Carib Scope

分类： society

  • $340K Water Equipment to Hook up Homes in 15 Villages

    $340K Water Equipment to Hook up Homes in 15 Villages

    On a ceremonial handover held Monday, the Belizean government has distributed roughly $340,000 BZ worth of critical water system equipment and maintenance supplies to 15 rural communities spread across three districts: Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development & Local Government, includes a broad range of essential assets to upgrade and expand community-run water access, from large storage tanks, connecting piping and water meters to general plumbing materials, drainage culverts, and maintenance tools such as weed eaters and a commercial lawnmower.

    Addressing attendees at the event, Rosaura Chan, president of the National Association of Village Councils, framed the handover as both a transformative opportunity and a collective obligation for recipient communities. “The true value of these resources will not be measured by what is received today, but by how well they are maintained and how many lives they continue to improve in the years ahead,” Chan remarked. She also emphasized the foundational role of rural communities to national strength, noting, “The strength of Belize is not found only in towns and cities. It is found in our villages.”

    In remarks that carried clear political overtones, cabinet minister Oscar Requena drew a sharp contrast between the current administration and the previous 13-year rule of the United Democratic Party (UDP). Requena directly questioned event attendees, asking repeatedly if the former government ever delivered comparable infrastructure investments to rural villages, before concluding that such a commitment to rural communities “never” happened under UDP leadership. Requena also pushed back against growing calls to transfer management of all rural water systems to the national utility Belize Water Services, arguing that community-governed water boards keep revenue and resources local to directly benefit residents. As evidence of this model’s success, he pointed to two rural communities, San Antonio in Toledo and Hopkins, which have paid off tens of thousands in collective debt and built up significant community savings after installing community-managed metered systems.

    Osmond Martinez, the area representative for the district that includes three of the 15 beneficiary villages, Bladen, San Isidro, and Bella Vista, highlighted the urgent unmet need driving the investment. Martinez noted that Bella Vista has experienced an unprecedented 88% population growth between 2010 and 2022 – a faster rate of expansion than any other village in Belize’s history – leaving dozens of local homes still without access to piped running water.

    Fellow cabinet minister Dr. Louis Zabaneh closed out official remarks by reaffirming the current government’s commitment to directing public and donor funding toward rural community needs. “It is important for us to continue to give as much as we can to our communities and to our people, because that is what the balance is,” Zabaneh said. “It is by what we’re doing, by taking the taxpayers’ money, by taking grant funds, loan funds, or whatever it is, and using it properly and the right way.”

  • Dominican-authored book on Caribbean World War II history helps individuals link to family in St Lucia

    Dominican-authored book on Caribbean World War II history helps individuals link to family in St Lucia

    Historical research often uncovers forgotten battles and little-known military operations, but a newly released book on German U-boat activity in the Caribbean during World War II has delivered an unexpected, heartwarming result: reconnecting two branches of a divided family across Dominica and St. Lucia.

    Author Clement Richards’ latest work, *Sea Wolves in Warm Waters: The U-Boat Battle in the Caribbean*, explores the underdocumented impact of Nazi submarine attacks on Caribbean waters and the local people caught up in the global conflict. Far from staying confined to its pages, the publication has already sparked unexpected personal revelations that align with its core mission, Richards shared in a recent official press statement.

    The story of the reconnection began on June 13, 2026, when Richards appeared as a guest on DBS Radio’s popular current affairs program *Connecting the Dots*. During the interview, he walked listeners through the untold experiences of Caribbean merchant seamen who served and died during the war, highlighting the case of McWilliam Hector, a Dominican sailor killed in a 1944 U-boat torpedo attack.

    Within days of the broadcast, 76-year-old Annaclette Theresa Hector-Leslie from Paix Bouche, Dominica, reached out to Richards by phone to share a life-changing revelation: she was one of Hector’s surviving daughters. This new contact solved a months-long search for a man who had spent years looking for his father’s side of the family. The information Hector-Leslie provided will soon be shared with R. Walcott Everette, a St. Lucia resident who is also Hector’s son.

    Everette first launched his public search for his Dominican relatives earlier this year. On April 28, 2026, he left a comment on a Facebook post from the popular page *I Love St. Lucia*, which was sharing news of the upcoming release of Richards’ book. In his comment, Everette explained he had been born shortly before his father’s ship was attacked and sunk in 1944. Raised only by his mother, he knew his father was originally from Dominica and had spent decades hoping to trace his paternal family roots on the island.

