标签： Dominica

For over twenty years, the island nation of Dominica has maintained its cherished participation in the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association’s annual Christmas Gift Project, a humanitarian initiative that delivers holiday cheer to underprivileged children throughout the Caribbean region. According to an official release from the Discover Dominica Authority, this longstanding partnership exemplifies the island’s enduring dedication to community welfare.

The philanthropic program specifically targets children residing in foster homes and care facilities who might otherwise experience the holiday season without receiving gifts. This year’s edition will see the MV Celebrity Ascent cruise ship arriving on December 8, 2025, carrying donations destined for two hundred Dominican children. Crew members from the vessel will collaborate with representatives from Dominica’s Ministry of Tourism, the Discover Dominica Authority, and the West Dominica Children’s Federation to facilitate the special gift distribution ceremony.

Discover Dominica Authority CEO Marva Williams emphasized the profound impact of the initiative, stating: ‘The FCCA Christmas Gift Project continues to make a real difference in the lives of our children. Every year, it reminds us of the power of kindness and partnership. We are grateful to the FCCA and the crew of the Celebrity Ascent for bringing smiles to our young ones and helping to make the season a little brighter for families across Dominica.’

The Discover Dominica Authority reaffirmed its ongoing coordination with the FCCA to ensure the project’s seamless execution and to create meaningful experiences for participating children. Both the Ministry of Tourism and the Discover Dominica Authority expressed profound gratitude for the FCCA’s sustained generosity and commitment to improving the lives of Caribbean youth. Dominica has further pledged its continued support for this program and future initiatives that promote community wellbeing and enhance quality of life across the nation.

In an extraordinary historical discovery, correspondence between British Governor Sir Hesketh Bell and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie has revealed the origins of one of Dominica’s most transformative institutions—the Roseau Public Library. This early 20th century exchange, occurring during Carnegie’s global library-building campaign, resulted in one of the few Caribbean libraries funded by the steel magnate turned philanthropist.

The library, originally named the Roseau Free Library, emerged as an architectural gem—a wooden Caribbean bungalow perched above the Caribbean Sea with wide verandas and jalousie windows designed to capture cooling breezes. But beyond its physical beauty, it became an intellectual sanctuary that would fundamentally shape Dominican society.

During the 1950s-70s, the library served as an unparalleled gateway to global knowledge for Dominican youth. Its collections surpassed school libraries with encyclopedias, international literature, and periodicals like The Economist, Newsweek, and Time. This access cultivated critical thinking and intellectual independence during Dominica’s transition from colonial rule to self-governance.

The library’s most profound impact manifested through two particular visitors: Gabriel J. Christian and Irving W. André, who met in the research room around 1975. Both came from households filled with books and intellectual discussion—Christian’s father, a British Army veteran, maintained collections on Churchill and world affairs, while André’s father, a customs officer, returned from Curaçao with extensive libraries and jazz collections.

Their meeting sparked a friendship forged through shared Saturdays spent pursuing knowledge beyond the colonial curriculum. They studied African liberation movements, Caribbean history, and Marxist theory, using the library as their “university before university.” This intellectual partnership eventually evolved into Pont Casse Press, established in 1992, which has since published 44 books documenting Dominican history and culture.

The library’s current state tells a different story. Hurricane Maria’s devastation in 2017 left the institution in ruins, prompting calls for national mobilization. Authors Christian and André are leading efforts to form a bipartisan steering committee to rebuild the library, emphasizing that this must be a non-partisan national cause supported by Dominicans at home and throughout the diaspora.

Organizations like Rebuild Dominica Inc. have already demonstrated commitment through recent donations of $5,000 worth of books to Dominica State College. The reconstruction effort represents not just physical rebuilding but the reclamation of a vital space for future generations and honoring the legacy of Bell and Carnegie’s visionary investment in Dominican intellectual development.

The Roseau Public Library’s enduring legacy continues through every Dominican it educated and through the published works of Pont Casse Press that now contribute to the global archive of human knowledge. It stands as testament to how philanthropic vision and local advocacy can permanently shape a nation’s intellectual destiny.

In a significant development for workforce development, Business Training Center Inc. (BTC) has partnered with UK-based Training Express to establish BTC Trade School, a vocational training initiative targeting Dominican youth. This program aims to address the critical shortage of skilled tradespeople across the island nation through comprehensive technical education programs.

The newly launched institution will offer both online evening classes and in-person sessions that emphasize practical, on-the-job training. The curriculum spans multiple high-demand sectors including construction trades (plumbing, electrical work, welding, land surveying), mechanical trades (HVAC, automotive repair, solar energy systems), healthcare (nursing, phlebotomy, medical administration), and financial security (anti-money laundering, compliance).

Lucia Stedman, Director of BTC, highlighted the program’s national significance: “Dominica’s development depends on having a skilled workforce. Too many of our young people leave school without marketable skills. BTC Trade School changes that by creating pathways to employment and entrepreneurship within Dominica.”

The program’s credibility is enhanced through its partnership with Training Express, which provides internationally recognized course content and certification. BTC holds accreditation from the International Association for Quality Assurance in Pre-Tertiary and Higher Education (QAHE) and operates as an authorized Pearson VUE testing center.

BTC demonstrates a proven track record through previous initiatives like the Canadian Government-funded Local Engagement Action Fund (LEAF) project, which successfully trained over 100 young Dominicans aged 18-30.

With classes commencing January 5, 2026, prospective students can explore course offerings at btcdominica.com/trade-school-courses/.

Abbigale Loncke-Watson embodies a transformative force in Caribbean entrepreneurship, seamlessly merging community development with business innovation. The Guyanese visionary, recently honored as a Leader of Rurality of the Americas by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), has dedicated her career to advancing economic independence for rural women while pioneering inclusive growth models.

Her journey began in Guyana’s Essequibo region, where childhood experiences in agricultural communities instilled core values of solidarity, resourcefulness, and collective problem-solving. These formative years directly inspired her first entrepreneurial venture—a home-care agency created to address her grandfather’s healthcare needs that evolved into a platform for local women with nursing skills.

This initial project catalyzed the 2017 establishment of WeLead Caribbean, an organization providing comprehensive training, network access, and economic autonomy programs for Guyanese women. Through tailored courses in business management, digital literacy, and marketing—accommodating family responsibilities with childcare and flexible scheduling—WeLead has empowered entrepreneurs across regions from Essequibo to Berbice. The pandemic prompted innovative adaptations, with social media becoming a vital tool for product promotion and direct sales when traditional channels collapsed.

Concurrently, Loncke-Watson leads Loncke Group (including MBW Energy Support Services) and co-founded Sispro Inc., which recently secured two oil blocks in Guyana’s government bidding process. As a female CEO in the male-dominated energy sector, she champions gender inclusion through Women in Energy Guyana, advocating for rural communities’ participation in the country’s energy boom.

Her leadership philosophy emphasizes intentional risk-taking and holistic development: ‘Energy wealth must translate into community well-being through local training, environmental respect, and job creation.’ Future initiatives include business-simulation programs, the Women Empowerment Conference, and cross-sector partnerships to expand opportunities in energy and technology—ensuring rural women actively shape Guyana’s economic transformation.