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CDB pushes for stronger Caribbean evaluation culture

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has launched the inaugural Caribbean Evaluation Space (C Eval Space), a landmark three-day regional forum hosted at the Wyndham Grand Barbados, Sam Lord’s Castle, that aims to embed a culture of data-driven, context-responsive decision-making across the region’s development sector. Opened on Tuesday, the gathering brings together a diverse cross-section of stakeholders: independent evaluators, national policymakers, academic researchers, and development practitioners from leading regional and global bodies including CDB’s own Office of Independent Evaluation (OIE), the Caribbean Evaluation International Network, the University of the West Indies, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

For decades, conversations about development evaluation for the Caribbean were framed as a side note in larger global discussions, where the region’s unique challenges and priorities were often sidelined. This new forum changes that narrative, putting Caribbean needs, experience, and leadership front and center. Dr. Roberto La Rovere, head of the OIE — the independent CDB unit tasked with assessing the bank’s policies, strategies, and projects to uphold accountability and drive organizational learning — emphasized that C Eval Space is the first regional evaluation platform designed explicitly “by the Caribbean and for the Caribbean.”

“For a long time, conversations about evaluation in our region have been part of broader global discussions. Certainly valuable, but the Caribbean was at times portrayed as a small part of a bigger region, of a larger story. So from today, the C for the Caribbean stands at the centre, also in evaluation,” La Rovere told attendees. He added that the new platform recognizes the Caribbean has its own distinct development realities, unique challenges, homegrown solutions, and valuable lessons to share with the global community, meaning all actionable insights must grow out of local evidence, local experience, and local leadership. The forum’s core long-term goal is to build a connected community of practice capable of asking tough questions, collecting rigorous, meaningful data, and turning evaluation findings into tangible policy and project action.

CDB President Daniel Best doubled down on the urgency of embedding an evaluation culture across the region, noting that today’s shifting development landscape demands far more than perfunctory post-project check-ins. Speaking to the opening of the forum, Best stressed that evidence-based decision-making is no longer optional for the Caribbean — it is an essential foundation for building resilient societies, strengthening public institutions, and ensuring that every development investment delivers tangible benefits to Caribbean citizens.

“This gathering marks an important shift in how we think about development in our region. It reflects a growing understanding that evidence is not optional; it is essential. Essential evidence informs better decisions, guides smarter investments, strengthens accountability, and ultimately delivers better results for the people we serve. Evaluation, therefore, is no longer something that happens at the end of a project. It helps institutions learn, adapt, and improve,” Best said.

He noted that the Caribbean is currently navigating a cascade of interconnected challenges: accelerating climate change impacts, tight fiscal constraints, competing development priorities, rapid digital transformation, and shifting demographic trends, all of which are reshaping the needs of Caribbean societies. At the same time, citizens across the region are increasingly demanding greater transparency, more effective public institutions, and improved public services. In this context, Best argued that transparency and accountability are not just abstract good governance principles — they are critical to upholding national, regional, and global commitments, building public trust, and ensuring that limited development resources deliver maximum impact.

As the independent body tasked with holding CDB accountable to the region, the OIE plays a central role in advancing this mission, Best added. Independent evaluation is core to CDB’s responsibility to steward the resources entrusted to it and deliver on the results it has promised to Caribbean people. This role is particularly critical as the bank implements its 2026–2035 strategic plan, which centers on boosting development effectiveness, tracking measurable results, and driving continuous improvement. Independent evaluation, Best explained, helps the institution understand not just what interventions work, but how to deliver results more effectively and sustainably over time.

Best also highlighted that youth development is a core pillar of CDB’s new strategic plan, noting that young professionals bring the fresh perspectives, digital expertise, and willingness to challenge convention that the evaluation sector needs to evolve. “Young professionals bring fresh perspectives, digital fluency and curiosity, and the courage to ask new questions. You will help redefine how evidence is generated, communicated, and most importantly, how it is used to improve lives. Many of you in this room may one day shape national policies, advise governments, lead institutions, and influence decisions that affect millions of Caribbean people,” he said.

