do you want to stay with us, and why will you keep coming back to us?”

    A key observation from Mair’s analysis is the growing traveler demand for hyper-personalized travel experiences that align with individual identities, hobbies, and daily lifestyles, rather than one-size-fits-all packaged holidays. Among the fastest-growing niche travel segments she highlighted is solo female travel, a market driven by a rising cohort of professional women with independent disposable income, who are increasingly choosing to travel alone or join interest-focused group trips. Currently, Antigua and Barbuda focuses much of its tourism marketing on traditional couple-centric getaways; Mair argues that developing targeted marketing campaigns and specialized activities for solo female travelers could unlock significant new growth for the destination.

    Beyond product segmentation, Mair called attention to a paradigm shift in how travel consumers discover and trust new destinations. As public trust in large technology platforms and mainstream traditional advertising continues to erode, private word-of-mouth recommendations shared through closed personal networks like WhatsApp groups have become far more influential in driving travel decisions. “That’s the kind of unseen co-sign that every brand needs at the moment,” Mair explained. “As big technology and innovation get bigger, our trust gets smaller.”

    To help destinations allocate resources effectively amid uncertain economic conditions, Mair recommended adopting an 80-20 resource allocation framework: 80 percent of marketing and product development budgets should go toward retaining loyal repeat visitors, while the remaining 20 percent can be used to test new markets, experimental digital platforms, and innovative tourism experiences. She emphasized that travel brands cannot rely on a single universal marketing strategy, noting that different age groups respond to vastly different messaging and communication channels. For context, she pointed to the contrast within her own family: her 88-year-old grandmother, a loyal repeat traveler who prefers traditional outreach, and her 26-year-old sister, who discovers travel inspiration through Gen Z-focused platforms including Snapchat and Substack.

    Mair also issued a critical warning about emerging economic headwinds that could reshape global travel demand in the coming years. Persistent high inflation and the gradual erosion of the global middle class, she argued, will likely dampen consumer demand for premium and luxury travel experiences. To navigate this uncertainty, she said destination stakeholders must continuously track shifts in consumer spending priorities and consumer behavior, while proactively identifying fast-growing emerging visitor segments to offset potential declines in traditional markets.

    Closing her address to local tourism leaders, Mair framed her input as a push for constructive evolution rather than criticism: “We’re going to be here to make you a little uncomfortable, drive some curiosity and ask some harder questions,” she said.

  • Creative Grant Fund gets going after year-long wait

    Creative Grant Fund gets going after year-long wait

    After a year of coordination, funding adjustments, and application screening, the Government of Saint Lucia has officially begun distribution of the long-awaited Creative Economy Grant Fund (CEGF), a initiative designed to empower local creative workers across multiple artistic disciplines. The program was first unveiled to the public in August of the previous year, when the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industries and Culture launched an open call for applications, inviting creators of all experience levels to pursue the transformative opportunity the fund offers. The program offers maximum individual grants of up to EC$10,000, aimed at helping both emerging and established creatives advance their artistic projects—from dancers and independent filmmakers to writers and visual artists, spanning nearly every major creative sector in the island nation.

    When the program was first announced, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre allocated an initial EC$350,000 to support the initiative. But government officials quickly found that the original budget was far insufficient to match the overwhelming response from creative communities across Saint Lucia. By the time applications closed, the Ministry had received more than 1,000 submissions requesting a combined total of EC$8.2 million in funding—far outstripping the initial allocation.

    At the official press launch for the fund rollout held Tuesday, Creative Industries Minister Dr Ernest Hilaire shared details of the program’s bumpy development path. Recognizing the gap between available funding and widespread demand, Hilaire approached the Prime Minister to request additional budget to support more eligible applicants. Following discussions between the minister and Prime Minister Pierre, an extra EC$1 million was secured from an undisclosed funding source to expand the program’s total budget. However, negotiating this additional allocation and finalizing administrative processes extended the waiting period for applicants.

    Speaking to assembled grant recipients, journalists, and ministry staff, Hilaire acknowledged the extended wait for early applicants, noting that the extended timeline had been frustrating for both applicants and program administrators. “In all fairness, for some individuals who applied very early, it’s been a long wait. And in the public service, our duty is to serve,” Hilaire said. “We were frustrated with the process. But sometimes we just have to understand that things take time and processes have to be followed.”

    Following the approval of the national budget in April, a total of 350 creatives were selected to receive grants, with awardees spread across categories including music, visual arts, crafts, film, design, literary arts, community creative projects, traditional folk arts, and theatre. Disbursement of grant cheques to approved applicants began in September, with the ministry working to distribute funds to as many of the 350 selected creatives as possible with the expanded budget. “It really took some time. It’s no fault of yours, it’s no fault of the ministry; we really were trying to get more money to satisfy more of the demands that we had, distributing to as many of the 350,” Hilaire explained.

    For approved applicants planning to import equipment or materials from overseas for their creative projects, formal approval of customs duty exemptions promised under the program is still pending final sign-off from the Saint Lucia Cabinet. Looking ahead, the government has announced plans to establish the CEGF as a permanent annual program to continue supporting the island’s growing creative economy into the future.

  • World Bank team praises ‘Beryl’ recovery works

    World Bank team praises ‘Beryl’ recovery works

    In a joint site visit this Tuesday, senior representatives from the World Bank and the government of Barbados affirmed steady progress on the restoration of the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex breakwater, a critical infrastructure damaged by 2024’s Hurricane Beryl. The inspection, which also covered the impacted sugar berth at the port, came as part of ongoing oversight for the Beryl Emergency Recovery Project, a multi-year initiative backed by a World Bank loan that combines financial support and technical expertise to rebuild the island nation’s fishing sector.

