Carib Scope

标签： Saint Lucia

圣卢西亚

  • Bay Gardens’ school feeding programme sees gains in attendance, results

    Bay Gardens’ school feeding programme sees gains in attendance, results

    A ten-year community investment by Bay Gardens Resorts has transformed educational outcomes at two local primary schools in St. Lucia, with independent school data confirming significant drops in absenteeism and the highest academic pass rates recorded in more than two decades. What began as a grassroots response to concerns raised by resort employees has evolved into a sustained, expanding program that addresses food insecurity and removes barriers to learning for hundreds of young students.

    The initiative traces its origins to observations from Bay Gardens team members whose children attended Monchy Combined School and Gros Islet Primary School. As Marketing Manager Pauline Francis explained to St Lucia Times, employees consistently noticed that dozens of students arrived at class each morning without a nutritious morning meal. The issue stemmed from two overlapping challenges: some families faced financial constraints that made regular school breakfasts unmanageable, while many other parents employed in St. Lucia’s key hospitality sector worked early morning shifts that left them no time to prepare meals for their children before school.

    In response, Bay Gardens Resorts launched a structured program that has grown steadily over the past decade. Initially, the resort committed to delivering monthly food ingredient shipments to Monchy Combined School, ensuring the school’s canteen staff had consistent access to the supplies needed to prepare balanced breakfasts for all participating students. Three years ago, the organization expanded the initiative to add an annual special breakfast event tied to World Food Day, held every October at Monchy Combined to reinforce education around healthy eating habits. Two years ago, the program expanded again, adding regular lunch service for students at Gros Islet Primary School.

    During the most recent program visit last week, resort team members traveled to both schools to prepare and serve meals directly to students, doubling as an opportunity for team members to engage with young learners and model healthy eating behaviors. The visit also aligned with local celebrations of La Marguerite Festival, giving students a chance to participate in traditional cultural activities alongside their meal.

    Francis emphasized that the hands-on structure of the program creates mutual benefits beyond just providing food. “By doing this, it afforded our team members the opportunity to come into the school and interact with the students while serving them, and gave the students the opportunity to interact with us,” she noted.

    After a decade of operation, measurable impacts on student success are clear. Both resort leadership and school administration point to consistent improvements in attendance and academic performance, a testament to the well-documented link between proper nutrition and cognitive function. Troy Nestor, principal of Monchy Combined School, confirmed that the program has driven transformative change at his institution.

    “We have seen a drop in absenteeism as well as our pass rate going up,” Nestor said. “We have seen an improvement in both the MST and CPA results which is now at 70 per cent for the first time in over 20 years.”

    Nestor expressed deep gratitude for the long-term partnership with Bay Gardens Resorts and emphasized the ongoing value of the support for his school community. Looking ahead, the resort has committed to continuing the feeding program and has announced plans for a new capital improvement project: a full renovation of Monchy Combined School’s Home Economics room, expanding the school’s educational facilities for future classes.

  • Umpa gets Billboard spotlight

    Umpa gets Billboard spotlight

    A rising star from Saint Lucia is putting the island nation’s one-of-a-kind homegrown music style on the global map, earning a prestigious international nod from one of the music industry’s most respected publications.

    Brendan Jordan Charlery, known professionally to fans as Umpa, has been named Billboard’s Caribbean Up-and-Comer of the Month for October 2026. This latest honor marks another major international milestone for the rapidly growing Dennery Segment sound that originated in Saint Lucia.

    Umpa has built his career around elevating the distinctly Saint Lucian genre, which has steadily built a loyal fanbase across the Caribbean and begun attracting attention from international music listeners in recent years. The Billboard recognition does more than just celebrate Umpa’s individual artistry: it shines a much wider spotlight on the unique cultural sound he has dedicated his work to sharing with global audiences.

    For years, Dennery Segment has been a core part of local Saint Lucian cultural expression, and this latest accolade signals that the genre’s international footprint is continuing to expand as artists like Umpa work to bring it to new markets.