    For Richards, the accidental reconnection is far more than a charming coincidence—it is proof that the deeper purpose of his work is already being realized. While the book’s primary focus is documenting the scope of German U-boat operations across the Caribbean between 1939 and 1945, it was also always intended to center the human cost of the conflict, lifting up the personal stories of affected families that have been left out of most mainstream military histories.

    Public reaction to the book has repeatedly reinforced this core truth: the Caribbean’s World War II experience is not just a story of ships and submarines, but of ordinary people who played active roles in the global war. “The Caribbean was not on the sidelines of World War II,” Richards emphasized. “Our people served, suffered, and sacrificed. Some never returned home. The story of Mr. McWilliam Hector is one of those stories, and I am deeply moved that this book has played even a small part in helping his children reconnect with that history and with each other.”

    This unexpected outcome perfectly illustrates the power of local historical research to recover lost memories and bridge generational and geographic gaps for modern families, Richards noted. A central goal of the book is to spark broader public conversation about the Caribbean’s forgotten wartime role and encourage communities to uncover the full stories behind the names in official historical records.

    *Sea Wolves in Warm Waters* is Richards’ second published book, following his debut work *Indian Warner: Son of Two Worlds*. The new release continues to draw widespread attention across the Caribbean for shining a light on a dramatic, yet long-overlooked chapter of the region’s modern history.

  • Belizean Deported After Leading Hunger Strike in ICE Jail

    Belizean Deported After Leading Hunger Strike in ICE Jail

    In a move that has reignited debates over immigration detention conditions and retaliation against activist detainees, a Belizean man who emerged as a key organizer of a high-profile hunger strike at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in California has been deported back to his home country. Immigrant rights organizations are calling the deportation an act of retaliation for Kyron Shakeel Swaso’s public criticism of abusive and unsanitary conditions inside the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.

    Per accounts from local outlet CALÒ News and legal nonprofit Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), Swaso’s removal followed a pattern of improper transfers to detention facilities in Texas and Louisiana, carried out in what advocates say is violation of existing legal requirements. His deportation came fewer than 14 days after he held a meeting with members of the U.S. Congress, where he helped deliver a formal petition signed by 150 fellow detainees detailing systemic poor conditions at the Adelanto site.

    The document signed by detainees raised multiple serious allegations: toxic mould growth in holding areas, contaminated drinking water supplies, insufficient and low-quality food, and persistent barriers to accessing necessary medical care. In a final statement released before his deportation, Swaso emphasized the demands of the protesting detainees. “We want this place shut down and we want to be released… Our due process rights are being violated. They are using taxpayer dollars to abuse immigrants. The things they say publicly do not match what we are living through,” he said.

    ImmDef’s legal team has pushed back against the government’s process, confirming that Swaso was transferred out of California without the mandatory advance notice required under a federal court order. The organization argues the irregular transfers and subsequent deportation were explicitly retaliatory measures targeting Swaso for his leadership in the hunger strike and his willingness to bring detention abuses to national attention.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the federal agency that oversees ICE, has confirmed Swaso’s deportation but forcefully rejected all claims of retaliation. According to remarks shared with DemocracyNow, DHS stated that Swaso had already received a final, legally binding order of removal, and his transfer and deportation followed standard operating procedures for immigration removal cases. The agency also outlined background on Swaso’s immigration history: he entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2019, and overstayed the terms of his visa. DHS additionally claimed Swaso faced a series of criminal charges, including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, illegal firearm possession, and drug possession.

    ImmDef has pushed back against these criminal allegations, countering that the only charges on record against Swaso are minor drug offenses that were ultimately dismissed and cleared through post-conviction relief processes. The organization says Swaso has no other active convictions on his record.

    Beyond the dispute over Swaso’s deportation, DHS has also denied that any hunger strike is currently ongoing at the Adelanto facility, and rejected all allegations of systemic abuse against detainees. This official denial stands in direct contradiction to claims from current detainees and immigrant rights advocates, who have repeatedly documented poor conditions at the site. Local reporting from CALÒ News has recorded at least four detainee deaths at the Adelanto facility in recent years, further fueling calls for independent oversight and facility closure.

