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  • Ariza renames secondary schools scholarship in honour of Merryl Baptiste-Lord

    Ariza renames secondary schools scholarship in honour of Merryl Baptiste-Lord

    Grenada’s Ariza Credit Union has announced a meaningful change to one of its key community programs, rebranding its existing secondary school scholarship as the Merryl Baptiste-Lord Memorial Scholarship. The renaming pays tribute to the late Merryl Baptiste-Lord, a long-serving volunteer whose lifelong dedication to education and youth empowerment left a lasting legacy across both the credit union and the broader Grenadian community.

    Baptiste-Lord, affectionately known as Sister Baptiste-Lord by her colleagues, contributed more than 20 years of service to Ariza’s Scholarship Awards Committee. She stepped into the role of committee chair in 2012, a position she held steadily until her passing in April 2026. Widely admired for her relentless commitment to expanding educational access for young Grenadians, she played a foundational role in refining the scholarship program’s structure and supporting hundreds of students as they navigated their secondary education journeys.

    A lifelong educator by calling, Baptiste-Lord dedicated the vast majority of her professional and volunteer work to teaching, mentoring, and uplifting Grenada’s youth. Through her work on the Scholarship Awards Committee, she built personal connections with nearly every scholarship recipient and their families, offering consistent encouragement, practical guidance, and motivation as students worked toward their academic goals. Her warm, rousing speeches at annual scholarship award ceremonies became a beloved tradition, where she repeatedly highlighted education’s unique power to transform lives and open new opportunities. These addresses earned her deep respect from both Ariza members and the student community alike.

    In a statement released by the credit union, Ariza Board of Directors President Sister Alana Twum-Barimah praised Baptiste-Lord’s enduring impact. “Merryl Baptiste-Lord was the epitome of a dedicated educator,” Twum-Barimah said. “She exemplified every one of Ariza’s core values, and never missed an opportunity to emphasize how critical education is at every stage of life. Her passion for seeing students succeed shone through in every task she took on.”

    Beyond her work selecting qualified candidates each year, Baptiste-Lord went to extraordinary lengths to support recipients long after they received their awards. She maintained close track of students’ academic progress, followed their post-graduation professional achievements, and even retained the names of recipients from decades earlier, celebrating every milestone they reached with palpable pride. Her attention and care turned a simple financial award into a long-term support system for generations of young Grenadians.

    Today, the renamed scholarship continues the core mission Baptiste-Lord championed, carrying forward her values of commitment, academic excellence, perseverance, community service, and lifelong learning. Ariza Credit Union encourages all future recipients of the Merryl Baptiste-Lord Memorial Scholarship to embody these principles in their own academic and personal journeys.

    The scholarship provides five years of continuous financial assistance and institutional support to recipients throughout their secondary education, removing financial barriers that might otherwise prevent young people from reaching their full potential and achieving their academic dreams.

  • Liberty Caribbean zero-rates calls to Venezuela

    Liberty Caribbean zero-rates calls to Venezuela

    In the wake of a series of destructive earthquakes that have struck Venezuela, regional telecommunications provider Liberty Caribbean has rolled out an emergency initiative to eliminate all calling charges for mobile voice calls placed to the South American nation. The waiver applies to both prepaid and postpaid customers across the company’s entire operating footprint, and went into effect immediately upon announcement, running through July 6.

    The move is designed to remove financial barriers for customers who are seeking to check in on family members, friends and loved ones impacted by the seismic events, addressing the urgent need for reliable connectivity in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Britta Reinhardt, Chief Commercial Officer of Liberty Caribbean, explained the core motivation behind the emergency program, noting that connection is the top priority for communities when disaster strikes.

    “When natural disasters upend communities, the very first impulse for most people is to reach out to the people they care about. In these fragile moments, even a single phone call can deliver much-needed reassurance, a sense of hope, and critical comfort to people grappling with uncertainty,” Reinhardt stated. “We want our customers to understand that during this extraordinarily difficult time, staying in touch with their loved ones in Venezuela should be one less source of stress they have to handle.”