  • ‘I have had sleepless nights’, says boat owner

    ‘I have had sleepless nights’, says boat owner

    Nearly three months after a devastating boat collision off the coast of Anse Cochon that claimed four lives, the owner of one of the vessels involved has opened up about the relentless grief the tragedy has left him with, pushing back against widespread misperceptions that he has remained unaffected by the incident. Irenus Pascal, owner of the boat *Cazorla Jr*, used his second appearance before the public Commission of Inquiry into the July 18 collision to correct the narrative that emerged from his initial testimony. Pascal told the panel he walked away from his first questioning deeply frustrated by how his words and demeanor were interpreted, and that he felt compelled to set the record straight for both the inquiry commissioners and the general public. “I just want this panel and the wider public to know that the last time I was called for questioning, I was not happy at all with the way it appeared or was made to look that I am not sad about what happened on July 18th,” Pascal stated. The deadly incident unfolded when *Cazorla Jr* collided with a second vessel, *Ocean Angel*, in waters off Anse Cochon, leaving four people dead. For Pascal, the loss is not an abstract event: he personally knew each of the victims, and he still crosses paths with their grieving families regularly, encounters that only deepen his pain. “Four people died. I knew those persons and also know their family and I feel even more hurt every time I see those family members,” he said. From the night of the crash to the present day, the weight of the tragedy has never lifted, Pascal explained. “From the time of the incident to this day, I have had sleepless nights,” he shared. He added that after receiving a surprise summons for Wednesday’s hearing late the previous night, he was unable to fall back asleep, and instead passed the hours writing out his statement to make sure his feelings were accurately communicated. “We all wish that this unfortunate accident never happened,” he told the commission. Pascal’s testimony came as the official inquiry continues to gather firsthand accounts from those touched by the collision, digging into the circumstances of the crash and its long-term aftermath. Over the course of public hearings held to date, survivors have already shared harrowing recollections of the panic, chaos, and life-altering injuries they experienced in the collision’s immediate aftermath, trauma that continues to shape their lives months later. For Pascal, his second appearance before the commission was far more than a procedural requirement: it was a critical chance to counter false narratives and confirm that he too carries the permanent scars of that dreadful day. “Again, I continue to feel very bad and wish that we didn’t need to be here trying to find out exactly what happened on that dreadful day,” he said.

  • UWI Global Campus students push back against return to in-person exams

    UWI Global Campus students push back against return to in-person exams

    When the University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus announced a mandatory return to in-person end-of-term examinations for the 2024/2025 academic year, it sparked immediate pushback from hundreds of enrolled students across the Caribbean, who argue the policy change ignores the fundamentally different structure of their online-focused programs and upends the flexible learning model they signed up for.

    Student concerns were first formally outlined in an open letter published by Antigua News Room, which laid out the stark disparities in academic resources between Global Campus students and their peers attending UWI’s traditional physical campuses. According to the letter, students on physical campuses benefit from consistent access to full-time faculty, regularly scheduled small-group tutorials, peer tutoring networks, and on-demand academic support that helps them prepare for in-person assessments.

    In contrast, Global Campus students report that their program is structured around independent, self-paced learning with very limited live instructional time. Many courses offer only four or fewer live sessions per semester, with some sessions cramming coverage of multiple entire course units into a single meeting, while others are dedicated solely to reviewing assignments rather than unpacking complex core content. The letter also highlights persistent issues with a lack of accessible tutorial support, delayed responses from instructors to student questions, and an expectation that students will work through the vast majority of course material independently.

    Students argue that this major gap in academic preparation makes the uniform requirement of in-person exams unfair. They are being held to the same assessment standard as on-campus students without receiving the same level of live instruction and exam preparation support.

    Beyond issues of academic fairness, students point out that the shift to in-person exams undermines the core flexibility that drew many non-traditional learners to the Global Campus in the first place. Working adults, student parents, and other learners who structured their work and family schedules around the fully online model now face significant practical disruptions.

    Similar frustrations have emerged in Saint Lucia, where a second-year Global Campus student spoke with St Lucia Times about the impact of the policy change. She explained that she enrolled in the program under the explicit understanding that both coursework and examinations would remain fully online, a model that worked seamlessly for her during her first year. Back then, exams were administered online via a proctored browser, giving students a broad window of time to complete their assessments, which allowed her to balance her full-time job and academic responsibilities without conflict.

