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As Barbados prepares to kick off a new academic year, a homegrown private sector firm has stepped forward to deliver critical support to vulnerable children – and is now calling on fellow businesses to join the growing movement to ease the financial burden on low-income Barbadian families.

Packaging Centre Ltd., a local Barbadian business, has quietly run its back-to-school assistance initiative for years, flying under the public radar until now. The company recently held a small handover ceremony to distribute school supplies and nutritious snacks to children facing economic hardship, marking the first time the program has been highlighted publicly.

Warehouse manager Simon Cho, who led the event with Minister of Legal Affairs and Criminal Justice Michael Lashley, also the Member of Parliament for the City of Bridgetown, in attendance, shared that the project first launched in 2022 in partnership with the Honourable Kirk Humphrey. For the past three years, the team intentionally kept their efforts private, but made a deliberate choice to go public this term to catalyze broader collective action.

“We first started this back in 2022 with the Honourable Kirk Humphrey. We’ve been doing this for multiple years, but we never put it in the news,” Cho told reporters. “The decision to speak publicly now is so that we can get other companies to come together and start doing this on a bigger scale.”

The donation focuses on the fundamental tools children need to thrive in the classroom, including backpacks, textbooks, writing instruments, and other core supplies that many low-income families struggle to afford ahead of the new term. Beyond direct assistance, Cho emphasized that cross-sector collaboration between private businesses and the government is the only sustainable way to meet widespread community needs.

“It’s important that the private sector and government work together because we can’t put all the pressure on government to do everything,” Cho explained. “It’s important that the private sector pick up and help as much as they can within our means, obviously, and do our part to move Barbados forward, especially when it comes to investing in our children, the foundation of our nation.”

Minister Lashley, whose constituency covers Bridgetown, hailed Packaging Centre as a model of responsible corporate citizenship, noting that the program fills a critical gap for vulnerable families across the capital and surrounding urban areas. Lashley added that he expects the initiative can grow into a coordinated partnership between elected representatives and private businesses to expand support to more communities across the parish of St Michael.

“I first got a call from the Packaging Centre in relation to this programme. I said, you know what, this would be a good relationship, where you have the MP for the City and other MPs throughout the urban corridor where there’s a need for this type of programme that I can partner with,” Lashley said, adding that parents across Bridgetown and neighboring districts have already expressed strong appreciation for the effort.

The MP also announced that his own constituency office will launch its independent back-to-school support program next Monday in Bridgetown, noting that growing corporate participation both expands the number of families that can be reached and encourages more businesses to contribute to the cause.

“I am pleased that other corporate companies are coming forward too. I must say that we also are about to launch our own back-to-school programme, I think on Monday in the City too,” Lashley said. “We welcome this because not only would it raise the volume [of support], but it also creates the awareness to entice and to attract more businesses to come forward to engage in this positive activity.”

Against a backdrop of rising economic hardship and reduced outreach from other charitable groups, one of Barbados’ leading youth-focused nonprofits has expanded its annual back-to-school assistance program dramatically this year, allocating a record budget to support hundreds of vulnerable students across the island. The Eden Lodge Youth Charitable Trust announced this week that total spending on its 2026 back-to-school initiative will exceed BDS $459 000, marking a 23.8% increase compared to the program’s 2025 budget.

Trust President and Chief Executive Officer Dwayne Grazetti shared the updated figures Wednesday during a formal school supply handover ceremony hosted at Cloister Bookstore in central Bridgetown, noting that unmet demand for aid has surged after several other major local charities, including the Salvation Army, paused their own annual back-to-school assistance programs this year. “We’re not just receiving requests from struggling parents and guardians alone,” Grazette explained to attendees. “Principals, school guidance counselors, and even ordinary members of the public have reached out on behalf of children they know who cannot afford basic school essentials.”