Ultimately, the forum marks a key milestone in the region’s push to take ownership of its development trajectory. By centering Caribbean context and leadership in evaluation, stakeholders aim to build stronger, more accountable institutions that can deliver equitable, sustainable progress for the region for decades to come.

2 9 月, 2026
St Kitts & Nevis – PM Dr. Terrence Drew Leaves Country for Medical Attention

The Caribbean twin-island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis is navigating a temporary leadership transition after its 49-year-old Prime Minister Dr. Terrence Drew departed for overseas specialized medical evaluation, following an initial hospital admission for mild, concerning health symptoms.

The prime minister first presented with vague discomfort, nausea, and a headache, prompting his admission to the islands’ main public care center, Joseph N. France (JNF) General Hospital, on Sunday, August 30. Over the subsequent 18 hours, local medical teams conducted round-the-clock observation and a full series of diagnostic tests. As a proactive precautionary measure, clinicians recommended Drew pursue further advanced assessment from international specialists to rule out underlying health concerns.

In an official statement released September 1, the Cabinet Secretariat confirmed that the prime minister had arrived safely at an undisclosed overseas medical facility, with members of his immediate family in attendance for support. To protect the prime minister’s personal medical privacy, government officials have declined to disclose the host country or the specific name of the care institution where he is receiving treatment.

Early updates from official sources confirm Drew remains in a stable condition, fully alert, and is maintaining good spirits as he undergoes the scheduled diagnostic workup and specialist evaluations. Medical teams at the overseas facility have already established full communication with the clinical team at JNF General Hospital, sharing patient records and coordinating care to ensure continuity throughout the evaluation process.

To calm public uncertainty, the national government has issued repeated reassurances that all state functions and government business are continuing without disruption during the prime minister’s medical leave. Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley has formally been designated to oversee executive operations and ensure the cabinet continues to conduct national business as usual while Drew completes his medical assessment abroad.

The St. Kitts and Nevis Cabinet has issued a public request that citizens and residents across the country hold the prime minister in their prayers and extend their support as he proceeds with his evaluation. Official government channels have committed to releasing additional public updates as new information becomes available.

2 9 月, 2026
OECS governments urged to provide crown lands to farmers on transparent terms

Against a backdrop of a fracturing global order that has left small island developing states increasingly economically vulnerable, the top leader of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is calling on sub-regional governments to remove one of the most persistent barriers to agricultural revitalization: unequal access to land.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the OECS Youth and Women in Agriculture Symposium hosted in Grenada on Tuesday, OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules pushed for governments to open up crown lands to emerging farmers through transparent, accessible long-term leasing frameworks. Specifically, he proposed 10-year payment arrangements that would be recognized as valid collateral by lending institutions, arguing that secure land access is the foundational requirement for any other agricultural development intervention to succeed.

“Every other intervention we make is diminished if a young person has nowhere to stand,” Jules told attendees, emphasizing that inclusive agricultural development must be structural, not just ceremonial. He noted that people with disabilities had registered for the symposium in significant numbers, and called on organizers and policymakers to design programming, training and financial tools that accommodate disabled participants from the start, rather than adding them as an afterthought.

The three-day gathering, organized by the Castries-based OECS Commission in partnership with Grenada’s Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry, is designed to equip participants with actionable skills across key areas: agribusiness development, climate-smart farming practices, digital agricultural innovation, leadership capacity building, and strategies for accessing financing and regional and global markets. Core priority themes for the symposium include climate-resilient production, upskilling for agri-entrepreneurs, removing barriers to capital and market access, and strengthening regional networking and policy alignment.

Jules challenged attendees not to let the event end with only vague goodwill, calling for concrete progress on long-stalled initiatives. Most notably, he pushed for the proposed OECS Agriculture Forum for Youth to transition from a planning document to a formal, fully functional institution that is owned and led by youth stakeholders, even as it receives institutional support from the OECS Commission and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). He also called for delegates to agree on a firm target launch date for a new centralized agricultural information portal, which will be co-managed by the OECS and IICA to connect farmers with resources.

