Carib Scope

标签： Barbados

巴巴多斯

  • Youth farmers showcase poultry, livestock skills

    Youth farmers showcase poultry, livestock skills

    A long-running agricultural skills development initiative in Barbados celebrated its latest cohort of young trainees this week, as 18 aspiring farmers displayed their newly honed livestock and poultry production capabilities at an open day hosted at Alleyne School. The event marked the successful completion of an intensive eight-week training program run by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), which has equipped young people with hands-on farming expertise since 2012.

    Of the 18 graduates, eight completed the specialized poultry production track, while the other 10 focused on broader commercial livestock rearing. Beyond the on-site training at the school, the program was designed to blend classroom learning with real-world agricultural experience, giving participants a well-rounded foundation for careers in the sector.
    Ryan Barrow, lead instructor for the poultry production module, explained that trainees worked toward earning a Level Two National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in General Poultry Production while building tangible practical skills. Over the course of the program, the poultry cohort collectively raised more than 100 broiler chickens and gained hands-on experience managing layer hen operations, including daily egg collection. To supplement their on-campus training, participants also took educational field trips to Gale’s Hatcheries and a commercial operating farm in St Lucy, where they observed industry-standard practices firsthand.

    Barrow emphasized that the program seeks to challenge outdated stereotypes around agricultural careers, highlighting the sector’s ongoing relevance and economic viability for young people. “Agriculture is a very, very viable career choice. There are many different areas in agriculture that students can get into, and plus it’s all about food – as I always tell my students: ‘No farm, no food,’” he said.

    For many participants, the program provided a structured opportunity to grow a pre-existing passion for farming. T’shay Als, a St George-based student who already studies agriculture academically and has previously raised 100 broilers independently, said the training filled critical gaps in her knowledge. “We learned a lot about this course. We learned properly how to take care of chicks, also how to start a business in a way, and also different aspects and different types of chicks,” she explained. Als plans to pursue farming full-time after graduation, and encouraged other young people with an interest in agriculture to join future cohorts. “You get to do fun activities, you know. You’ll meet good people, you know. You’ll also learn a lot, especially if you want to do it as a career,” she said.

    Fellow poultry graduate Elisha Lashley, a student at St Leonard’s Boys’ School, said the program expanded his expertise beyond the layer hen rearing he had practiced previously. His biggest takeaway was the critical role of biosecurity in sustainable poultry production, a practice that is foundational to successful commercial operations in Barbados. “What I learned is that biosecurity is very important, and I also learned that agriculture, that poultry production in Barbados, is very important,” Lashley noted. “I’ve been trying to get more layers ’cause I’m more experienced with layers instead of broilers, ’cause this is my first time using broilers, and that’s another good thing about this programme because you can learn a lot of new things.”

    Jelani Hunte, instructor for the livestock production track, said his 10 trainees also completed a mix of classroom theory and hands-on field training. Practical sessions covered core commercial livestock skills that are rarely taught in standard secondary education, including piglet castration, dental care, tail docking, hoof trimming, simulated deworming protocols, and ear tagging for livestock identification. Unlike many entry-level training programs, the IICA initiative also integrates entrepreneurship training, and all livestock track participants already operate their own small agribusinesses, Hunte explained.

    He added that the program has already succeeded in inspiring participants to pursue farming more seriously, recalling one trainee who approached him after the program’s final week to ask for guidance on accessing land, registering as an official commercial farmer, and sourcing high-quality breeding livestock. “I would say that the guys are enthusiastic and I can see a bright future in farming for the guys,” Hunte said.

    The IICA Youth Farm training program is delivered in long-term collaboration with Barbados’ Ministry of Education, the Barbados TVET Council, and Gale’s Hatcheries, with additional support from a network of local agricultural businesses that have backed the initiative since its launch in 2012.

  • Alleged 9/11 mastermind to face trial in 2028

    Alleged 9/11 mastermind to face trial in 2028

    Nearly 27 years after the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil, the alleged chief architect of the September 11, 2001 strikes has finally received a confirmed trial date. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, widely known by his initials KSM, is set to face a U.S. military tribunal starting June 5, 2028, marking the end of a years-long saga of procedural hold-ups that have stretched on for nearly two decades.