  • Browne Says Antigua and Barbuda Near Full Employment, Calls for New Labour Survey

    Browne Says Antigua and Barbuda Near Full Employment, Calls for New Labour Survey

    Antigua and Barbuda is currently operating at near-full employment, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who has publicly committed the government to commissioning an updated national labour market survey to capture accurate, up-to-date workforce dynamics. Speaking during a parliamentary question-and-answer session, Browne acknowledged that the most recent comprehensive analysis of the country’s labour market dates back to between 2016 and 2017, leaving policymakers without the granular, current data needed to shape evidence-based employment policy. While formal statistical data is overdue for a refresh, Browne noted that on-the-ground and anecdotal observations paint a clear picture of a tight labour market, with the country hitting a near-full employment threshold. As primary evidence of robust labour demand, Browne highlighted the consistent stream of new arrivals to the twin-island nation who are able to secure employment almost immediately upon entry. “In fact, there are people coming into this country literally on a daily basis and obtaining employment,” he told parliament.

    Beyond the strong overall employment picture, however, the prime minister outlined a growing, persistent challenge that is disrupting local industries: a rising reluctance among native-born Antiguans and Barbudans to take on open roles that align with their existing qualifications. Browne framed this trend as an emerging cultural shift that is creating widespread staffing shortages across multiple key sectors of the national economy. “We have a developing cultural problem within the society,” he said. Local employers across critical service industries including retail, private security, domestic work and hospitality have consistently reported struggles to fill open entry-level and skilled positions with local workers, even as unemployment remains near historic lows. The surge in demand for foreign labour has been reflected in a sharp uptick in work permit applications across the country. In response to this trend, the national Cabinet recently moved to centralize the work permit approval process to streamline applications, but Browne confirmed that many businesses continue to face major challenges recruiting local candidates for open roles.

    Synthesizing his observations of the current labour market, Browne argued that the small number of working-age people who remain out of work are largely not unemployed due to a lack of available jobs. “I’m pretty convinced that we practically have full employment and that those who are not employed is that they’re either not willing to work or they’re unavailable to work,” he concluded.

  • BARNUFO, CFPA pay tribute to Dr Shelly-Ann Cox

    BARNUFO, CFPA pay tribute to Dr Shelly-Ann Cox

    Two leading industry bodies in Barbados’ fishing sector are honoring the life and legacy of Dr Shelly-Ann Cox, the nation’s Chief Fisheries Officer, who passed away recently. The Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisations (BARNUFO) and the Central Fish Processors Association (CFPA), both led by president Vernel Nicholls, have issued public statements of grief and tribute to the late public servant.

    In statements released jointly on behalf of both organizations, Nicholls extended heartfelt condolences to Dr Cox’s immediate family, close friends, professional colleagues and all those who knew her well. He remembered Dr Cox as an unwaveringly committed public servant whose decades of work left an indelible, positive mark on the entire Barbadian fishing industry.

    Nicholls emphasized that Dr Cox left the community far too early in her career, highlighting the depth of expertise, steady leadership and contagious passion she brought to advancing the nation’s fisheries every day. He specifically noted her consistent advocacy for adopting new technology, scaling innovative practices and creating more opportunities for young people to join and lead the sector.

    Among Dr Cox’s most critical contributions, Nicholls pointed to her work in disaster preparedness and post-storm recovery for fishing communities. After Hurricane Beryl swept through the region, Dr Cox worked around the clock to educate fishers on critical hurricane safety protocols, while pulling together cross-stakeholder collaboration, streamlining inter-agency communication and coordination, organizing critical logistics and leading on-the-ground recovery efforts. Her long-term goal was to build a more resilient, forward-looking framework for disaster risk management that would protect the fishing sector for future generations.

    “As we mourn this devastating loss, we sincerely pray that divine strength and comforting peace will surround Dr Cox’s family, friends, co-workers, and all fisherfolk leaders across the country in this difficult time,” Nicholls added.

  • Edeeste illuminates main access to Higüey with RD$8.2 million investment

    Edeeste illuminates main access to Higüey with RD$8.2 million investment

    HIGÜEY, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – The Eastern Electricity Distribution Company (Edeeste) has formally marked the completion of a large-scale public lighting overhaul along the busy Higüey–Yuma highway, a transformative infrastructure project designed to elevate road safety, streamline traffic flow, and strengthen public security across La Altagracia province.