In his opening address, Jules laid out the urgent context driving the push for agricultural reform in the Caribbean: the sub-region is facing accelerating global instability that is eroding the security of small states. The post-WWII global order that Caribbean nations relied on for trade, development assistance and multilateral arbitration is unraveling faster than new inclusive frameworks can be built. Unilateral trade rule rewrites, escalating trade disputes, the use of tariffs as political coercion, and cuts and politicization of development assistance have all compounded existing challenges for small island economies, where shipping and insurance costs rise with every more intense hurricane season, and core multilateral institutions are facing unprecedented strain.

This unstable environment has left the Caribbean heavily dependent on food imports, which cost the region $658 million annually. Every dollar spent on imported food leaves the regional economy permanently, Jules explained, increasing national vulnerability and diverting funds that could be invested in domestic public services like education while giving foreign actors undue leverage over regional food systems.

“We are not here because agriculture is a nice idea for young people,” Jules said. “We are here because in a fracturing world, the capacity to feed ourselves is the most concrete expression of sovereignty available to a small state. If you cannot feed yourself, you’re dead.”

Compounding this urgency is the region’s aging farming population: Jules warned that domestic food production capacity is just one generation away from being lost entirely without intentional investment in new, young farmers. He highlighted a landmark decision taken by OECS agricultural ministers at a special October 2024 council meeting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which folded women into the sub-region’s youth in agriculture program on the grounds that women and young farmers face the same systemic barriers: lack of access to land, limited access to financing, lack of professional recognition, and exclusion from decision-making tables. That policy shift is what enabled the joint focus on youth and women at this symposium, a change Jules said deserves formal recognition.

He also commended the active participation of organizations representing people with disabilities, pointing to a successful aquaponics venture in St. Lucia run entirely by three disabled entrepreneurs: one wheelchair user, one person who is blind, and one paraplegic, as proof that disabled producers can drive thriving agricultural enterprises when given access to resources and opportunity.

The symposium is the culmination of more than a year of targeted regional planning and capacity building. In May 2025, OECS agriculture ministers gathered in Costa Rica with support from IICA and the European Union to finalize a strategic roadmap for sub-regional agricultural development. Since that meeting, the OECS has hosted workshops in St. Lucia on climate-smart agriculture and sustainable entrepreneurship, covering emerging tools including artificial intelligence, data analytics, drone technology, small-scale mechanization, soil and water management, business planning, and financial literacy. In October 2024, an OECS delegation traveled to Spain to study cooperative and social economy models for agri-food and fisheries sectors, a knowledge-sharing trip that has already delivered tangible benefits for small producers in Dominica and Montserrat.

Even with these early wins, Jules acknowledged that key barriers remain. Securing affordable access to land is still the biggest unmet demand for emerging farmers, and high interest rates at regional financial institutions remain largely unaddressed. The centralized one-stop information portal that farmers have requested, which would combine access to grants, land listings, market connections and technical guidance in one place, is still under development. A planned agricultural scholarship program and an agribusiness diploma for youth and women are still being finalized, with talks scheduled between OECS and IICA next month to wrap up the diploma program design.

Judes closed by urging delegates to deliver tangible outcomes from the symposium, reminding attendees that food sovereignty cannot be achieved by official declaration alone. “It becomes secure, food secure, one farm, one cooperative, one young woman, one differently-abled entrepreneur with a business plan at a time,” he said.

2 9 月, 2026
Trevor Underwood Critically Injured in Early-Morning Shooting

A man in his 50s is fighting for his life after a shooting incident that took place in the early hours of Tuesday, with emergency medical personnel rushing him to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre for urgent care. Trevor Underwood, the victim, sustained a penetrating gunshot wound to his abdomen, forcing surgical teams worked through several hours of complex emergency surgery to stabilize his condition.

