标签： Barbados

On a bustling Friday at the University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill campus in St. Michael, hundreds of third-form secondary students from across Barbados stepped into a world of professional possibility at the 19th Annual National Career Showcase, hosted by the Barbados Association of Guidance Counsellors (BAGC). Held under the forward-thinking theme “A Bright Future Loading… Planning Your Vision,” the three-day event brought together 70 local and regional businesses, professional organizations, and educational institutions to demystify career pathways and break down the academic requirements students need to pursue their professional goals.

Unlike traditional career fairs that rely on static brochures and brief handshakes, this year’s showcase prioritized interactive engagement to spark long-term interest. Exhibitors set up hands-on demonstrations, immersive challenges, and guided conversations to help young students, many of whom are just beginning to map out their post-secondary plans, connect classroom learning to real-world work.

One of the biggest crowd-pleasers of the event was the booth hosted by Robot Adventures, where students lined up to crowd around live robotics displays, test their skills at maneuvering robotic arms, and complete hands-on technical challenges. Chief Instructor Jelani Payne, who leads the organization’s youth outreach programs, told attendees that robotics and related automation fields represent one of the fastest-growing professional sectors across the globe and the Caribbean, with a vast range of untapped opportunities for local graduates.

Payne highlighted several fast-growing subfields that are already creating high-demand jobs in the region, from drone technology and autonomous systems to 3D printing and underwater robotics. “The career paths here are incredibly broad,” Payne explained. “For example, drone technology is already being used for farm security to prevent petty larceny, and to secure private property. We also see growing demand for professionals who can program autonomous drones and robotic systems that can complete tasks without any human input.”

He noted that underwater robotics has emerged as a particularly promising field for Barbados, given the island’s deep maritime ties. Underwater robotic systems are used for deep-sea exploration, environmental monitoring, and hull cleaning for commercial ships – work that is often too dangerous, dirty, or repetitive for human workers to complete safely and efficiently. For students interested in joining the field, Payne advised focusing on multidisciplinary STEM coursework during secondary school, noting that robotics draws from mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science. Key foundational subjects include physics, chemistry, information technology, mathematics, and technical drawing, he added.

At the BAGC’s own booth, Parkinson Memorial Secondary School guidance counsellor Kara Clarke led an effort to educate students on two fronts: the range of services guidance counsellors provide to students in schools, and the rewarding career path that counselling offers. Many students who visited the booth told Clarke they only had a limited understanding of what guidance counsellors do day-to-day, and some were surprised to learn that counsellors support students with academic planning, mental health, social conflict, and college applications, beyond just discipline referrals.

Visitors interacted with the same worksheets, educational games, and counselling resources used in schools, and many who stopped by expressed genuine interest in pursuing counselling as a career. Clarke walked prospective students through the standard educational pathway: most entering professionals earn undergraduate degrees in psychology or social work before completing a master’s degree in school counselling or clinical psychology.

Beyond inspiring the next generation of guidance counsellors, Clarke said the booth served another important purpose: reducing the stigma around seeking counselling support in schools. “We wanted to let students know that reaching out to your school guidance counsellor is nothing to be ashamed of,” she explained, adding that the day’s conversations with students had been “very enriching” for all participating counsellors.

Other exhibitors highlighted opportunities in sectors that are foundational to Barbados’ economy, from tourism and logistics to cricket administration. Neil Hoyte, a representative from local firm Foster and Ince, focused on educating students about the wide range of jobs linked to the cruise industry, a core driver of the island’s tourism sector. Hoyte explained that many students have no idea how many different roles are needed to keep cruise operations running smoothly, from tour guides and vessel turnover coordinators to freight managers, transportation staff, and administrative teams. “We have roles for people with a wide range of skills and interests,” he noted.

Natasha Yearwood, a representative from Platinum Port Agency, added that the firm’s detailed ship models on display were a huge hit with students, helping spark natural conversations about maritime and hospitality careers both on-board cruise vessels and in local on-shore roles.