    As a regional telecom leader, Liberty Caribbean operates three major consumer and business brands across the Caribbean: Flow, Liberty Business, and BTC. Reinhardt emphasized that as a Caribbean-based company, the firm understands firsthand the fear and uncertainty that follows catastrophic natural events, and stands in solidarity with all those affected by the Venezuela earthquakes.

    “As a company rooted in the Caribbean, we are no strangers to the crippling uncertainty and overwhelming anxiety that comes in the wake of disasters like this,” Reinhardt added. “Our thoughts are with every person impacted by these earthquakes, especially our colleagues, our customers, and the broader Venezuelan community across our region who are waiting anxiously for news of their loved ones. This is exactly the moment when reliable connection matters more than anything else.”

    The zero-rate calling program is open to all eligible prepaid and postpaid mobile subscribers across Liberty Caribbean’s markets, covering calls made to Venezuelan phone numbers through the end of the support window. This report was carried by NOW Grenada, which notes that it is not responsible for the content or views shared by external contributors, and provides a channel for users to report any abusive content.

  • Today in history: Hurricane Beryl 1 July 2024

    Today in history: Hurricane Beryl 1 July 2024

    On July 1, 2024, a meteorological anomaly that would go down in Atlantic storm history tore through the eastern Caribbean, leaving irreversible early-season destruction in its wake. Hurricane Beryl, which defied all typical seasonal timelines to become the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin and the strongest storm to form before the start of July, made landfall directly across Grenada and its neighboring island chain of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

    Unlike the traditional Caribbean storm lore that holds “June too soon, August a must” for major hurricane activity, Beryl’s rapid, unexpected intensification caught the region off guard. Forecasters tracked the quickly strengthening storm’s trajectory toward northern Grenada and the small outlying sister isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinique through the early morning of July 1, and by mid-morning, the high-end Category 4 storm made its devastating direct hit on the two tiny islands.

    While portions of mainland Grenada sustained severe damage, Beryl’s eye tracked directly over Carriacou and Petite Martinique, turning their postcard-perfect tropical landscapes into a scene of widespread catastrophe within hours. Grenadian government officials confirmed that roughly 95% of all structures across the two isles suffered damage or were completely destroyed, with the vast majority of remaining buildings losing their roofs. When Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell conducted an early aerial survey of the damage, he summed up the scene simply as “complete devastation.”

    The storm claimed three lives in total, including one fatality on mainland Grenada when a falling tree collapsed onto a residential home. The near-total destruction of local communication networks delayed initial damage assessments for hours, leaving the central government unable to coordinate emergency response until lines of contact were finally reestablished. Once access was restored, first responders and assessment teams encountered a landscape stripped bare: uprooted, bare trees stood amid mountains of debris from collapsed buildings, and what had been a thriving community of cultural and natural beauty was left decimated.

    One year on from the catastrophic storm, however, a quiet story of resilience is unfolding across Carriacou and Petite Martinique. With support from mainland Grenada and international partners, local residents have made measurable progress picking up the pieces and rebuilding their lives and communities. While vegetation has regrown across the scarred landscape, the work of recovery remains far from complete. Countless private homes still await full reconstruction, many local businesses have yet to reopen, damaged coastal mangrove ecosystems need replanting, and daily life has not fully returned to pre-storm norms.

    Even amid the ongoing work, the islands’ vibrant cultural heritage has become a cornerstone of the recovery effort. Communities are looking forward to the return of beloved annual traditions, from Maroon Fest and Big Drum Dance to Sugaring the Piton, when the colorful performances of Shakespeare Mas will once again fill the streets of Hillsborough. These returning traditions stand as a testament to the enduring spirit of the islands, signaling that Carriacou and Petite Martinique are steadily working their way back to full strength.