    KSM’s journey to trial began in March 2003, when counterterrorism operatives captured him in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. For the first three years of his detention, he was held in a network of undisclosed black sites run by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, a period that would later spark widespread controversy over alleged torture and abusive interrogation tactics. In 2006, he was transferred to the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he has remained in custody ever since.

    What should have been a swift path to justice has instead become a case study in systemic delay. Proceedings have been pushed back repeatedly over the years due to a raft of legal challenges, political shifts, and procedural disputes. Most recently, a negotiated plea deal that would have spared KSM the death penalty in exchange for a guilty plea was scrapped entirely by federal officials last year, reopening the entire case and forcing scheduling back to the drawing board.

    Notably, KSM has already openly admitted to his role in coordinating the 2001 attacks. In past statements, he claimed he planned the strikes “from A to Z”, taking full responsibility for the plot that killed nearly 3,000 people. On that fateful September morning, four teams of al-Qaeda hijackers seized four commercial passenger jets, crashing two into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon building outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth into a rural field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to storm the cockpit.

    Beyond the 2001 attacks, KSM has also claimed responsibility for participating in two other high-profile attacks targeting U.S. interests: the 1993 truck bombing that killed six people and injured hundreds at the World Trade Center, and the brutal kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002.

    The 2028 trial date brings a measure of long-awaited closure to families of the September 11 victims, many of whom have waited decades for a final legal resolution to the case. It also comes as the U.S. military justice system at Guantanamo Bay continues to face ongoing scrutiny over its slow pace and procedural irregularities.

  • Faith-based groups launch major youth push

    Faith-based groups launch major youth push

    Barbados is set to see a transformative four-year youth development initiative rolled out across the island, after three faith-based organizations were awarded funding from the $5 million Faith-based Special Grant Fund, announced this Thursday.

    The largest of the three programmes, the Rise Youth 2030 project led by the East Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, aims to reach 1,000 young Barbadians alongside engaging their family members, with a planned network of 80 to 150 trained mentors supporting the initiative. Dr. Natalie Greaves, the Conference’s health coordinator and chair of the grant programme, outlined the multi-phase structure of the multi-year project, designed to holistically equip young people to shape their own futures.

    “Our second year of the project is branded ‘Invest,’ and it lives up to that name by putting resources into multiple areas that matter to young people: creative arts training, personal character development, and accredited Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) programmes to boost employability,” Greaves explained. “Beyond that, we have a broader goal to advance digital inclusion, investing in building young people’s technical skills for the modern digital economy.”

    Drawing on the denomination’s existing network of 54 churches across Barbados and in-house research into the root drivers of interpersonal violence in the country, the project will establish geographically distributed “centres of excellence” to deliver accessible mentorship and support for both youth and their parents. These centres will leverage existing Adventist youth programmes including the Adventurers and Pathfinder Clubs, as well as Band Ministries, to avoid redundant infrastructure and build on existing community trust.

    The final phase, named “Empower,” will create a structured peer support model, where graduates of the skills-building and character development curriculum go on to mentor new participants, creating a self-sustaining community pipeline. In addition to in-kind support from the church’s existing education and health systems, the initiative will draw on the church’s established family ministry, which already operates a robust psychosocial support framework to address mental and emotional wellbeing. The Dalkeith Conference complex in St. Michael will serve as the main hub for large-scale activities including marching drills and Pathfinder band events.

    Greaves emphasized that the programme was not designed by adult policymakers alone: it was developed in close collaboration with young people themselves, alongside input from experienced specialists in education, youth development, and spiritual care. Key contributors include education expert Dr. Cheryl Weeks, Caribbean Examinations-level professional Carlotta Challenger, youth ministry coordinator Julia Sealy, and Pastor Sean Shepherd.