Even the island’s iconic sport of cricket was featured as a source of diverse professional opportunities beyond playing professionally. Alicia Gittens, administrative assistant at Cricket Legends of Barbados, explained that the cricket industry needs skilled workers across every professional function, from administration and finance to community outreach and management. “There are so many roles beyond stepping onto the pitch,” Gittens said. “Even working with retired cricketers to preserve the sport’s legacy and keep it active in local communities is a rewarding career, and cricket as a whole gives young people the chance to make a real impact on the next generation.”

For organizers, the 2024 showcase once again delivered on its core mission: helping young Barbadians make informed choices about their futures, connecting local industries to emerging talent, and opening doors to opportunities many students never knew existed.

For years, neighbours of a small-scale backyard chicken operation in Haynesville, St James, Barbados, have lived with a suffocating stench that has infiltrated their homes, ruined outdoor relaxation, and attracted unwanted pests – and according to affected residents, repeated complaints to government regulators have yielded little to no relief.

When Barbados TODAY visited the residential neighbourhood to investigate the growing dispute, local businessman Anthony Ifill, whose home sits just feet from the chicken pen, detailed the three years of daily discomfort he has endured. Ifill explained that the sharp, pungent odour of accumulated chicken manure hangs over his property constantly, turning his post-work return home into anything but the peaceful retreat he craves.

Ifill said his repeated attempts to secure intervention from government environmental health officials have been met with unfulfilled promises and bureaucratic stonewalling. According to Ifill, after a senior ministry official pledged to personally oversee an inspection and follow up on his complaint, she never contacted him again despite multiple reminders. That inaction, he said, has mirrored the behaviour of the area’s assigned inspector, whom he and his family have attempted to meet with for three years without success. “They wouldn’t even let you put the complaint in writing that you were actually there to make a complaint; all we got was that it would be logged in the book,” he said. Ifill added that the chicken farmer briefly cleaned up the site after complaints, and the odour disappeared temporarily, but the problem quickly returned once attention faded. The farmer has shown little consideration for the quality of life of nearby residents, he argued.

Randy Mason, another resident whose backyard abuts the chicken pen’s back fence, said he has dealt with the nuisance since moving to the neighbourhood two years ago. Beyond the persistent stench, Mason said the accumulated manure has drawn a surge of unwanted pests to his property, including flies, rats, centipedes, and massive numbers of cockroaches that swarm the yard after sunset. “You see when six o’clock and the sun goes down? cockroaches are in that yard like bush,” he told reporters.

Mason explained that the odour soaks into laundry left hanging to dry, leaving clothing permanently scented with manure. While he said he does not oppose the farmer earning extra income from the small operation, he and other neighbours demand basic consideration for surrounding residents. “Other neighbours told me that when the rain falls, the smell gets really strong. But I live directly behind the pen, so it’s affecting me a lot,” he said. “I don’t want to stop them from doing what they doing because everybody has to make an extra dollar. But they have to do something about the stench by cleaning more often.” Mason added that the farmer has refused to engage with neighbours to discuss a mutually acceptable solution.

When Barbados TODAY reached out directly to the Haynesville woman at the centre of the complaints for comment, she did not immediately issue a response. However, environmental health officials confirmed Wednesday that they have received the complaints and have officially served notice to the small chicken farmer.

Acting Chief Environmental Officer Euroline Welch-Drakes confirmed that officers from the Brandford Taitt Polyclinic launched an official investigation into the nuisance claims. Citing confidentiality rules, she declined to share specific details of inspectors’ initial findings, but confirmed that formal notices have been issued to the property owner.

Welch-Drakes explained that the department follows a structured procedural process to resolve nuisance complaints, and that investigators avoid contacting complainants while engaging with the accused property owner to prevent unnecessary conflict between community members. Once the process is complete, the department will follow up directly with the residents who filed complaints, she said.

If the inspection finds violations of Barbados’ Health Services legislation, the property owner will receive formal instructions to abate the public health nuisance and a set timeline to complete required changes. Failure to comply with the order can result in administrative penalties, starting at a $300 fine for the first offense, with an additional $10 fine added each day the violation remains unaddressed after the deadline. Welch-Drakes noted that unpaid fines can be added to the property owner’s land tax bill or recovered through formal court proceedings.