In addition to the harm inflicted on Underwood, his personal vehicle was left severely damaged after being hit by multiple bullets during the attack. As of Tuesday, key details surrounding the shooting—including the exact location where it occurred and the specific circumstances that led to the violence—remain unconfirmed by authorities. Local law enforcement has not yet released any formal statement regarding potential motives, suspects, or lines of investigation. Medical and law enforcement institutions are expected to release updated information to the public as new facts emerge from the ongoing process. Community members have expressed growing concern over the violent incident, with many waiting for official updates to understand the full scope of what transpired.

2 9 月, 2026
Brantley: ‘Money is sure, but government payments take time’

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — As one local band enters its second consecutive year of boycotting Nevis’ iconic annual cultural festival Culturama over payment scheduling conflicts, Premier Mark Brantley has publicly clarified the Nevis Island Administration’s (NIA) position on performer compensation, pushing back against growing concerns from entertainers over delayed payouts.

2 9 月, 2026
Nominations Open for 2026 National Youth and Lifetime Achievement Awards

The Department of Youth Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, a division operating under the nation’s Ministry of Social and Urban Transformation, has officially launched the nomination period for two of the country’s most prestigious honors for young people and youth advocates: the 2026 National Youth Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Awards. This annual recognition program aims to celebrate outstanding contributions across a wide spectrum of sectors, shining a spotlight on emerging young talent and honoring longstanding commitment to youth empowerment across the twin-island nation.

For the National Youth Awards, the department has expanded categories to cover 14 distinct fields, ensuring that excellence in every corner of national life is acknowledged. The award categories include Environment, which recognizes young leaders driving climate action and ecological stewardship; the Phoenix Award, which celebrates individuals who have overcome extraordinary adversity to achieve their goals; and the Pioneer Award, which honors trailblazers breaking new ground in their chosen fields. Additional categories cover Activism, Artisan work, Agriculture, Culinary Arts, Media Practice, Tourism, Culture and Performing Arts, Community Service, Entrepreneurship, Education, and Student Research. Each category is designed to uplift the diverse work that young Antiguans and Barbudans contribute to national growth.

Alongside the youth-focused honors, nominations are also open for the Lifetime Achievement Awards, a special recognition that pays tribute to veteran individuals who have dedicated their entire careers and lives to advancing youth development and empowerment in Antigua and Barbuda. Unlike the National Youth Awards which center rising young talent, this honor highlights the enduring legacy of mentors, advocates, and community leaders who have created lasting opportunities for generations of young people.

Eligible candidates can be nominated by any member of the public, with all submissions required to be submitted by the formal deadline of September 25, 2026. Following the close of nominations, a panel of adjudicators will review submissions, and the formal awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 28, 2026, where winners will be publicly celebrated for their achievements. Department officials have urged community members to actively participate in the nomination process by putting forward deserving candidates who have made notable impacts in their fields. For anyone seeking additional information about eligibility criteria, nomination procedures, or category requirements, inquiries can be made by phone at (268) 781-3078 during regular business hours.