  • Christian Union Primary School marks 20 years of service and educational achievement

    Christian Union Primary School marks 20 years of service and educational achievement

    Two decades after opening its doors to young learners, Christian Union Primary School is preparing to celebrate its remarkable 20-year journey of shaping students and advancing accessible education. The milestone anniversary comes as founding faculty and current staff reflect on the school’s steady growth, enduring community impact, and the lifelong transformations it has facilitated for generations of students.

    Principal Brenda George, who was an integral member of the founding team that launched the institution, recalls that the school welcomed its first cohort of students on September 6, 2006. From its humble early beginnings, the school has undergone substantial growth and positive transformation that few could have predicted at its launch. When it first opened, Christian Union Primary counted just 25 enrolled students and a small teaching staff of three educators. Today, it stands as a established pillar of local primary education, having guided hundreds of students through their primary schooling journey and on to secondary education, university degrees, and even advanced postgraduate research programs.

    In a reflective statement marking the anniversary, George expressed gratitude for the school’s two decades of operation. “As a school, we are thankful to God that you have allowed us to come this far,” she said. “We have seen how this institution has transformed lives.” The principal added that the school community hopes all alumni will look back on their time at Christian Union Primary with a strong sense of pride and genuine appreciation for the foundation it gave them.

    To commemorate this 20-year milestone, the school has organized a special anniversary celebration service open to the entire community. The event is scheduled to take place at 4:30 PM on Sunday, September 20, hosted at the Goodwill Christian Union Church. Beyond being an occasion to give thanks for the school’s progress over the past two decades, the service will also honor the commitment and dedication of the school’s teaching faculty. George emphasized that the institution’s educators have consistently remained deeply dedicated to their mission of student success, and the celebration will shine a special spotlight on the teachers who have served the school since its founding in 2006.

    The anniversary program will also include a series of community-focused activities, including personal reflections from former students, live musical performances, and a choreographed dance routine by the school’s own student dance group. George extended a warm invitation to all members of the public, past students, current parents, and long-time supporters of the school to join in the celebration. “A little bit of something will be happening at that celebration service on Sunday afternoon,” she said, encouraging the broader community to come together and mark the school’s 20 years of educational service and achievement.

  • Classes at the Dominica State College have resumed after dispute resolution, says president Trudy Christian

    Classes at the Dominica State College have resumed after dispute resolution, says president Trudy Christian

    Days of work stoppage by faculty and staff at Dominica State College (DSC) have ended, and the higher education institution has officially resumed normal academic operations, according to the college’s interim leadership.

    Trudy Christian, DSC’s Officer in Charge and Interim President, confirmed the return to regular classes during a live broadcast interview on state-owned Dominica Broadcasting Service (DBS) radio this Tuesday.

    The industrial action that disrupted academic activities last week was not rooted solely in salary disputes, as a college staff member previously told local outlet Dominica News Online (DNO). For years, employees have raised a series of unaddressed concerns, many dating back to the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria. These include lingering infrastructure damage, years-long delays in confirming permanent appointments for long-serving lecturers, the absence of regular salary reviews, and extended vacancies for critical administrative roles such as Bursar and Human Resource Manager. This backlog of unmet demands first led to faculty and staff industrial action back in 2021.

    “We are now anticipating a full return to all regular academic programs,” Christian stated in the interview. “Over the past week, industrial action by our faculty and staff interrupted the delivery of classes to our student body.”

    However, Christian outlined that productive negotiations held between the DSC Board of Governors, college management, and the staff union on Monday resolved many of the sticking points, formalizing preliminary agreements reached the prior week that address core union demands. With the work stoppage now fully suspended, Christian is calling on all students to re-engage with their studies.

    “The industrial action has come to a halt, and we urge all students to seize this opportunity to continue pursuing their educational goals,” she said. She extended particular encouragement to first-semester new students, who faced disappointment when their college experience began amid last week’s disruption. “We want new students to settle into campus this week and commit to their academic journey working alongside DSC’s lecturers,” she added.

    This year’s incoming freshman cohort numbers 616, and Christian confirmed that all new and returning second-year students are expected to attend their regularly scheduled classes immediately.

    Breaking down the key issues that prompted the work stoppage, Christian explained that one major point of contention was the unimplemented 3% salary increase owed to faculty and staff under a national public sector agreement. The three-year triennium agreement between the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) and the government, running from 2023 to 2026, outlined staggered salary increases of 3%, 2%, and 3% for all public officers, including DSC employees. DSC was able to roll out the first two increments, but financial constraints blocked the final 3% raise.

    A second outstanding issue was the completion of a long-delayed staff reclassification exercise. Third, the college still has unfinished infrastructure repairs, most notably the campus auditorium, which sustained damage years ago. Christian also noted that additional concerns around faculty appointment confirmations and a government consultancy project for the college were also raised during negotiations.

    Christian stressed that all core demands have now been formally addressed, with the Government of Dominica stepping in to meet the funding gap. The government has committed to increasing its annual subvention to DSC to cover the extra payroll cost of the outstanding 3% salary increase and fully implement the staff reclassification process, a pledge it first made last week.

    For the long-delayed auditorium renovation, the Ministry of Education has committed to finalizing the public tendering process for the project, as funding for the work has already been allocated in this year’s national budget. “These are the major substantive issues that were raised, and this is how each has been resolved moving forward,” Christian confirmed.