    The 2024/2025 policy change upended that arrangement. Students are now required to travel to designated in-person exam sites on specific scheduled days, a requirement that interferes with work productivity and leads to tangible financial losses. “Some of us lose paid work hours as we’re out of hours due to commute time plus exam time and back,” the student explained. “We may have to use sick days, and you cannot call out every time you have an exam. Imagine having to be out for four days, or in at work and then out and back because you have four exams on different days.”

    Students across multiple Caribbean islands are calling on UWI to grandfather current students into the original online exam model that they agreed to when they enrolled, allowing them to complete their degrees under the terms they started with. To push for this change, students organized a petition that gathered hundreds of signatures. While university officials formally acknowledged receipt of the petition and the concerns raised in it, the institution has so far declined to reverse the policy, leaving many students feeling unheard and facing unnecessary pressure as they prepare for their end-of-term assessments.

  • Saint Lucia cricket hones speedsters with Windies coach

    Saint Lucia cricket hones speedsters with Windies coach

    Over the last year, Ramesh Subasinghe, head coach of the West Indies Academy, has become a familiar presence on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. His repeated visits have centered on a clear mission: lifting the capabilities of local cricket coaches and nurturing emerging talent through the Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre (SLCHPC). Last week, that ongoing partnership culminated in an intensive five-day training camp dedicated to refining the skills of some of the island’s most promising young fast bowlers at the SLCHPC facility.

    A former professional medium-pace bowler himself hailing from Sri Lanka, Subasinghe centered the camp’s curriculum on targeted technical skill-building. The camp gathered a standout cohort of young fast-bowling prospects, including McKenny Clarke and Selena Ross, both members of the West Indies Under-19 squad, Keon Gaston who represents the Windward Islands, and up-and-coming speedsters Shawnil Edward and Kethan Charlemagne, alongside other emerging local talents.

    In his assessment of Caribbean fast-bowling prospects, Subasinghe highlighted the inherent advantages that young athletes in the region bring to the pitch. “Caribbean cricketers are blessed with outstanding natural attributes,” he explained. “They are first-rate athletes, and Damique Walters, the local strength and conditioning coach, has already done exceptional work building their physical foundation. Now that that base is in place, our focus has shifted to honing their core bowling skill. I’ve seen extraordinary natural athleticism across this group, and our work this week was centered on unlocking each bowler’s full individual potential through tailored technical adjustments.”

    Throughout the five-day camp, Subasinghe collaborated closely with SLCHPC leadership, including head coach John Eugene and assistant bowling coach Larry Edward. The coaching team held detailed discussions around training load management, mapping out appropriate weekly bowling volumes to protect players while supporting steady development. For Subasinghe, intentional technical work remains non-negotiable for long-term success at the highest level of the sport.

    “Consistency, which every fast bowler strives for, only comes when you can replicate a well-honed bowling action nearly every single delivery,” he emphasized. “That makes refining and entrenching proper bowling technique one of the most critical parts of a young bowler’s development. It is essential that we carve out dedicated time in the entire 12-month training calendar for specific technical work, because that is what unlocks a bowler’s full potential. For some prospects, improved technique translates to more repeatable, consistent actions. For others, small technical adjustments can unlock significant gains in ball speed. No matter the prospect, ongoing attention to technique is always a priority.”

    Subasinghe added that he left the camp encouraged by the engagement of the young players he worked with, noting that he received thoughtful, probing feedback and no shortage of questions from the group. He says this level of curiosity and proactivity is a very positive sign, because self-awareness is a critical trait for any bowler looking to advance to elite levels of the sport.

  • Christmas barrel concessions start November 1

    Christmas barrel concessions start November 1

    Starting November 1 this year, Saint Lucia will roll out its long-awaited annual Christmas barrel concession program, a policy designed to ease household import costs for personal goods through the end of February 2027. Under the newly approved scheme, every eligible household in the country is permitted to import up to two duty-free barrels of approved goods, with each barrel capped at a maximum value of 3,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars.