In 2026, the trust is extending support to 669 at-risk students enrolled across 84 Barbadian institutions, covering every education level from nursery through secondary school. An additional 65 students making the critical transition from primary to secondary education are also included in the program. The comprehensive package of assistance goes beyond basic supplies to include everything students need to fully participate in school life: new school uniforms, approved textbooks, durable backpacks, formal school shoes, athletic sneakers, stationery, art supplies, and coverage of required educational fees.

Uniform allocations are tailored to student needs: returning pupils receive one to two new uniforms, while first-year secondary students get two to three sets to support their full transition. Grazette outlined the range of challenging circumstances driving the growing demand for aid, noting that many recipient families face systemic barriers that make covering school costs impossible. “Many families are affected by unemployment, chronic illness, and stagnant low incomes. Some children have lost not one but both parents, while others live with guardians because their parents are seriously ill, incarcerated, or otherwise unable to care for them,” he said. “We must never look down on a family because of their needs. None of us knows what tomorrow may bring.”

At the core of the trust’s mission, Grazette emphasized, is a simple, non-negotiable principle: no child should be barred from accessing education simply because their family cannot afford basic school supplies and uniforms. He also extended public thanks to all partner organizations and the Government of Barbados for their collaborative support of the initiative.
Adrian Forde, Barbados’ Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, told ceremony attendees that the program delivers far more than material goods – it invests in the long-term leadership potential of the island’s youth. “This work of giving our young people access to knowledge goes far beyond any single financial investment,” Forde said. “It is the ability to create the global leaders that Barbados needs for the future. It gives young people the ability to look beyond their current circumstances and imagine a world where they can thrive, thanks to a quality education.”

Forde also highlighted the critical role of cross-sector collaboration in expanding access to support, noting that government alone cannot meet all the growing needs of vulnerable communities. “People truly appreciate this partnership because the government cannot do it alone,” he said. “There must be partnership between public and private groups, and the power of that partnership comes from working together toward a shared goal.” He closed by encouraging recipient students to embrace hard work, personal discipline, and a spirit of service as they begin the new school year.

Mark Pendry, a trustee with the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust – one of the initiative’s major funders – confirmed that his organization has dramatically increased its back-to-school giving this year in response to the surge in demand across Barbados. “The call for assistance has been overwhelming this year, so we’ve pledged over $100 000 to this single project, which is part of our total annual $350 000 donation to the Eden Lodge trust,” Pendry explained. “Normally, our total annual budget for all back-to-school initiatives across the island is around $250 000. This year, we’ve pledged and donated $500 000 – that gives you a clear sense of how much unmet need there is right now, and we’re here to help as best we can.”

While requests for support are pouring in from a wide range of community groups, churches, and other nonprofits, Pendry said the core focus of all giving remains unchanged: supporting children’s access to education. “We’re here for the children. Education is the cornerstone of any strong society and community, and giving children the fair start in life that they deserve is incredibly important – it’s a core value of everything we do,” he added.

Ian Mayers, finance manager at co-sponsor Carib LPG, echoed that sentiment, noting that his company’s support aligns with its longstanding commitment to corporate social responsibility across Barbados. “At Carib LPG, we firmly believe that education is one of the most powerful tools for transforming lives and creating equal opportunity,” Mayers said. “By investing in our young people today, we are helping to build a brighter future for Barbados tomorrow. Our support of the Eden Lodge Youth Charitable Trust reflects that core commitment: every child deserves the chance to succeed.”

Kim Grant, personal banking manager at Scotiabank’s Broad Street branch, added that the bank was proud to partner with the trust, and extended well wishes to all students starting the new academic year. Robert Griffith, deputy director of host venue Cloister Bookstore, used the event to issue a call to action for other local businesses, urging enterprises that have the capacity to give to partner with the trust to expand assistance even further in coming years.

Following the formal handover ceremony, recipient students were treated to ice cream at the Agape Factory, hosted courtesy of the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust, as they prepared to begin the new school year with all the supplies they need to succeed.