    A second grantee, Combine Faith Christian Sports Evangelism Ministry, is launching a targeted sports-focused initiative that will reach 100 young people aged 8 to 16 across two primary and two secondary schools in its first phase. The programme will center on basketball and road tennis, two popular sports in Barbados, with plans to expand into additional disciplines after an initial assessment period.

    “Right now we’re starting with basketball and road tennis, but our long-term goal is to offer access to every major sporting discipline,” said Dean Squires, the organization’s president and sports director. “In this first project, we’re targeting 100 participants – 30 at each secondary school and 20 at each primary – and after this initial year, we’ll assess what worked and plan our expansion for subsequent years.” The programme operates year-round, with this initial grant-funded phase serving as a foundation for future multi-year growth.

    The third funded initiative, led by the Roman Catholic Church, is tailored to support unemployed and vulnerable young people aged 16 to 25, aiming to reach 40 to 60 participants in its early stages. Bishop Neil Scantlebury explained that the programme focuses on helping marginalized youth move out of unstable living and employment situations, regain personal dignity, and build long-term self-sufficiency.

    “We work to give participants the practical skills they need to secure stable work, while also providing critical psychosocial support to address the challenges they face,” Scantlebury said. All training will be delivered by experienced practitioners from within the church and the broader Barbadian community, ensuring the programme meets local needs with trusted, on-the-ground expertise.

    Across all three programmes, the core mission aligns: to combine skills development in creative arts, sports, and vocational training with the psychosocial support young people need to thrive in Barbados, tapping into faith-based communities’ deep existing roots to deliver impact at a national scale.

  • Guyana gears up for first CARIFTA Championships

    Guyana gears up for first CARIFTA Championships

    For the first time in the event’s history, the South American nation of Guyana has begun full-scale preparations to welcome the 2027 CARIFTA Athletics Championships, a premier regional track and field competition that will draw more than 600 participating athletes and coaching staff from over 20 countries across the Caribbean and broader Americas during the 2027 Easter holiday period.

    Earlier this week, key stakeholders including senior Guyanese government ministers and executive leadership from the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) completed a thorough on-site inspection of the event’s primary venue: the National Track and Field Centre located in Leonora. The inspection marked a major milestone in the ongoing planning process for the historic games. Following the walkthrough, NACAC President Mike Sands shared strong public confidence in both the local organizing committee’s work and the Guyanese government’s sustained backing for the project. He even noted that collaborative planning with Guyanese officials had “reduced his blood pressure by 20 per cent”, a lighthearted comment that underscored his satisfaction with progress to date.

    Local plans for the championships extend well beyond venue upgrades, with targeted efforts to field a competitive domestic team and align national sporting calendars to maximize athlete performance. Guyana is set to send a delegation of more than 60 homegrown athletes to compete, with structured, centralized national training camps scheduled to launch in late September this year. To give local athletes additional preparation time and competitive experience ahead of the regional event, the 2027 National Schools Championships will be moved to an earlier spot on the annual sporting calendar.

    Steven Jacobs, Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport of Guyana, emphasized that preparatory work for the regional championships has been underway for some time, framing the hosting opportunity as a reflection of the country’s long-term sporting and developmental vision. “Hosting this event shows the vision of our country and the vision of His Excellency. Happy to say we have already started preparation for the CARIFTA Games. We as a government will ensure everything will be in place. Guyana is officially a sporting destination while we host a number of regional and international tournaments and events,” Jacobs stated. Beyond the athletic impact, Jacobs also highlighted the significant economic benefits the event will bring to local communities: hosting hundreds of international visitors over the Easter holiday will generate increased revenue for local hotels, transportation operators, catering services and small independent vendors across the region.

    Currently, organizers are putting the final touches on the venue’s logistical layout, with minor targeted infrastructure upgrades set to get underway in the coming weeks. These improvements include installing additional bucket seating in the venue’s grandstands to accommodate more spectators. Minister of Education Sonia Parag added another layer of context to the event’s impact, focusing on its long-term benefits for youth development across the country. She noted that major sporting infrastructure investments over the past six years have created new opportunities for Guyanese athletes and students to uncover their natural talent, and the 2027 CARIFTA Championships will act as a critical gateway for young people to access upward mobility through sport, thanks to the new training and competition facilities now available.