2 9 月, 2026
US Mounting Economic Pressure in Hopes of Forcing Iran to Fold

Six months into open conflict between the United States and Iran, Washington has doubled down on a two-pronged strategy of military strikes and financial isolation, aiming to push Tehran’s leadership to the negotiating table by crippling Iran’s access to the global economy. This latest escalation of tensions comes alongside expanded U.S. military operations targeting key Iranian assets, including missile launch sites and critical strategic infrastructure. In a press briefing at the White House Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that American forces hold operational superiority over Iran, claiming recent U.S. airstrikes have successfully disabled Iranian radar systems and destroyed a wide range of key military infrastructure. “We hit them last night because they took a shot at us in Jordan, and we knocked all of them down,” Trump stated. In parallel to military action, the Trump administration is ramping up targeted pressure on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which U.S. officials identify as a core pillar of Iran’s military and national security apparatus. The broader economic pressure campaign includes sweeping new sanctions on Iranian entities and formal appeals to U.S. allies, global commercial banks, and other international financial bodies to sever all existing business ties with Tehran. The push for coordinated international action took center stage this week at the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors’ meeting held in Asheville, North Carolina. During the gathering, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent lobbied for global collective action to cut Iran off from international capital markets and secure unimpeded navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically vital chokepoint through which nearly a fifth of global oil supplies pass daily. Bessent told attendees that even China, Iran’s largest long-standing economic partner, has publicly agreed that freedom of maritime trade through the Strait must be preserved. China has maintained robust economic ties with Iran for decades, particularly in the energy sector, and remains the top buyer of Iranian crude oil. Bessent argued that Beijing holds unique leverage to help de-escalate the conflict, noting that China can contribute through intelligence sharing, economic monitoring, and diplomatic engagement with entities that back the Iranian government. “What I can tell you is that many of our allies came forward and said we will do whatever is necessary because they understand that Iran is in an economic death throes,” Bessent said. He framed the U.S.-led economic campaign as analogous to severing a snake’s head, asserting that once Iran’s remaining productive economic capacity is sufficiently weakened, the country’s ruling leadership will have no choice but to enter negotiations. The Treasury chief also pushed back against claims that China’s continued crude purchases undermine U.S. pressure efforts. He explained that Iran currently holds some 30 million barrels of crude stored on tankers at sea, and that most Chinese purchases of Iranian oil are settled in Chinese yuan rather than globally traded hard currencies such as the U.S. dollar. In response, Washington is specifically targeting the cross-border financial channels that allow yuan earned from oil sales to be converted into other currencies and moved through regional financial systems, he said. Recent U.S. sanctions targeting global financial institutions, including a Dubai-based bank, are part of this strategy to block Iran from accessing U.S. dollars and other reserve currencies. “When that money cannot be converted to dollars, then the regime will starve,” Bessent said. While the pressure campaign is targeted at Iran, its economic ripple effects are being felt across the globe. Resumed hostilities between the two powers have already pushed international crude prices sharply higher, stoking widespread concerns over rising fuel costs and spillover impacts on consumers, businesses, and small import-dependent economies. For small island nations including St. Kitts and Nevis and other Caribbean states, spiking global energy prices translate almost immediately to higher transportation costs, more expensive electricity, and increased operating expenses across all sectors of the economy. Both the federal government in Basseterre and the Nevis Island Administration have been struggling to manage the economic fallout of these rising energy costs. Nevis Premier Mark Brantley recently acknowledged growing public discontent over surging electricity bills as the conflict enters its sixth month. Starting in June 2026, local authorities reintroduced a fuel surcharge to residential electricity customers, though the administration capped the charge 10 cents below the standard residential rate of 79 cents per kilowatt hour. Brantley noted that public reaction to the policy has been split, but admitted that the vast majority of households are already feeling the financial strain of higher electricity costs. As Washington continues to ramp up economic pressure on Tehran, the consequences of the six-month conflict extend far beyond the Middle East battlefield, leaving energy-importing nations and ordinary consumers across the globe to absorb a growing share of the economic cost.

2 9 月, 2026
UWI Five Islands Welcomes Historic First Cohort of Law Students

The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus has reached a transformative milestone in its institutional growth, welcoming its very first incoming class of Bachelor of Laws (LLB) students to its Antigua-based facility. This groundbreaking program kicked off formal instruction this week, aligning with the start of Semester I for the 2026/2027 academic year, which follows UWI’s official academic calendar that sets September 1 as the standard start date for all teaching activities.

In a public statement highlighting this landmark moment, campus leadership confirmed that the pioneering cohort draws students from across three Eastern Caribbean nations: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and St. Kitts and Nevis. For regional students seeking a quality legal education, the launch eliminates the need to relocate to other UWI campuses across the Caribbean to pursue an accredited law degree, expanding access to professional legal training for emerging scholars across the subregion.