    This infrastructure initiative was not developed in a vacuum: it emerged directly from persistent requests submitted by local residents and community leadership through the Dominican national government’s flagship community engagement platform, the “Government With You” program. The project addresses longstanding concerns about unlit or under-lit stretches of the key intercity corridor, which sees regular traffic from locals, commercial operators, and tourists heading to popular destinations across the province.

    The total investment in the project totals 8.27 Dominican pesos, covering a roughly five-kilometer stretch that runs from the Higüey Mural Roundabout to the junction with the Autovía del Este. As part of the overhaul, Edeeste’s technical teams installed 126 new purpose-built utility poles outfitted with energy-efficient LED lighting fixtures, laid nearly five kilometers of new electrical transmission networks, and installed all required supporting infrastructure, including new transformers and upgraded medium- and low-voltage power lines. In total, the upgraded corridor now boasts more than 130 fully operational streetlights, a dramatic improvement over the previous inadequate system.

    In an official statement following the project’s completion, Edeeste representatives outlined the far-reaching benefits the new lighting system is expected to deliver. Beyond cutting the risk of nighttime traffic collisions and improving overall visibility for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists, the upgrade will boost personal security after dark and polish the public image of Higüey, one of the Dominican Republic’s top tourist and religious destinations that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

    The company confirmed that early feedback from the project has been overwhelmingly positive, with local residents, small business owners, and visiting travelers all welcoming the improved infrastructure. Edeeste also reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to expanding and upgrading electrical and public lighting infrastructure across its service territory, prioritizing projects that directly drive inclusive community development and improve overall quality of life for local populations.

  • Arson displaces forty residents

    Arson displaces forty residents

    On a Monday afternoon, a residential fire traced back to a domestic altercation completely destroyed a seven-unit two-story apartment building on Infant View Road in Nassau, leaving approximately 40 residents homeless and a 39-year-old woman in police custody facing suspicion of starting the blaze.

    Emergency response teams received the distress call shortly before 3 p.m., with three fire units deployed immediately to the scene. When firefighters arrived, aggressive flames had already engulfed much of the stone structure. Crews worked rapidly to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjacent properties, eventually extinguishing the blaze before additional structures were threatened. The upper floor of the building was completely gutted by flames, while lower-level units suffered extensive damage from heat, smoke and water used to douse the fire. Remarkably, no physical injuries were reported among residents or first responders.

    Preliminary investigations by local law enforcement have outlined a clear timeline of events leading up to the disaster. Prior to the fire breaking out, witnesses recorded a heated argument between a male and female believed to be in a romantic relationship. Multiple witnesses stated they observed the female suspect carrying a plastic bottle filled with an unidentified brown liquid shortly before the blaze. Flames were first spotted originating from the suspect’s second-floor apartment in the southeastern corner of the building, and the suspect was later seen fleeing the area west along Infant View Road before being taken into police custody. Of the seven units in the complex, three were occupied by the suspect’s extended family members.

    For many of the displaced residents, the disaster came at a devastatingly pivotal moment. Among those who lost nearly all their possessions is 32-year-old Robin Pierre, a mother of three who had lived in the building for 15 years. Just weeks before she was set to begin a new career as a nurse intern at Nassau’s Princess Margaret Hospital after graduating from the University of The Bahamas nursing program, the fire claimed everything her family owned.

    “We lost cash, all our clothing, critical personal identification documents, every essential household item – our stove, refrigerator, living room furniture, mattresses, everything,” Pierre explained in an interview with The Tribune. “We couldn’t get in to save even a single thing.”

    Despite the overwhelming loss, Pierre emphasized that she counts her family’s safety as the most important outcome. “My first thought was making sure all three of my kids got out unharmed. Once I confirmed everyone was safe, I was just relieved. No one got hurt, that’s what matters,” she said. “The things we lost are just material. They can be replaced. It will take time, but we can rebuild what we lost. Nothing is more important than all of us being okay.”

    Still, the timing of the fire has created significant setbacks for Pierre and her family, who rely on her as their primary breadwinner. Her parents, both senior citizens, live with the family, and her mother lives with a chronic medical condition that requires ongoing care. “All of my nursing scrubs, all of the professional supplies I need for my new job burned. My start date is right around the corner, and I have nothing. This set us back 10 steps, especially for me,” Pierre said. “I’m the one who provides for everyone, so now I have to figure out how we go from nothing to being stable again in just a couple of weeks.”