    The initiative, which received formal sign-off from the Cabinet via Conclusion No. 8444 of 2026 on September 28, is outlined in official Customs Notice No. 10 of 2026. It grants a full 100 percent waiver on standard customs duties for a broad range of qualifying items including personal use products, groceries, apparel, children’s toys, and other common household consumables. Notably, electronic devices are explicitly excluded from the duty-free benefits to align with the policy’s core focus on supporting household needs.

    To prevent commercial abuse of the concession, strict usage rules are in place. The two-barrel limit is applied strictly on a per-household basis, and all imported goods must be used exclusively for personal, non-commercial purposes. Customs authorities have confirmed that standard administrative penalties and financial fines will be enforced against any parties found misusing the scheme for commercial resale or trade.

    In an additional expansion of benefits, the Cabinet has also approved the submission of targeted legal amendments to Parliament. If passed, these amendments will extend exemptions to qualifying barrels imported during the concession period, eliminating both the Health and Citizen Security Levy and the standard Value Added Tax (VAT) on these shipments. Even with these broad exemptions, a 6 percent Customs Service Charge will still apply to all qualifying items, a small fee designed to cover administrative processing costs for the program.

  • Blanchard students become published authors

    Blanchard students become published authors

    A group of 22 former sixth-grade students from Saint Lucia’s Blanchard Combined School have achieved a milestone few adults ever reach: turning routine classroom writing work into a full-length published anthology. Titled *The World Through Our Eyes*, the 260-page collection, created entirely by the school’s Class of 2026, includes more than 100 original works spanning fiction stories, personal essays, heartfelt tributes to loved ones, home recipes, and reflective personal essays, complete with original illustrations from the student creators. The official launch of the collection was held Monday, brought to fruition through partnership with local production firm Jako Productions and a coalition of community sponsors.

    The project grew directly from the students’ required Continuous Performance Assessment (CPA) writing portfolios, a curriculum assignment that demands students develop original work across five distinct literary genres. When the assignment grading was complete, sixth-grade teacher Nigeleen Samuel-Hubert noticed the hundreds of pages of thoughtful student work were set to be stored away and forgotten. Seeing the depth of creativity in the completed pieces, she proposed a new goal: compiling the best work into a published anthology to share with the broader community. The idea immediately sparked extra motivation among the students, who dived into additional rounds of editing, revision, and illustration preparation to bring the collection to life.

    School principal Merle Emmanuel framed the book launch as a landmark moment in Blanchard Combined School’s decades-long history. “We are here to celebrate the power of our young minds, the beauty of written expression and extraordinary possibilities that emerge when children are encouraged to dream beyond the boundaries of the classroom,” Emmanuel shared during the launch ceremony. “Today we are not simply launching a book; we are launching ideas, celebrating talent and opening a window into the minds of our young people.” She emphasized that the students’ journey from classroom learners to published authors is an accomplishment they should carry with pride throughout their academic and personal lives, and credited Samuel-Hubert for conceiving the project and Dr. Anderson Reynolds of Jako Productions for guiding the concept through to publication.

    District 6 Education Officer Stephen Auguste joined in celebrating the students, noting that this cohort has already earned distinction across academics and athletics, particularly in table tennis, prior to their publishing debut. “During our graduation, we said that they were among the top students on the island, certainly among the top students in the district,” Auguste explained. “We recognised them as brilliant athletes, having dominated the events in our district. They did well in table tennis, and now they are young authors. This is something special, and that’s just the beginning because they have the world ahead of them.” He added that the anthology serves as a reminder of what young people can achieve when they receive encouragement to imagine, access to the tools to create, and space to share their work with an audience — outcomes that benefit both the creators’ learning and the readers who engage with their stories.

    Event organizers publicly recognized the financial and community support of three key sponsors: Massy Stores, the Freezone Management Authority, and the Department of Creative Industry under the Ministry of Tourism. Massy Stores Marketing Manager Kelly Mitchell told the young authors their achievement carries a far greater meaning than the book itself. “At such a young age, you have accomplished something that many adults only dream of. You are now published authors. But beyond the achievement itself, I hope this experience teaches you something even more important – your ideas matter, your voices deserve to be heard and your circumstances should never define the limit of your potential,” Mitchell said.