    Organizing officials are also working to expand the event’s global reach, with plans to grow live broadcast access across North America, South America, Europe and Africa. The strategic expansion aims to surpass the 1 million+ global viewership the championships drew in 2026, bringing greater international exposure to Guyana and the sport of track and field across the region.

  • Speightstown traders call for investment, cultural renewal

    Speightstown traders call for investment, cultural renewal

    Nestled in northern Barbados, the historic coastal town of Speightstown holds untapped tourism potential and a deep cultural legacy. Yet for years, local business owners say, broken promises and chronic underinvestment have left the once-thriving commercial hub stagnant, with foot traffic plummeting and key assets left unused. Now, the community’s traders are reigniting their calls for targeted infrastructure upgrades, policy support for local entrepreneurs and expanded cultural programming to breathe new life into the St. Peter landmark.

    In recent interviews with Barbados TODAY, multiple local business leaders outlined the core changes they say are long overdue, highlighting underdeveloped transport links, decaying heritage architecture and a lack of sustained cultural events as the biggest barriers to growth. For Jacqueline Wilson-Ali, owner of the local boutique Expressions by Jay, the stagnation of Speightstown’s economy has been a years-long source of frustration, after authorities repeatedly pledged to drive revitalization that never materialized.

    “Speightstown has a rich heritage and history, but things need to happen for us that the powers that be promised us,” Wilson-Ali explained. “They promised us that smaller boats would come into Speightstown to help boost our businesses because we have some really lovely businesses here.”

    Wilson-Ali pushed for a more strategic use of the town’s existing maritime and heritage assets, arguing that underutilized infrastructure like the local jetty could be leveraged to funnel cruise and small-boat tourists directly into the town’s commercial core. “The jetty is not only for fishing and just people taking a tour of it,” she noted. “Bring the tourists here, and I’m sure the tourists would definitely enjoy being in Speightstown. When they come off, there are usually port lecturers. You can tell them about the town before they get off the ship.”

    Beyond infrastructure upgrades, local leaders are also calling for a return to large-scale cultural events that once drew crowds from across the island to Speightstown. Public spaces like the Speightstown Esplanade currently sit largely unused, community members say, and event programming that once positioned the town as a core stop for national celebrations like Crop Over has shifted entirely to the capital Bridgetown. Wilson-Ali is urging the National Cultural Foundation to expand its event footprint outside of Bridgetown, create themed Speightstown weekend events, and reinsert the northern town into Barbados’ national cultural calendar. “Everything seems to be happening outside of Speightstown,” she said. “Speightstown was a big part of Crop Over, but we don’t get that now. Take time out to come to us and do something for Speightstown. Create a theme for Speightstown weekends. We need to feel a part of the big equation.”

    For Kaie Cozier, a London-born former radio presenter whose family has deep commercial roots in St. Peter, Speightstown’s decline is a deeply personal loss. She pointed to poorly adjusted traffic routing that has cut foot traffic, crumbling historic buildings and a lack of targeted support for local Barbadian entrepreneurs as the most pressing issues the town faces. “People talk about Speightstown being this historical town, but it has been left to rot, and it breaks my heart,” Cozier said. “I walk through Speightstown a good few times a week, and each time my heart breaks a little more because this is part of my heritage.”

    While Cozier acknowledges that targeted tourism growth is needed to revitalize the town, she argues that economic policy must prioritize local ownership of businesses over foreign-backed resort development. She is calling for targeted financial incentives, low-interest grants, and mentorship programs to help local entrepreneurs build and expand their operations, noting that long-term local stakeholders have a far greater stake in preserving Speightstown’s unique character. “Speightstown is and should be for Bajans primarily,” she explained. “There should be incentives and grants and initiatives to allow people to develop businesses in Speightstown as opposed to having investors come in because they’re interested in the money. We’re interested in the heart and soul of Speightstown.”