To celebrate its 185 years of operation, Barbados-based financial group Sagicor has launched a large-scale national environmental initiative centered on planting 185 evergreen trees across every one of the island nation’s 11 parishes. The campaign represents the centerpiece of the company’s broader legacy program, which is targeted at developing greener residential communities, boosting the country’s climate change resilience, and leaving a positive, long-lasting environmental footprint across Barbados.

The initiative kicked off in February with a ceremonial planting event led by Sagicor Financial Company Ltd President and Chief Executive Officer Andre Mousseau at the organization’s Wildey headquarters. The ceremony served as a symbolic launch for the company-wide effort, which will see trees planted at multiple Sagicor operational sites and highlights the firm’s ongoing investments in Barbados’ national growth.

Over the next several months, coordinated planting activities will be carried out at schools and prominent public locations across the island, with participation from Sagicor executive teams, local students, and teaching staff. Senior company leaders will take on the role of parish ambassadors, working directly with school communities and empowering young people to act as long-term stewards for the trees planted in their local regions.

A concentrated cluster of new trees will be planted in Bridgetown, the island’s capital and a designated United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. This targeted planting will honor Sagicor’s deep historical connections to the capital, while also helping to create cooler, more leafy urban public spaces for residents and visitors.

The evergreen species selected for the project are engineered to deliver sustained environmental benefits for decades, including natural shade, urban temperature reduction, and support for greater local biodiversity. Each parish will also install sustainably produced markers to commemorate the initiative, standing as permanent reminders of the campaign as Sagicor continues to grow into the future.

The most recent round of planting was held to coincide with Arbor Day at The Estates at St George, where five new trees were added to the development. Ezra Prescod, Sagicor’s Vice President of Project Development, explained that the tree-planting drive aligns with the company’s long-standing commitments to community development and sustainable practice.

Prescod noted, “The Estates at St George grew directly out of Sagicor’s mission to lead the way in impactful community development. It was conceptualized by Sagicor team members to be an environmentally friendly, wellness-centered community that supports healthy living for residents of all ages. As we mark 185 years of Sagicor, planting trees here perfectly embodies the permanent legacy the company has built for local communities, and there is no more fitting location for this work.”

The anniversary campaign reinforces Sagicor’s broader institutional commitments to environmental stewardship, collaborative community engagement, and laying the groundwork for a more sustainable future for coming generations of Barbadians.

On a windswept Thursday at Barbados’ Oistins jetty, where the Atlantic Ocean’s salt spray hung heavy in the air and waves crashed against the rocky shore, a tight-knit fishing community came together to honor two lives torn away by the sea they called work. For more than 60 days, the families of Othniel Harewood and Zhi Cai Su have clung to fragile uncertainty, even after an exhaustive, multi-agency search across regional waters turned up no trace of the two missing men. Thursday’s memorial service, steeped in maritime tradition and quiet spiritual reflection, marked a long-awaited step toward closure for a community that has always lived with the ocean’s dual nature: provider and taker.

The somber gathering opened with a congregation of fishermen, family members, and local leaders joining in unison to sing the hymn “Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us,” followed by scripture readings that acknowledged both the awe-inspiring wonder and unforgiving danger of the deep. In a centuries-old gesture of respect for fallen mariners, loved ones and fellow fishermen carried floral wreaths and loose flower petals to the edge of the jetty, casting them into the rolling current. The drifting blooms carried a dual meaning: a final tribute to the men’s last voyage, and a symbolic act of letting go after months of suspended grief.

Officiating the service, Reverend Ricardo Alleyne paid tribute to the unique grit that defines men who make their living on open water. He described Harewood and Su as people of extraordinary courage and relentless perseverance, noting that fishermen set out to sea with little more than starlight for navigation and faith for comfort, all to support their families and feed their nation. “We gather to honor these two sons of the sea who have completed their last voyage,” Alleyne told the crowd. He added that while the loss has carved deep sorrow into the entire community, Barbados must celebrate the indomitable spirit of the people who put food on the country’s tables.