  • Grenada’s Accountant General to chair regional public financial management engagement

    Grenada’s Accountant General to chair regional public financial management engagement

    From June 29 to July 1 2026, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) headquarters in St Kitts and Nevis played host to a landmark regional gathering: the 2026 Caribbean Public Financial Management (PFM) and Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Roundtable. Representing Grenada at the event was Natika Bain-Charles, the country’s top accounting official who also took on a new leadership role for the pan-Caribbean initiative during the roundtable.

    Bringing together accountants general from 19 Caribbean nations alongside seasoned public financial management practitioners, international development partners, leading regional institutions and specialized technical experts, the three-day roundtable was designed to confront shared systemic challenges and unlock collaborative opportunities to reinforce public financial management frameworks across the entire Caribbean region. The centerpiece of the opening day was two high-stakes components: the official Caribbean Accountant General Network Council Meeting and the long-awaited formal in-person launch of the regional network itself.

    Bain-Charles, who was formally appointed as Chairperson of the network’s Executive Committee during the gathering, led the council meeting through pivotal discussions that shaped the organization’s vision, core mission and long-term strategic trajectory. The meeting also included a knowledge-sharing exchange with the Forum of Governmental Accounting of Latin America (FOCAL), where representatives shared insights from FOCAL’s decades of work advancing regional cooperation, technical skills development, and cross-border dissemination of best practices across Latin America.

    Though the network was formally established during a virtual inaugural assembly held on December 10 2025, following months of iterative discussion among regional accounting leaders, public officials and international development partners, the St Kitts and Nevis launch marked its official entry into operational work. To date, 21 Caribbean countries have formally signed on to membership in the collaborative body.

    The network was founded to fill a critical gap in regional governance: it provides a structured, sustained platform for cross-border cooperation, peer-to-peer learning, targeted capacity building, and the exchange of specialized information and technical expertise between accountants general across the Caribbean. Beyond knowledge sharing, the organization also aims to drive greater harmonization of public sector accounting standards, operational practices and standardized terminology across all member states, streamlining regional financial cooperation.

    Addressing attendees at the official launch on June 29, Bain-Charles emphasized the historic nature of the moment. “Your presence at today’s historic launch is an indication of a shared commitment among Caribbean Accountant Generals and our Development Partners to build resilient public institutions, strengthen public financial management, and foster a community of practice that will benefit not only our respective countries but all Caribbean Citizens,” she said.

    Beyond the network’s founding activities, the full three-day roundtable program also included a dedicated Caribbean Public Financial Management Forum and a two-day intensive PEFA workshop. The workshop is designed to deepen participants’ understanding of the PEFA assessment framework, its core methodology, and how it can be leveraged to design and implement impactful public financial management reforms across member states.

    In her opening remarks to the PFM Forum, Bain-Charles framed the gathering as a turning point for regional financial governance. “Today marks a defining moment in the evolution of public financial management in the Caribbean, bringing us together as custodians of our region’s financial integrity, united by a common purpose. I encourage you to share your experiences and ideas on how we can further strengthen public financial management for the benefit of all Caribbean citizens,” she noted.

    The landmark roundtable and network launch was brought to fruition through a collaborative partnership between the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre and the PEFA Secretariat.

    Grenada’s central leadership role in the new network underscores the country’s longstanding commitment to advancing accountability, transparency, institutional capacity and robust financial governance across the Caribbean public sector. In a statement following the launch, Grenada’s Ministry of Finance expressed enthusiasm for the country’s role in the initiative, noting that it welcomes the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to regional dialogue and support the development of stronger, more resilient public financial management systems across the entire Caribbean region.

  • Sandals National Learn to Swim Week. We Ready!

    Sandals National Learn to Swim Week. We Ready!