    Cozier also pushed for urgent action to address the dozens of derelict, crumbling buildings scattered across the town, including the former Noel Roach store. She suggested repurposing these decaying historic structures to serve public needs, such as community arts centers, senior citizen hubs, or local heritage museums. “Speightstown needs investment, it needs belief. We’ve got too many empty buildings sitting around that are basically crumbling to the ground,” Cozier added. “I would like to see the derelict buildings — please do something with them. Restore them, make them museums, make them art centers.”

    Not all local business owners are relying solely on government intervention, however. Some traders have already adapted their business models to offset lower foot traffic, finding ways to serve both local residents and the small number of tourists that currently visit the town. Negus, a juice vendor who relocated his business from Bridgetown to Speightstown, said that adjusting his product offerings to cater to both locals and visitors has allowed his business to stay viable despite slower overall activity. “In Bridgetown, it’s a faster place in terms of sales,” Negus said. “When I came down here, we started to become more creative. I realised I have to supply stuff for both tourists and locals.”

    Negus encouraged fellow local business owners to lean into creativity and self-reliance rather than waiting for outside support. “Stop going and begging for assistance and find your creative ability to sustain and help yourself,” he said. “You have to be smarter, stay on top of what you’re doing, and build something that lasts.”

  • MP launches Pack for Progress for students

    MP launches Pack for Progress for students

    A Barbadian parliamentarian is expanding a community-focused back-to-school assistance program this year, aiming to put essential educational supplies into the hands of up to 100 low-income children as they prepare for the start of the new academic term. Tyra Trotman, the elected representative for St Michael Central, is leading the “Pack for Progress: Together We Learn” initiative, a project she first launched independently in 2023, months before winning her parliamentary seat.

    Trotman laid out her vision for the 2024 drive during a press briefing held at her constituency office on Leinster Road, Waterford, St Michael on Thursday, framing the effort around a core belief that education acts as one of the most powerful tools for social equality. “Education is a great equalizer no matter where you come from, whether it’s the heights or the hood,” she told reporters. “Once you get your strong background in education, you can really liberate yourselves.”

    As a recipient of free public education herself, Trotman emphasized that expanding access to educational resources aligns with long-held national values in Barbados. Supporting young people through their schooling, she argued, unlocks life-changing social and economic opportunities that lift entire communities. “It creates numerous opportunities for young people, and it’s something I believe strongly in being someone who benefited from free education myself, and it’s something that we as Barbadians should pride ourselves on in terms of having that resource available for young people,” she said.

    Last year, Trotman funded and ran the entire initiative alone, distributing backpacks and basic school supplies to children in need across her constituency. This year, two local community groups have stepped in to partner with the project: The Dream Team/Dream Mass and the Affluent Bunch, allowing the drive to scale up its reach from last year’s smaller cohort to 100 students in 2024.

    Akhnaten Burrowes, leader of the Affluent Bunch, explained that his group’s participation grew out of a personal commitment to paying forward the support that helped him and his peers grow up. For Burrowes, community giving means building purpose-driven events that lift up vulnerable young people, rather than focusing solely on social gatherings. “People would have always helped me and helped my friends, and we would have grown and benefited from such initiatives,” Burrowes said. “So we wanted to do not just a party, but a party with a purpose where people can benefit from the same help that I and my team benefited from.” The Affluent Bunch has contributed bulk stationery supplies for participating students.

    Keisha Thorne, a representative of Dream Team Entertainment, echoed the commitment to equitable access to education, noting that the initiative’s core mission is to ensure no child starts the school year at a disadvantage. “The whole initiative is very important because no child should be left out,” Thorne said.

    While the initiative already has secured donations of backpacks and stationery, Trotman highlighted that two items remain in particularly high demand: school uniforms and properly fitted school shoes. Unlike backpacks, which can often be sourced at lower price points, Trotman noted that uniforms and footwear are the most requested needs from families preparing for back-to-school. She also issued an open call for additional donations from local businesses, organizations, and community members, saying more support will allow the drive to expand and help even more children in future years. Donors can drop off contributions at Trotman’s constituency office in St Michael.