    Pierre noted that she has worked to stay resilient for her family, framing her role as the steady foundation everyone depends on. “I have to stay strong for all of them. If the person everyone looks to falls apart, what happens to the rest of us?” she said.

    Currently, Pierre and her family are staying in a cramped one-bedroom home with relatives, while they wait for formal assistance from the country’s Department of Social Services. Local community members have already stepped forward to donate groceries, clothing and basic necessities, and Pierre has launched a public appeal for additional support to help her family get back on their feet. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up with a modest target of $5,500, a goal Pierre says she set to avoid placing an undue burden on others.

    “I picked that number because I was being realistic. I just need help covering the first and last month’s rent and security deposit for a new place, and enough to get basic home essentials – a bed, a bedroom set, even secondhand items are fine,” she explained.

    The owner of the apartment building, which has been owned by his family since the 1980s, declined to provide further comment on the fire or the future of the property.

  • Country about 300 teachers short but too many parents ‘disengaged’

    Country about 300 teachers short but too many parents ‘disengaged’

    Nassau, Bahamas – Amid growing public discourse over systemic flaws in the country’s education sector, Bahamas Education Minister Chester Cooper has pushed back against the decades-old perception that Bahamian students collectively earn a “D average”, labeling the pervasive stereotype both factually unfounded and deeply damaging to the nation’s youth. During his address to the ongoing budget debate, Cooper also pulled back the curtain on a critical unaddressed challenge: the country currently faces a shortage of roughly 300 teachers across multiple academic and vocational disciplines.

    Cooper emphasized that there is no statistically valid method to calculate a uniform national grade average for all Bahamian students, even as he acknowledged the widespread label has become a common shorthand for public frustration with longstanding shortcomings in the education system. Rather than focusing exclusively on student test performance, Cooper outlined that the Davis administration’s core mission extends far beyond boosting exam pass rates. The government’s goal, he explained, is to cultivate engaged citizens who possess strong literacy skills, critical thinking capabilities, and effective communication tools to build successful careers and contribute to national development.

    “We have capable young people, many of whom an outdated system has not yet unlocked,” Cooper told lawmakers during his budget contribution. “So, we intend to stop grading only the students, and start grading the system that is meant to serve them, and we will be measured on whether we fix it.”

    The sweeping reform agenda Cooper laid out is backed by a $383.6 million recurrent budget allocation to the Ministry of Education, a commitment the government says reflects its priority of addressing deep-rooted weaknesses in the sector. Cooper did not shy away from acknowledging systemic failures: he admitted that too many Bahamian students are not reading at grade level, struggle to master core mathematics concepts, and graduate secondary school without the technical and soft skills that local employers demand. He also pointed to low parental engagement as a persistent barrier to improvement, noting that many caregivers remain disconnected from their children’s educational progress.

    Even amid these challenges, Cooper struck a confident tone about the country’s ability to deliver meaningful change. “The Bahamas is capable,” he said. “We are not without talent, ideas or resources. What we must bring now is even more focus, more discipline, more urgency, more accountability, more engagement and more partnership. And a willingness to measure success not by speeches, not by photo ops, but by outcomes.”

    A top policy priority for the ministry in the coming year will be building robust systems to track post-graduation outcomes and measure workforce readiness among leaving students. While the ministry will continue its core mandate of issuing academic credentials and preparing young people for the workforce, Cooper stressed that the country must do more to equip graduates to contribute meaningfully to national economic and social life.

    One of the most significant long-term reforms under consideration is the introduction of three distinct secondary school diploma pathways, set to launch in the 2027 academic year. The new framework aligns with international best practices, designed to raise the national secondary graduation rate to 85 percent by 2030 while offering students flexible routes to success that uphold rigorous academic standards. Under the plan, students will be able to select a diploma track that matches their individual strengths, interests and career goals: an academic diploma with an honours distinction for high-achieving students, a vocational diploma focused on career and technical skills, and a specialized diploma for students receiving special education support.

    Turning to immediate operational challenges, Cooper reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving the national teacher shortage ahead of the upcoming school year. He added that the ministry’s top near-term priority is ensuring all schools are fully prepared for reopening, with all necessary campus repairs completed and long-running infrastructure issues resolved. To end the recurring cycle of last-minute emergency repairs every summer, Cooper said the ministry will build out its own in-house maintenance capacity, eliminating the wait for budget allocations that delays critical work ahead of the fall term.