Karusha Savoury, Harewood’s second daughter, spoke publicly about the pain of the past two months, and expressed heartfelt gratitude for the widespread support her family has received from the national government, the Barbados Coast Guard, and the Oistins Fisherfolk Association. Unlike many families who grieve privately, Savoury said the coordinated search effort — which included drone surveillance and regional safety alerts — gave her family a measure of peace they would not have had otherwise. “I never thought that I would have a memorial service for my father in this way,” Savoury shared. “But the service was very well planned, and I really appreciate what the fisherfolk have done and what the ministry has done to put this together to honor my father.” Speaking of the long search and the decision to hold a memorial, she added: “I’m satisfied he’s at peace, and as I say, God is in charge, not me. Whatever is God’s will is God’s will. I can’t say that I like fighting towards it, but after this period of time, whatever God does is what God does.”

Even amid the day’s sorrow, a thread of quiet resilience and cautious hope runs through the region’s tight fishing community. Neil “Cougar” Bourne, president of the Oistins Fisherfolk Association, reminded the gathering that for seafarers, the greatest victory has never been the size of the catch — it is the safe return home to family. The interconnected nature of the Caribbean archipelago, he noted, means survival is still possible even after weeks of silence from a missing vessel. “In fishing, we don’t celebrate the catch of a fisherman, we celebrate a safe return home to his family, and that is the main thing,” Bourne explained. Acknowledging the ocean’s inherent unpredictability, he pointed to past cases of missing Barbadian fishermen who turned up alive far from home, washing up in Puerto Rico, Honduras and other distant ports. “Every fisherman, once he hasn’t sunk, I think he has a chance of surviving,” Bourne said.

As the floral tributes drifted out with the tide, the collective feeling among the crowd was clear: whether the two men eventually find their way back to shore, or have already reached their eternal resting place, they will remain part of the fabric of Barbadian identity — tough, brave, and woven into the story of the ocean that shapes the nation. For the grieving families, the service offered a much-needed sense of release, allowing them to begin moving through their grief even as their last faint hopes of a safe return drift out with the flowers.

Barbados is facing a growing, long-overlooked public health crisis as rates of depression and anxiety skyrocket, placing unmanageable strain on every sector of society – from workplaces and schools to family units and entire communities. Leading disability advocates and business leaders are now sounding the alarm, arguing that the island nation can no longer afford to relegate mental health challenges to the shadows.

The World Health Organization already recognizes depression as the single leading cause of disability globally, and the Barbados Council for the Disabled (BCD) frames common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety as “invisible disabilities” that carry severe, growing social and economic costs for the country. Rosanna Tudor, BCD’s operations manager, drew on decades of disability advocacy work to emphasize that these unseen conditions are far from minor issues; they are core contributors to many of the biggest challenges Barbados faces today.

“These are the disabilities we do not see: anxiety, depression, trauma, cognitive, and neurological conditions. Yet they are shaping how people function, how they cope, and in some cases, how they break,” Tudor explained. She stressed that this growing crisis carries tangible economic consequences, noting that Barbados’ most valuable asset is its people – and when that population suffers under unaddressed mental health strain, the entire economy feels the impact. Lower workforce productivity, higher rates of absenteeism, widespread employee burnout, and widespread disengagement are just some of the measurable outcomes, she said, adding that workplaces across the country are already absorbing major costs from challenges they lack the training and resources to manage.

“We cannot build a sustainable economy on a workforce that is silently struggling. We already had to wait years to achieve some success with ‘visible’ disabilities,” Tudor said.

Tudor’s assessment has received full backing from Sheena Mayers-Granville, executive director of the Barbados Employers Confederation (BEC), who confirmed that local workplaces have already seen a marked jump in reported cases of depression and other mental health conditions among staff. She noted that Barbadian employers have increasingly adopted compassionate, proactive approaches to supporting employees facing these challenges, a shift that reflects broader societal maturation around mental health.

“I think as a society we’ve matured to the point where we do recognise that mental health is very important and when persons present at work with mental health issues, then it’s treated just as serious as a physical ailment,” Mayers-Granville said. Many employers now leverage employee assistance programmes to connect staff with counselling, adjust work schedules to allow employees to process their challenges, and support gradual reintegration for workers returning after mental health-related leave. Even so, employers often lack the expertise to provide full clinical support, and must balance the needs of struggling employees with the operational demands of running a business that supports all its staff.