  • Barbados celebrates Jackie Opel’s life, legacy

    Barbados celebrates Jackie Opel’s life, legacy

    On a sunny Thursday lunchtime at Bridgetown’s iconic Queen’s Park, a diverse gathering of musicians, dancers, visual artists, and spoken-word performers came together to honor the indelible legacy of Barbadian music pioneer Jackie Opel, marking what would have been his 89th year since birth. Born Dalton Sinclair Bishop on August 27, 1937, Opel revolutionized Caribbean music by creating spouge — the genre now widely recognized as Barbados’ national sound — and built a cross-island cultural footprint that stretched from his hometown to Kingston, Jamaica, decades before his influence was fully celebrated on a national scale.

    Leading the tributes was Andrea Wells, Chief Cultural Officer of Barbados’ National Cultural Foundation (NCF), who framed Opel’s contribution as far more than a musical milestone: he was a foundational figure in shaping the island’s independent national identity, she argued. “Today we celebrate the legacy of Jackie Opel, who was an artist that liberated souls through his voice, provoked imagination with his lyrics, and pushed us further in defining our national identity,” Wells told the gathered crowd, which included Opel’s daughter, three grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

    To carry forward Opel’s creative influence into a new generation, the NCF partnered with the Prime Minister’s Office Division of Culture to launch the 2025 Jackie Opel Residency Lab, an initiative designed to support contemporary artists creating work rooted in Opel’s life, career, and cross-cultural impact. The residency invited creators across visual art, music, and dance to dive deep into Opel’s archives and even travel to Jamaica to trace his professional connections and artistic influence there. Two emerging Barbadian visual artists, Safia Stoute and Starlight Talma, received residency funding to develop full collections of work inspired by Opel, with several pieces featured in the on-site Rewind exhibition at Queen’s Park. Wells explained that the artists’ work unpacks under-told layers of Opel’s story, from his childhood growing up on Nelson Street in central Bridgetown to his rapid rise to regional fame. “Jackie is Bajan. He was from town. Nelson Street was his stomping ground — the jukeboxes, the people, the energy,” Wells noted.

    Wells emphasized that Opel’s 1970 return to Barbados after years working in Jamaica was a turning point for the island’s cultural transition to full nationhood. “His return to Barbados in 1970 seems like fateful ordination. Jackie was sent back to help us transition to nationhood, and this is most evident in the creation of spouge, which is now considered the music of Barbados,” she said.

    For musician Justin Taylor, one of the residency participants, Opel’s artistic range extends far beyond his iconic creation of spouge. Taylor has long planned to release a full concept hip-hop album centered on Opel, arguing that the pioneer’s innovation as a soul singer has been underappreciated by modern audiences. “I think that Jackie was so much more than just spouge music,” Taylor said. “He was a top soul singer and really creative… Nobody else was doing that [the track *Tears Are Falling From You*] in the 60s. He was Kutton before Kutton.”

    Taylor also highlighted Opel’s widespread recognition in Jamaica during the 1960s, where he recorded at the legendary Studio One and became a regular fixture on popular Friday sound systems. “Jackie was fairly big in Jamaica… He was a voice that was known to the people,” he said. For the residency project, Taylor chose to explore Opel’s worldview rather than rehashing discussion of spouge, and he performed two original works, *They Don’t Know Jackie* and *One More Chance*, for the Queen’s Park crowd.

    The cross-disciplinary tribute featured a range of other original works created for the anniversary: spoken-word artist Adrian Green presented a piece drawing from Opel’s life story; veteran musician Desmond Weekes debuted a new spouge track titled *I’ve Got a Mobaton of Love For You*; and dancer and choreographer Keisha Dowridge created *Wharf Boy*, a solo performed by Naiobi Rudder that references Opel’s childhood practice of diving for coins thrown by tourists at the Bridgetown Wharf. Dancers from the Mark Burgess Dance Academy performed choreographed pieces to classic spouge between each tribute, keeping Opel’s iconic sound central to the celebration.