    “Schools should not have to wait until June and then July for budget drawdowns to fix what breaks for September; stronger internal maintenance capacity and process is how we end that cycle,” he explained.

    In a major announcement for technical education in the country, Cooper revealed plans to construct a new, purpose-built campus for the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI). The institution has long outgrown its existing facilities, and Cooper noted that it urgently requires a modern, fit-for-purpose campus to meet growing student demand. The government has already identified a 30-acre plot of land adjacent to Government High School as the proposed site for the project, and has secured $10 million in financing to advance initial planning and design work.

    “Our long-term vision is to create a world-class technical education campus that will serve thousands of students annually and become the centerpiece of technical and vocational education in The Bahamas,” Cooper said. “The full development of this campus is expected to represent an investment of approximately $250 million over several phases.”

  • WATCH: 27-y-o perishes in Manchester house fire

    WATCH: 27-y-o perishes in Manchester house fire

    A devastating late-night house fire in the Greenvale community of Manchester, Jamaica, has claimed the life of a 27-year-old local man and left his visually impaired elderly grandfather without housing, as family members now appeal to the public for support and call for critical infrastructure repairs delayed after a recent hurricane.

    Emergency responders confirmed that the blaze broke out at a residential property on Bethel Street, located just outside the town of Mandeville, shortly after 11 p.m. on Tuesday. The Mandeville Fire Station received the distress call at 11:17 p.m. and immediately dispatched a fire crew to the scene, but crews faced an unexpected barrier when they arrived: a utility pole damaged and toppled by Hurricane Beryl had blocked the only vehicle-accessible road leading to the property.

    According to family member Carlene Ricketts Lewis, the downed pole prevented fire trucks from reaching the house directly, forcing firefighters to haul their hoses through a narrow footpath to reach the burning structure. By the time crews were able to establish a water line and begin attacking the fire, the entire dwelling was already fully engulfed in flames.

    Once the fire was extinguished and crews began systematic cooling operations to clear hot spots, searchers recovered the charred remains of Leonardo Brown, who was also known locally by the nickname Joshua. Relatives have formally identified Brown as the deceased victim.

    The tragedy has left Brown’s 74-year-old blind grandfather, who resided at the property with Brown, completely homeless. Right after the fire, the elderly man moved into a one-bedroom home shared by another sibling, where cramped conditions make long-term stays extremely difficult. Grieving grandaunt Panceta Hutchinson, who is helping coordinate support for the family, explained that the family has no resources to rebuild the lost home or create new stable housing for the elderly grandfather.

    “Right now my brother is staying in my other sibling’s one-bedroom house, so any assistance that can help us rebuild the property would be life-changing — especially because my brother cannot see,” Hutchinson said in an interview amid her family’s grieving process.

    In addition to public appeals for housing and rebuilding support, the family is also calling on the Jamaica Public Service Company to remove the downed utility pole and restore access to the roadway. The blocked route not only delayed the original fire response but continues to cut off access to the property as investigators work to determine the origin of the blaze. As of the latest update, the official cause of the fire remains under active investigation by local authorities.

    Members of the public who wish to donate or provide any form of support to the affected family can contact Hutchinson directly at (876) 806 6104.

  • Food in every fashion

    Food in every fashion

    Last Wednesday, Jamaica’s Terra Nova All Suite Hotel became a hub for culinary innovation and cultural celebration, as emerging young food enthusiasts and seasoned industry leaders gathered for the 2026 Foodie Seminar. Held under the evocative theme “Unbreakable Spirit”, the full-day event featured expert-led panel discussions spanning critical topics from food safety and national food security to small business resilience, artisanal confectionery craft, and the future of Jamaica’s booming culinary sector. The seminar serves as a lead-up to the 27th Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards, the island’s most prestigious annual celebration of culinary excellence, bringing together a diverse roster of 9 expert panellists from across the industry and non-profit space.

    Opening the seminar, veteran food regulatory inspector Allison Richards centered the conversation on one of Jamaica’s most pressing industry challenges: long-term food security. During her presentation, she challenged attendees and the broader public to question whether the island can truly achieve the capacity to feed its own population. Breaking down the four core pillars of food sustainability—availability, access, utilisation, and stability—Richards urged Jamaicans to align their local actions with the 2026 World Food Safety Day theme, “From burden to solution – safe food everywhere”. In a call to action that resonated across the room, she asked: “If every household grew just one thing, what do you think Jamaica would look like? Start with you.”