    Those sentiments were echoed by Allen Chastanet, Member of Parliament for Micoud South, the constituency where Blanchard Combined School is located. “Never allow where you come from to determine how far you should go,” Chastanet told the students. “Today, we celebrate something truly remarkable. At an age when most children are still discovering the joy of reading, these children have already taken the next step. They have written their own stories, expressed themselves in a way many other students have not, and shared their own ideas and imagination with the world. That takes courage to do.”

    After securing parental permission to publish the students’ work, receiving official guidance from the Ministry of Education, and earning buy-in from school leadership and fellow staff, the project crossed the finish line earlier this month. All 22 student authors, who have now progressed to Form 1 at different secondary schools across the country, received a complimentary copy of their anthology during the launch event.

    *The World Through Our Eyes* holds the distinction of being the first book released under Wavin Kann Press, a newly launched imprint of Jako Productions. Readers can purchase copies locally at Books ‘n More in Micoud, Back to Basics and T&M in Vieux Fort, and globally through the online retail platform Amazon.

  • Young Boyz off to Baku for FIFA U15 World Cup

    Young Boyz off to Baku for FIFA U15 World Cup

    This weekend marks the kickoff of the historic first-ever FIFA Under-15 World Cup & Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, and 14 young rising football stars from the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia have already arrived to compete, ready to make their mark on the global youth football stage.

    The squad departed Saint Lucia for the Azerbaijani capital this past Monday, ahead of their opening Group N match against Palestine, scheduled to kick off at 4:30 a.m. local AST on Saturday, October 24, at the Hövsan Competition Complex. Every player selected for the national side earned their spot after standout performances across school, club, and community competitions over the past 12 months, and they have spent months refining their skills at the Saint Lucia Football Association (SLFA) High Performance Centre, under the guidance of head coach Earl Jean and FIFA talent identification coach Michael McLaughlin.

    Leading the team is captain Kai Alexander, a student at St Mary’s College who claimed the Golden Boot award at last year’s national Secondary Schools Football Tournament. The side features a diverse mix of multi-sport talent too: winger Randall Monroe, a graduate of the Saint Lucia Sports Academy, already holds a bronze medal in long jump from the CARIFTA Games, and brings his elite athleticism to the attacking line. Joining Alexander and Monroe up front are a host of proven domestic goal scorers, including Castries Youth Football League top scorer Anaj Polius of Monchy United FC, along with Leon Griffith (Soufrière Comprehensive), Leon Vidal, Mickel Florent (both SLSA), Jessie Noel (TVET Institute: School of Sustainable Agriculture and Culary Arts), and Stewart Emmanuel (Beanefield Comprehensive).

    On the defensive end, the squad brings depth and proven playmaking ability, counting Alston Lubin (SLSA), Ajhani Walker (NYAH FC) – who notched a hat-trick in this year’s BOSL/LUCELEC Youth Tournament – Kohli Vitalis (Soufrière Comprehensive), Jaden Antoine (Monchy United FC), Vejay Edwin and Zackim Granderson (both Mabouya Valley) among their backline ranks.

    In comments ahead of the tournament, McLaughlin praised the SLFA’s consistent support for the team’s preparation, noting that a closed pre-tournament minicamp last week helped the young squad gel into a cohesive unit. “Training consistently throughout the last few weeks, and actually last week managed to go into a sort of minicamp where we’ve managed to prepare and bring the group together. The last few weeks have been excellent, and the players are ready to go,” he said.

    For the Saint Lucia delegation, the tournament is about far more than match results: it is a once-in-a-lifetime developmental opportunity for the next generation of the island nation’s football. McLaughlin emphasized that the biggest gain for the players will be global exposure, competing against athletes from different cultural backgrounds and playing styles in a professional high-performance environment. “Whether results are wins or losses, they’ll come back in a better place, and they’ll be better prepared and better equipped as they then go through their football journey, because hopefully these players should be the future of Saint Lucia football,” he explained.