    The Queen’s Park event also hosted the Rewind exhibition, sponsored by the Central Bank of Barbados as part of the NCF’s Emancipation exhibition series *Push, Pause, and Rewind*. Following the daytime celebration, events continued into the evening at CARIFESTA House, where the NCF hosted a dedicated Jackie Opel Night to extend the tributes.

    Closing the daytime event, Wells reaffirmed that Opel’s legacy continues to resonate across the Caribbean and beyond. “Jackie Opel has left a legacy that stretches far beyond the shores of Barbados, one that we are proud of as Barbadians and Caribbean people,” she said.

  • Edwards overcomes late start to finish fourth at Caribbean Chess Cup

    Edwards overcomes late start to finish fourth at Caribbean Chess Cup

    The 202X Caribbean Chess Cup wrapped up in Aruba last weekend, delivering one of the most surprising standout performances of the competition from Barbadian player Emar Edwards, who climbed to an unexpected fourth-place finish in the fiercely contested Open division despite facing a major early setback.

    As Barbados’ only competitor in the 33-player Open section, Edwards was forced to miss the tournament’s opening two rounds, putting him far behind the rest of the field heading into the middle stages of the event. Ranked seventh entering the competition, the Barbadian player refused to concede his shot at a high finish, claiming four wins across his next six matches to keep his top-six hopes alive heading into the ninth and final round.

    Facing higher-ranked Candidate Master Vaibhav Bedi of Curaçao, Edwards entered the final match with a clear must-win goal to crack the top of the leaderboard. Holding the white pieces, Edwards dictated the tempo of the game from the opening moves, maintaining consistent control of the board to secure the critical victory that pushed his total score to six points. When all final-round results were finalized, other matches fell in Edwards’ favor, lifting him to an overall fourth-place finish that defied his early disadvantage.

    The Open division title ultimately went to FIDE Master Quinn Cabralis of Trinidad and Tobago, who claimed the top spot with an impressive 8.5 points from nine total matches. Christiaan Smeets of the Netherlands secured second place with seven points, while host nation contender Juan Pabl De La Mey of Aruba finished third with 5.5 points.

    Edwards’ strong result came just one week after two elite Barbadian school teams represented the country at the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Chess Championship American Continental Stage held in Costa Rica. Local national champions Queen’s College and Harrison College each sent squads of four players to compete in the eight-round team event, where both squads turned in strong performances against top opposition from across the Americas.

    Queen’s College finished 10th out of 30 competing teams hailing from 25 countries across the region, finishing with nine points from a maximum 16 possible. The squad earned three match wins, three draws, and two losses over the course of the tournament, and claimed a notable distinction as the highest-placing team from any English- or Dutch-speaking Caribbean nation. The Queen’s College squad, made up of Chaz Reifer-Belle, Jaeda Herbert, Nathan Simmons-Patterson, Zaine Ward and Aidan Greaves, saw Simmons-Patterson deliver an exceptional individual performance, notching six wins from eight games to lead his team.

    Harrison College followed closely behind in the overall standings, finishing 13th with eight total points. The squad, composed of Jeremiah Farley, Charis Stuart, Aidan Singh, Janiyah Browne and Ethan Alleyne, notched three match wins, two draws, and three losses. Janiyah Browne stood out as Harrison College’s top performer, earning five points from seven games played.

    Peru’s Saco Oliveros de Lince school won the continental championship, earning the right to advance to the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship global finals. The back-to-back strong results from Edwards and the two Barbadian school squads have cemented the country’s growing reputation as a competitive force in Caribbean and American continental chess.

  • Govt guarantees US$20m housing financing facility

    Govt guarantees US$20m housing financing facility

    On Tuesday, a landmark $20 million financing agreement was signed at the Saint Lucia Development Bank (SLDB) headquarters in Castries, marking a major step forward in the Caribbean island nation’s fight against its persistent affordable housing crisis. The Government of Saint Lucia has formally stepped in to guarantee the facility, which was negotiated between the local development bank and Taiwan Export-Import Bank (Taiwan Eximbank), with the explicit goal of expanding access to homeownership for low- and middle-income households across the country.