    Grenada is gearing up to host its annual Sandals National Learn to Swim Week between July 6 and 10, capping off a foundational instructor upskilling program that aims to raise the bar for swimming education across the island nation, including its smaller sister islands Carriacou and Petite Martinique. This year’s event brings a major upgrade to local swim instruction: for the first time, Grenadian instructors have completed the internationally accredited Discover Water Swim Instructor Course developed by global governing body World Aquatics.

    The rollout of the program traces back to earlier this year, when the Grenada Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) sponsored Tara Baksh, Grenada’s newly appointed national Discover Water lead, to attend a specialized training conference in Aruba. Baksh returned with full certification to deliver the World Aquatics-endorsed curriculum to local instructors, marking the first time the standardized program has been brought to the country.

    Unlike traditional training that focuses heavily on stroke technique, the Discover Water program takes a holistic approach to building capable, confident swimmers. Beyond core swimming skills, the curriculum trains instructors to embed water safety, survival protocols, critical decision-making in aquatic environments, and confidence-building into every lesson. All participating instructors also completed full CPR certification as part of the training. The program emphasizes modern, child-centered teaching methods designed to make lessons more engaging, fun, and effective for young learners.

    Reflecting on the recent training sessions for local instructors, Baksh highlighted the high level of engagement among participants. “The instructors were engaged, eager to learn, and willing to participate both verbally and practically. I felt I was able to demonstrate how to incorporate fun into every lesson while still teaching children the core swimming skills they need,” Baksh said. She noted that while local instructors already had foundational teaching experience, the program added critical new tools to their practice: “This course has provided them with valuable tools for communicating more effectively with younger swimmers, so they understand what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how to think critically and solve problems in the water.”

    Looking forward, Baksh and local swimming advocates have ambitious plans to embed this global training standard into Grenada’s national swimming ecosystem. She aims to make the Discover Water certification a permanent core requirement for all new swim instructors in the country, through ongoing collaboration with GASA and local non-profit Get Grenada Swimming. Longer-term goals include expanding the child-centered teaching methods to primary schools and after-school programs across all three islands.

    This year’s Sandals National Learn to Swim Week will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. daily across 15 different locations spanning Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The event is coordinated by Get Grenada Swimming in partnership with Sandals Grenada, aligned with the organization’s long-running mission to ensure every child in Grenada has access to free swimming training, an essential life-saving skill. For families unable to join during the official event week, additional follow-up lessons will be offered between July 13 and 24 at six participating locations: Grand Anse, Grand Mal, Gouyave, St Mark, Sauteurs, and Grenada Marine in Corinth. These extended sessions are run in partnership with the Ministry of Sports’ Holiday Recreation Programme.

    With a cohort of newly certified instructors, evidence-based global teaching methods, and expanded access across the country, 2025’s Learn to Swim Week is positioned to be the most impactful iteration of the event to date. All lessons offered during the initiative are completely free for participants. Families interested in registering their children can sign up through the official Get Grenada Swimming website at www.getgrenadaswimming.com, or direct questions to the event hotline at 404-5237.

  • International Day of Co-operatives, 4 July 2026

    International Day of Co-operatives, 4 July 2026

    The 2026 International Day of Cooperatives will be marked across the globe on Saturday, July 4, with this year’s campaign centered on the powerful theme “Cooperatives for a Peaceful World.”

    This annual global observance has a deep-rooted history stretching back more than 100 years, earning official United Nations recognition in 1995. It was established to shine a spotlight on the unique and far-reaching contributions cooperative enterprises make to global peacebuilding, social cohesion, and inclusive sustainable development. Beyond celebration, the day functions as a critical global platform to boost public understanding of how cooperative models strengthen local communities and drive equitable economic growth that benefits all members of society, rather than just a select few.

    The 2026 theme is intentionally aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16, which calls for Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. The framework underscores a core truth: lasting peace can only take root where fairness, equal access to opportunity, and widespread social trust are prioritized. Cooperatives are uniquely positioned to cultivate these foundational conditions, through their structure that ensures broad sharing of economic gains, builds community resilience in the face of crisis, and encourages cross-group collaboration that bridges divides along ethnic, economic, and social lines.