Campus officials framed the launch of the program as more than just a new academic offering, calling it “the beginning of a legacy” for the young campus. For these inaugural students, the four-year course of study will dive deep into global and regional law, legal systems, and practical legal skills, building a foundational knowledge base that will prepare graduates for a wide range of careers in the legal field, from judicial work and public advocacy to private practice and public policy.

The first cohort is scheduled to complete their degree requirements and cross the graduation stage in 2029. The addition of the LLB program represents one of the most significant expansions of academic programming in the Five Islands Campus’s history, bringing a high-demand professional degree to the Antigua campus for the first time. The program was originally greenlit for a September 2026 launch, a timeline that campus administration has stayed on track to meet despite planning and coordination requirements.

To maintain the high academic standards that UWI is known for across the Caribbean, the program operates through a formal partnership with UWI Mona, one of the university system’s most established campuses with a long-respected law program. Under the pre-approved partnership structure, UWI Mona takes responsibility for curriculum design, ongoing quality assurance, and overall academic governance of the LLB program, while the Five Islands Campus manages all day-to-day operations, including instruction, student support services, and campus logistics for enrolled students.

2 9 月, 2026
1.000 laptops nodig, 100 nieuwe lokalen pas eind jaar klaar

As the start of the 2024 academic year approaches on October 1, Suriname’s Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is moving forward with urgent infrastructure and digital upgrades to address long-standing systemic gaps in the country’s education sector, Minister Dirk Currie has confirmed in an address to the National Assembly.

Decades of accumulated underinvestment have left the nation’s schools grappling with two critical challenges: a lack of digital learning tools and a widespread shortage of usable classroom space. Currie outlined the ministry’s ongoing mitigation efforts while warning the public that not all issues will be resolved in time for the first day of classes, given the scale of the problems the department inherited.

One of the ministry’s top priorities is expanding access to digital learning resources. An initial needs assessment conducted earlier this year identified 400 additional computers as necessary for general secondary education, but a follow-up review that included vocational education programs pushed the total requirement to 1,000 laptops. The new figure reflects widespread gaps across all education sectors: Currie noted that some schools report having no functional computing devices at all, while others only have a small number of outdated units, and many lack qualified teachers to lead ICT instruction even when equipment is available.

The push for digital transformation also serves a second purpose: partially offsetting national shortages of specialized subject teachers. The ministry is already rebroadcasting pre-recorded educational content via Gov.tv and its official YouTube channel, and development is underway on a full remote learning platform that can deliver live digital instruction to understaffed schools. A separate digital learning pilot program is being planned for rural and interior regions of the country, with Currie confirming he has held discussions with local stakeholders to identify eligible regions and schools. Reliable broadband access is a core requirement for the pilot, and the minister named Starlink as a potential technical solution, though he acknowledged that existing national regulations may create barriers to its immediate deployment.

Alongside digital upgrades, the ministry is rushing to address a severe shortage of classroom space across the country. Currently, 76 new classrooms are under construction with support from private sector partners: some have already been completed, while others remain in active building or final finishing phases. Separate renovation projects are also ongoing at 35 schools distributed across all regions of Suriname. Looking ahead, the ministry has plans to construct an additional 100 new permanent classrooms, though Currie confirmed that not all of these will be ready in time for the October 1 school start. The department has set a final completion deadline of December for all new builds.

To minimize disruption to student learning before all new classrooms come online, Currie announced a series of temporary flexible use policies. The ministry will eliminate rigid separation between general education and vocational education classroom spaces, requiring schools to utilize every available square meter to accommodate students. If needed, temporary bus transport will be provided to move students between undercapacity schools and nearby campuses with available space.

A key priority for the minister is ending the widespread practice of students only attending school three days per week due to space shortages. Currie emphasized that if any such temporary scheduling adjustments are necessary this year, they will only remain in place until December, when the bulk of new classroom construction is scheduled to be finished.