    This new initiative aligns directly with the Philip J Pierre administration’s broader national strategy to close Saint Lucia’s growing housing deficit. Unlike traditional mortgage products that often exclude vulnerable groups, the facility is structured to lower barriers to long-term mortgage financing, with a specific focus on first-time homebuyers and communities that have historically been locked out of conventional lending systems.

    Prime Minister Pierre reaffirmed the government’s commitment to public-private collaboration to solve the housing crisis during his 2026-2027 Budget Address, noting that targeted partnerships remain a core policy pillar for his administration. “My administration will continue to seek private partnerships with credible private sector businesses to help reduce the housing deficit in our country,” Pierre stated, echoing the approach that guided the negotiation of this new financing package.

    The new $20 million facility builds on existing progress SLDB has already made in expanding affordable homeownership. In 2025 alone, the state development bank approved roughly $11.5 million in concessionary housing loans, which supported both first-time purchases and critical home improvement projects for lower- and middle-income families. Industry observers and government officials expect the new guaranteed facility to substantially boost Saint Lucia’s overall housing finance capacity, unlocking new supply of affordable homes for thousands of households that have struggled to access sustainable home financing in the past.

  • BPWCCUL teaches children to make smarter money choices

    BPWCCUL teaches children to make smarter money choices

    Building lifelong healthy financial habits starts long before adulthood, and one major Barbadian financial institution is working to give young people a head start on smart money management. The Barbados Public Workers’ Co-operative Credit Union Limited (BPWCCUL) recently launched its annual Before the Bell Rings Back-to-School Financial Literacy Workshop, an event dedicated to introducing core financial concepts to children and teens aged 7 to 16. Held on Thursday at the credit union’s Belmont Road branch in St Michael, the 2024 workshop welcomed 70 young participants from across the island.

    According to BPWCCUL Marketing Officer Khadija Millar, the initiative serves two key goals: to lay a strong foundational understanding of personal finance for children, and to complement the credit union’s existing Back-to-School Loan promotion for families. “We structured the workshop specifically to include children of parents who have applied for our back-to-school loan, and we’ve also formed an official partnership with the government’s One Family Programme, which connects vulnerable households across Barbados with critical resources,” Millar shared in an interview after the event.

    Unlike abstract classroom lessons on finance, the workshop centers entirely on practical, actionable skills that children can incorporate into their daily lives right away. Core topics include creating a basic budget, building consistent saving habits, and learning how to distinguish between non-essential wants and necessary needs — concepts that even young children can apply to their allowance, gift money, and back-to-school shopping. “Getting an early start with these fundamentals makes such a difference. By learning how to set money aside for future needs, prioritize spending, and make intentional choices at a young age, these kids carry that knowledge with them for life,” Millar explained.

    To ensure all lessons matched participants’ developmental levels, organizers split attendees into two age-based groups with tailored activities and curricula. For the 7 to 10-year-old group, sessions leaned into playful, interactive learning, including hands-on presentations, educational games, and guided group discussions that made money management feel approachable and fun. Older participants, aged 11 to 16, engaged with more advanced content through a structured financial challenge, collaborative group discussions, and a open question-and-answer session designed to deepen their understanding of long-term smart money habits.

    Millar emphasized that this age-based segmentation was a deliberate, critical part of the workshop’s design. “Younger kids learn best through play and interaction, so we built their activities around that. For teens, we can dive a little deeper into how budgeting and saving work in real life, while still reinforcing the same core fundamentals that apply to every age,” she said. Overall, the event’s organizers hope the lessons and skills taught at the workshop will stick with participants as they grow into financially independent adults.

    Kyle McCollin, BPWCCUL’s Loans Recovery Officer who led sessions for the 11 to 16-year-old group, echoed that sentiment, noting that early financial education is an investment in young people’s long-term success. “Today we come together to learn, grow, build smart money habits for the future,” McCollin said. He also extended gratitude to parents and guardians who encouraged their children to attend, highlighting that adult support plays an irreplaceable role in helping young people build the confidence to make sound financial choices. “Your support plays a vital role in helping them develop the knowledge and confidence to make wise financial decisions,” he added.