    Across sectors, cooperative models have delivered tangible, life-changing impact around the world. Agricultural cooperatives have boosted food security by connecting smallholder farmers to resources and markets, lifting rural livelihoods out of poverty. Community-focused credit unions have expanded affordable access to financial services for groups historically excluded from traditional banking systems. Worker-owned cooperative enterprises have created stable, dignified employment that gives working people direct agency over their labor and working conditions.

    In Grenada, local organizers are preparing a full slate of community-focused events to mark the occasion. The Grenada Co-operative League Ltd (GCLL) has partnered with the country’s Department of the Co-operatives to roll out a series of public engagement activities. The centerpiece of the local calendar is Co-operative Fair 2.0, set to take place on Friday, July 3 – one day ahead of the official global observance – at the Esplanade Mall Courtyard in St George’s, running from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At the fair, dozens of local cooperatives will set up displays to demonstrate how core cooperative values – including voluntary open membership, democratic member control, and a prioritization of community well-being – translate into tangible, positive impact for Grenada’s residents.

    This report was published by NOW Grenada, which notes that it is not responsible for the opinions, statements, or third-party media content shared by contributors to the outlet. Readers are invited to flag any abusive content via the outlet’s official reporting channel.

  • GTA and IMA Grenada integrate tourism and investment strategy

    GTA and IMA Grenada integrate tourism and investment strategy

    In a significant move to boost Grenada’s long-term economic growth and global visibility, the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Investment Migration Agency Grenada (IMA) have formalized a groundbreaking strategic partnership designed to align the Caribbean nation’s tourism promotion and investment migration initiatives.

    The binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the collaboration was signed on June 17, 2026, creating a structured operational framework that addresses key overlapping areas between the two sectors. These core collaborative domains include unified destination branding, attraction of foreign direct investment, coordinated international reputation management, and shared commitment to inclusive sustainable development.

    Under the terms of the new agreement, the two agencies will synchronize their global outreach efforts to deliver a cohesive message about Grenada’s value as a multi-faceted destination: one that welcomes both leisure and business travelers, offers high-value residence options, and delivers strong returns for long-term international investment. Key aligned activities include joint participation in global trade and investment missions, harmonized public messaging across all markets, and strategic sharing of actionable market intelligence to strengthen evidence-based decision making for both organizations.

    Stacey Liburd, Chief Executive Officer of the Grenada Tourism Authority, emphasized that the partnership marks a pivotal shift toward a more integrated approach to positioning Grenada on the global stage. “This Memorandum of Understanding represents a deliberate move towards a more unified national positioning strategy. Tourism and investment migration both influence how Grenada is experienced and understood globally,” Liburd explained. “By aligning our efforts, we strengthen our ability to present a clear, credible and competitive value proposition that supports sustainable growth and long-term national development.”

    Thomas Anthony, CEO of the Investment Migration Agency Grenada, echoed this sentiment, noting that the MOU brings much-needed structure and clarity to areas where the two agencies’ mandates naturally intersect. “This collaboration provides a defined framework for coordination while maintaining the integrity of each agency’s mandate,” Anthony said. “As Grenada continues to attract growing interest from both visitors and investors across the globe, this level of alignment ensures that all engagement is strategic, consistent, and directly beneficial to the country’s broader economic objectives.”

    Beyond global outreach and branding, the partnership also includes commitments to joint stakeholder engagement and targeted capacity-building programs. These initiatives will focus on high-priority areas including integrated international marketing, investor relations best practices, enhanced compliance awareness, and proactive reputational risk management.

    Industry observers note that by formalizing this cross-sector partnership, Grenada has pioneered a more coordinated model of national destination development. In this new framework, tourism promotion and investment migration operate as complementary, mutually reinforcing drivers that build international confidence, increase global visibility, and strengthen the nation’s long-term economic resilience.