    Food security and the unbreakable spirit highlighted by the seminar’s theme took center stage in the conversation from Romario Creary and Adrian Wilson, co-founders of the fast-growing Soup King food brand. Just one week before the brand’s planned grand opening in 2025, Category 5 Hurricane Melissa devastated the island, triggering widespread fresh produce shortages and skyrocketing ingredient costs that threatened to sink their new venture. Rather than abandoning their dream, the pair persevered through the crisis, and this year celebrated the launch of their first permanent retail location. Wilson shared the brand’s unlikely origin story: back in 2015, he was operating a local car wash, and began serving homemade soup to waiting customers as a small weekend perk. Today, the car wash is gone, but the soup business has grown into a recognizable local brand. “Opportunity does not always come from creating something new; it can come from something that was always right in front of you,” Wilson told attendees. “Sometimes it comes from improving something very familiar.” Creary emphasized that passion for both product and community, paired with unwavering consistency, are the foundation of long-term success: “In order to innovate, you have to be consistent first…and then you will recognise avenues to innovate; those will come.”

    The conversation shifted to the intersection of food, community empowerment and mental wellbeing when Dr. Altreisha Foster, a former vaccine scientist who now owns boutique bakery Sugar Spoon Desserts, introduced her non-profit initiative “Cake Therapy”. The program provides a safe, supportive space for underprivileged young girls to build confidence and life direction through the art of baking. Foster explained that the initiative goes far beyond teaching baking skills: the kitchen acts as a metaphor for life, teaching participants to turn chaos into something meaningful, while offering a judgment-free space to create. “It is about human connection,” she said. “Food carries memories, it carries identity, it carries my culture.”

    Attendees left with overwhelmingly positive impressions of the day’s discussions. Shelly-Ann Brown and Garfield Allen, both employees of the National Certification Body of Jamaica, which certifies local food businesses, called the event exceeding expectations. “It definitely exceeded my expectations, the presentations were superb. The organisers should be lauded, and I think the presenters should be lauded,” Allen said. Brown echoed the praise, noting: “Having that interconnection, looking at building your own business and also social responsibility being included, it was just a beautiful connection…coming together just talking about food and how it is evolving, it was excellent.”

    Looking to the future of Jamaican culinary tourism and industry growth, Joseph Johnson, owner and CEO of popular Peckish restaurant, laid out his vision for downtown Kingston as the island’s next top culinary destination. Johnson argued that the area already has the foundational cultural and community infrastructure to grow into a world-class culinary hub, with an organic street food culture that mirrors the beloved open-air energy of Manhattan’s iconic street food scene. “What we are witnessing downtown is more than just restaurants. We don’t need to invent food culture downtown, we simply need to recognise it…downtown’s best days are ahead,” he predicted, outlining a vision of walkable streets lined with sidewalk cafes and open-air dining spots.

    Additional presentations covered the craft of Jamaica’s award-winning artisanal chocolate from panellist Nadine Burie, while industry leaders Suedi Ann Hamilton, Kishauna Armstrong, and Robyn Fox shared their own stories of resilience amid industry challenges. Throughout the day, attendees actively engaged with every panel, asking questions about accessing capital, building successful business partnerships, effective networking, and navigating day-to-day industry operations. Creary urged young emerging entrepreneurs not to rely solely on industry connections, stressing that self-belief and unwillingness to compromise on core values are far more critical: “It is very important, especially for younger persons, links are nice…but let me tell you, we can do it without that, we can do it [by] believing we can do it and don’t ever compromise yourself to [do] it. Hard work and exposure are key to the future of the culinary industry, through youth.” He also praised the Jamaica Observer for creating collaborative forums that lift up the next generation of culinary professionals.

    Jamaica Observer Managing Director Dominic Beaubrun, who attended the event with his son to expose the younger generation to industry opportunities, explained that the seminar was designed to highlight the full, complex ecosystem that supports the food Jamaicans enjoy every day. “We can’t really begin to pay homage to the level of service and effort and thought and ingenuity that goes into it, but here we are laying face to people and their experiences and stories, histories, successes, failures and learning, and all of that goes to inform and educate even more,” he said.