Mayers-Granville acknowledged that unaddressed mental health challenges inevitably drag down workplace productivity: an employee dealing with untreated depression or anxiety cannot perform at their peak, she explained. When a team member is out or working at reduced capacity, remaining staff must pick up the extra workload, creating a secondary strain that employers must carefully navigate to avoid overburdening the rest of the team.

“It’s navigating that balance, and I think that’s where employers sometimes find themselves in a difficult space because one, you put some guardrails around that one employee, but while still making sure that the remaining team is able to have some balance and manage through,” she said.

Beyond workplace pressures, Tudor warned that families are carrying the heaviest, most underreported emotional burden of the crisis. “Families are carrying burdens they were never prepared for. Parents are navigating children with emotional and psychological challenges without guidance. Spouses are managing strain. Caregivers are overwhelmed. This is disability advocacy all over again,” she said. Too often, these struggles remain hidden until they escalate into tragedy, she added, and the cumulative effect is eroding family stability across the country.

Tudor also drew a clear link between unaddressed community trauma and rising violent crime, noting that repeated gun violence incidents leave behind widespread unresolved trauma that rarely receives targeted support. “We cannot ignore the increasing fatalities arising from gun violence and the growing exposure to trauma within our communities. Each incident leaves more than a headline. It leaves fear, grief, and unresolved emotional wounds,” she said. “But when trauma is not addressed, it does not disappear. It is internalised and too often repeated. What we are witnessing is not just violence. It is the consequence of trauma left untreated.”

Disability advocates argue that delayed action will only deepen the crisis, and the time for systemic change is now. “If we continue to wait for the next crisis before acting, we risk undermining even the strongest legislative intentions,” Tudor said, adding that low-cost, accessible programmes that create safe spaces for open discussion and remove barriers of cost, stigma, and fear can deliver meaningful immediate impact.

In response to rising mental health needs among young people, Barbados’ Ministry of Education is already taking steps to strengthen its support systems. Senior Ministry Psychologist Dr Juanita Brathwaite-Wharton revealed that the ministry is currently drafting a new national psychosocial support policy in partnership with UNICEF and The University of the West Indies, designed to improve early identification and intervention for students struggling with mental health challenges.

Dr Brathwaite-Wharton confirmed that the ministry has recorded a sharp increase in anxiety and depression symptoms among students, concentrated at the secondary school level. She attributed this rise in part to the widespread digital engagement of modern young people, who are exposed to a far wider range of stressful global issues – from geopolitical conflict to climate change – than previous generations, and regularly engage in harmful social comparison with curated, unrealistic content on social media.

“This impacts your self-esteem when what is being put out there looks as though it is perfect,” she explained, noting that children internalize these unrealistic standards, with lasting negative impacts on their self-esteem and overall mental well-being.

Over the past five to six years, the Ministry of Education has invested heavily in expanding school-based mental health support, increasing the number of on-site psychologists, social workers, safety officers, and guidance counsellors available to students. Students at the secondary level can self-refer for support, while parents, teachers, and administrators can refer students at both primary and secondary levels for evaluation and targeted intervention. The ministry also partners with private mental health agencies to expand access to care beyond what government services can provide.

One major ongoing concern for the ministry is the rising trend of student self-medication, as young people turn to harmful substances instead of seeking professional mental health treatment. Statistics from the National Council on Substance Abuse show increasing substance use among young people starting as early as primary school, Dr Brathwaite-Wharton said, a trend that exacerbates existing mental health challenges and causes cognitive impairment that interferes with learning and emotional regulation.

Beyond clinical support, the ministry has identified gaps in young people’s core social and emotional skills, including conflict resolution, anger management, and problem-solving. To address this, the ministry has revamped its positive behaviour management programme as part of broader national education transformation, working in partnership with the Ministry of People’s Empowerment, the Ministry of Youth, the Ministry of Health, and other cross-sector agencies. The updated programme prioritizes social and emotional learning while strengthening systemic processes to identify at-risk students and connect them with support early.