    This report is based on a contributor submission to NOW Grenada, which holds no liability for contributor-provided content or opinions.

  • National Spice Replanting Day mobilises every parish

    National Spice Replanting Day mobilises every parish

    On Sunday, June 28, every single parish across the Caribbean island nation of Grenada came together for the first National Spice Replanting Day, a nationwide collective effort that brought hundreds of volunteers together to nurture and reinforce the country’s world-famous spice agricultural legacy.

    Organized as a flagship community initiative under the banner of Grenada Diaspora Homecoming 2026, the event drew participation from a diverse cross-section of the population: local residents, Grenadian nationals returning from overseas, grassroots community groups, and independent volunteers all joined forces for a shared mission rooted in national pride, agricultural renewal, and collective environmental stewardship. Framed around the theme “From Roots to Legacy”, the initiative was designed to strengthen Grenada’s centuries-old agricultural heritage while cementing the country’s beloved global nickname as the “Spice Isle” for future generations.

    Across all participating communities, volunteers spent the day working side-by-side to plant native spice saplings, contributing to a national strategy to boost domestic agriculture, restore declining spice crop populations, and honor the centuries-deep connection between Grenada’s land, its people, and its cultural identity.

    Senator Roderick St Clair, speaking on behalf of event organizers, highlighted that the unprecedented full-parish turnout underscored both the power of collective community action and the critical importance of protecting Grenada’s distinct agricultural identity. “National Spice Replanting Day was far more than just a routine tree-planting exercise,” St Clair explained. “It was a public declaration of shared national responsibility. Every volunteer who showed up across every parish, who put their hands into Grenada’s soil, did more than just plant trees. They helped secure a legacy that is woven into the very fabric of Grenadian life: our rural communities, our centuries-long agricultural history, and our core national identity.”

    Beyond its agricultural and environmental goals, the event also served as a key test of the core mission of the Grenada Diaspora Homecoming 2026, an initiative designed to re-connect Grenadians living overseas with their home country and create meaningful opportunities for them to contribute to national development. Organizers emphasized that the full islandwide participation perfectly embodied the spirit of the Homecoming project, which centers on five core pillars: reconnection, collective contribution, cultural celebration, community building, and shared national purpose.

    (Disclaimer: NOW Grenada holds no responsibility for the opinions, statements, or third-party content shared by contributors to this report. To report abusive content, please follow the platform’s designated reporting procedure.)

  • By The Waterfall Inc. vacancy: Housekeeper

    By The Waterfall Inc. vacancy: Housekeeper

    A Caribbean-based firm called By The Waterfall Inc., located in Grand Bras, St Andrew, Grenada, has publicly posted an open employment vacancy for the full-time position of Housekeeper. One core non-negotiable requirement for all candidates applying to the role is proficiency in the Ukrainian language, a specification that stands out in Caribbean regional hiring listings.

    Interested individuals who meet the language and role requirements are instructed to submit their formal applications exclusively via email to the address [email protected]. The company has set a firm application deadline of 22 July 2026, meaning all submission materials must be received by the hiring team before this date to be considered for the position.

    As the hosting platform for the job posting, NOW Grenada has issued a standard content disclaimer: the platform is not liable for the views, statements, or any third-party contributed content published through its classified listings. The portal also notes that users can flag any inappropriate or abusive content associated with the posting through a dedicated reporting channel on the site.

  • Why teach mental health?

    Why teach mental health?

    For generations, formal education has prioritized building academic skills: math to solve quantitative problems, English to communicate clearly, and other core subjects to prepare young people for the workforce. But one critical life skill has been consistently left out of standard curricula: how to understand and care for our own minds when thoughts turn against us. Most adults have had to navigate emotional turmoil and mental health challenges alone, figuring out coping mechanisms through trial and error rather than intentional guidance. This gap is why Dr. Ishma Harford, a Grenadian medical doctor and Commonwealth Scholar, argues that mental health education must be integrated into standard K-12 schooling as deliberately as any other core subject.