Closing his address to the National Assembly, Currie sought to temper public expectations for the start of the school year. He acknowledged that the 2024 academic year will start off better than the 2023 term, but noted that decades of structural backlogs cannot be fully resolved in just a few months of targeted work. The ministry’s ongoing investments are designed to deliver long-term, sustainable improvement to Suriname’s education system rather than quick fixes, he added.

2 9 月, 2026
Tribute to the late Mr. Lennox John

Across Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, communities are gathering this week to honor the life and enduring legacy of Lennox John, a beloved local leader who touched countless lives through three distinct, impactful lifelong vocations. Written by Terry Haynes, a founding member of the Bishop’s College Steel Orchestra, this tribute reflects on a man whose quiet commitment to lifting up others shaped generations of residents across the island nation.

John’s life was defined by service across three core pillars of community life: faith, national sports, and education. As a deacon at St. George’s Cathedral in Kingstown, he carried out his duties with steady humility and unwavering religious conviction, supporting congregants through every stage of life. At a national level, he stepped into the role of president of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association, pouring hundreds of hours of voluntary work into a sport that serves as a unifying force across the country’s diverse communities. For Haynes and thousands of other former pupils, however, John’s most lasting impact came as principal of Bishop’s College Kingstown, where he nurtured young talent and opened doors that many students never would have accessed on their own.

One of John’s most lasting contributions to the school is the Bishop’s College Steel Orchestra, an institution that would never have come to fruition without his relentless support. When a small group of students first proposed the idea of a school steel band, John did not merely sign off on the project—he championed it at every turn. When the group had no instruments to play, John tracked down donated equipment and secured resources to get the band off the ground. When the packed academic schedule left no room for regular practice, he rearranged school timetables to carve out dedicated time for the ensemble. When the band hit financial walls and struggled to fund travel to off-island competitions, John fundraised, coordinated transport, and never stopped encouraging the young musicians to push forward. What started as a risky, untested idea grew into one of the school’s most beloved core programs, a central part of Bishop’s College identity that has represented the institution at events across the country for decades.

This combination of relentless problem-solving and wholehearted support marked every part of John’s work, from the cathedral to the cricket pitch to the school’s hallways. As a principal, he prioritized student success above all else, working tirelessly to ensure every pupil had the resources and opportunities needed to complete their secondary education and build a foundation for future success. He had a unique ability to spot untapped potential in young people, often recognizing what students could achieve long before they believed in themselves. He made it his personal mission to send every graduate out into the world with the skills, confidence, and tools they needed to build meaningful lives.

For the steel orchestra specifically, John’s support never wavered throughout his tenure. No matter the event—from high-profile national competitions to small school assemblies, rain or shine—John was always in the audience to cheer on the students. He might sit front row to watch a new soloist perform, or slip into the back row for a casual assembly set, but he was always present, always nodding along to the rhythm, and always visibly proud of the work his students had put in.
Haynes notes that holding just one of John’s three major roles would be enough to fill a lifetime of meaningful service, but John excelled in all three, carrying out every duty with radical integrity, steady discipline, and a quiet, deep love for the people of his community. Through his example, he taught everyone around him that true leadership is not about holding impressive titles or garnering public attention—it is about showing up consistently, lifting others up, and creating space for people around you to succeed.

On behalf of the Bishop’s College community and the steel orchestra, Haynes extended deepest condolences to John’s family, the congregation of St. George’s Cathedral, the national cricket community, and the thousands of Bishop’s College graduates whose lives and trajectories were shaped by John’s guidance. Haynes emphasized that while the community has lost a transformative leader, John’s legacy will never fade. It lives on in every graduate who achieved their academic goals with his support, every cricketer who got the chance to compete under his leadership of the association, and every note that the Bishop’s College Steel Orchestra plays for generations to come.

Closing the tribute, Haynes expressed the community’s enduring gratitude: “Thank you for seeing us. Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for building things that outlast us. May your soul rest in peace, and may your light continue to guide us. We will keep the beat going, sir.”

2 9 月, 2026