    Adolescence is a uniquely precarious developmental period, making it the ideal window for targeted mental health education. This life stage is marked by rapid emotional, physical, and social upheaval: teens leave the protective bubble of family to seek their own place in the broader world, their sense of validation shifts from parents to peers, and the uncertainty of looming adulthood often feels overwhelming. It is also when the earliest signs of most mental health conditions begin to emerge. Anxiety, the most prevalent mental illness globally, offers a stark example: more than half of all lifetime anxiety disorders show detectable symptoms before a person turns 18.

    Far from being just a period of chaos, adolescence is also a formative window where lifelong habits and self-perceptions are cemented. What young people learn about processing emotion and caring for their mental health during these years shapes how they relate to themselves for the rest of their lives. Without intentional guidance, teens often develop harmful survival mechanisms that harden into long-term patterns of low self-esteem, self-doubt, and repressed emotion. Proactive mental health education, Harford argues, can turn this vulnerable period into an opportunity: it can teach teens to thrive, not just survive, by introducing concepts like self-compassion, emotional intelligence, and how to seek help when struggling before harmful patterns become ingrained.

    So what would an effective school mental health curriculum actually teach? Harford outlines a core set of accessible, human-centered lessons that normalize common adolescent experiences. It would teach that uncertainty is a universal part of the human condition, not a personal failure; that occasional sadness is normal, and there are safe spaces to be vulnerable; that not having your entire future figured out as a teen is not a flaw, but a natural part of growing up; that the overwhelming crises that feel earth-shattering in the moment will fade over time; and that physical signs of nervousness like shaking hands or a quivering voice do not make you weak.

    It would also emphasize that emotional experience comes first – we cannot simply think or reason away fear. The emotions teens feel may feel unique to their circumstances, but they are shared by every generation of young people that has come before them. Resilience, the ability to learn and grow from failure and rejection rather than being broken by it, is not an innate trait you are born with: it is a teachable skill.

    Critics often argue that if most adults are still navigating their own mental health, how can we expect to teach these skills to teens? But that argument misses a key point: the ability to step back from a stressful experience, contextualize it, and speak to oneself with compassion is still developing during adolescence. Expecting teens to master this skill on their own, without any formal guidance, is like asking them to build a house without ever being taught how to use a hammer.

    Leaving mental health education to chance has real, harmful consequences. When schools do not intentionally teach emotional literacy, teens still learn lessons – they just learn them indirectly, and often incorrectly. A boy might absorb the idea that vulnerability is unworthy of respect, and that the world only wants to hear him say he is fine even when he is hurting. A teen whose every worry is brushed off with “you’ll be fine” may internalize that no one cares to understand their pain. These learned patterns get passed down from generation to generation, creating a cycle of silence and inaction that is hard to break.

    A intentional, professionally taught mental health curriculum, supported by families that understand its importance, sends a clear message: a person’s inner emotional world matters just as much as their outer achievements. It gives young people the vocabulary to name what they are feeling, and a clear path to reach out for help instead of turning inward and suffering alone.

    Right now, Harford notes, many young people in Grenada and across the globe are still being taught (often unconsciously) that the bravest thing to do when struggling is to stay silent and push through. As Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, the question we all have to answer is whether we have the courage to break this harmful pattern – a pattern that traps not just young men, but people of all genders and all ages.

    This commentary comes from Dr. Ishma Harford, a medical doctor and Commonwealth Scholar pursuing a master’s degree in Health Analysis, Policy and Management. *The Health Imperative*, the column where this piece appears, is a politically neutral educational platform focused on health, health systems, and their broader societal impacts. NOW Grenada notes that it is not responsible for the opinions and statements shared by contributing writers.