    Over three days of group play, the Saint Lucia side, nicknamed the Young Piton Boyz, will compete in five 8-a-side preliminary matches in Group N. After the opening clash with Palestine, they will face Yemen at 3:15 a.m. and Croatia at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 25, before wrapping up group play against Greece at 3:30 a.m. and Aruba at 8:45 a.m. on Monday, October 26. Of the 189 national teams participating in the tournament, only the 32 group winners will advance to compete for the FIFA U15 World Cup Championship trophy. All other teams will be placed in Tiers B through F to continue competing in cross-elimination bracket play.

    McLaughlin, a native of Scotland, added that the SLFA’s long-term investment in youth football is already starting to deliver tangible results, with the association establishing a clear development pathway for young players across the island. Over the past three years, the SLFA has launched and run domestic U-12, U-14, and U-19 leagues, alongside dozens of community tournaments, giving young athletes consistent opportunities to compete against new opponents from across Saint Lucia. “What I think we’re seeing in Saint Lucia, driven by the association and the district leagues, is a pathway forming from the Under-12 competition all the way up, and those playing opportunities are vital,” he stressed. “So while we can get the training environment right, the playing opportunities are absolutely vital against different opposition from different districts within the island. And then these international competitions give us a chance to play the best with the best. So that’s been a massive thing.”

    The full Saint Lucia U-15 squad includes: Ajhani Walker, Leon Vidal, Leon Griffith, Randall Monroe, Kai Alexander (captain), Mickel Florent, Jaden Antoine, Vejay Edwin, Zackim Granderson, Kholi Vitalis, Anaj Polius, Alston Lubin, Jessie Noel, and Stewart Emmanuel. The team is supported by team manager Stephen Regis, head coach Earl Jean, assistant coach Michael McLaughlin, goalkeeper coach Ajani Delice, safeguarding and wellbeing officer Lee Willie, and team doctor Mandisa Moncherry.

  • Coach Flo, doing it for the kids

    Coach Flo, doing it for the kids

    For youth football programs across the Caribbean, consistent excellence amid constant roster turnover is one of the hardest feats to achieve. Yet for the Mabouya Valley Under-12 Boys’ team under the Saint Lucia Football Association Inc.’s championship framework, that rare level of sustained success has become the norm. Three years after the tournament’s 2024 launch, the side has not dropped a single match, securing back-to-back undisputed titles following a disputed 2024 result that was later overturned after Canaries was disqualified from the competition.

    At the heart of this dynastic run for the east coast Saint Lucia side is head coach Lorenzo Damase, known to nearly everyone in the local football community simply as Coach Flo. In an exclusive interview with St Lucia Times, the coach clarified the common misspelling of his nickname, explaining that the moniker traces back to his childhood admiration for legendary Chelsea and Norway striker Tore André Flo, who inspired his lifelong love of the game.

    After clinching their third consecutive championship this season, a visibly moved Flo reflected on the grueling work that led to the milestone, crediting the team’s culture of relentless training and respect for the program’s legacy. “Emotion will come because we work hard for it, training morning, noon, and night,” he told reporters. “I keep on telling them that last year we won that competition, this year we need to defend our trophy because the past players are there watching us, and we need to show them that we could follow their footsteps.”

    Flo’s tactical approach prioritizes spatial awareness and quick, collaborative play, designed to build flexible decision-making for the championship’s nine-a-side format. “I usually close the field into space with the width and the length, so I have them play two-touch football and move around and communicate with each other,” he explained. “So when it comes to the nine-a-side, then they’re going to be more flexible in being aware of their surroundings and when to do the pass and when to hold it.”

    A core challenge for all youth football programs is managing constant roster turnover: as players age out of the under-12 division, programs must constantly integrate new talent, breaking team chemistry and creating gaps in continuity. To counter this, Flo has built a system that leans on returning veteran players to mentor new additions, blending experienced leadership with fresh young talent. This year, that system relied on standout midfielder Zackim Francois, who carried over his experience from the 2025 championship, and two-time best defender Zaed Willie to anchor the side. “I manage them, I draft them in every year so they could gel with the other players,” Flo said. “Zackim, he’s the senior player from last year, so he was there motivating them and giving them speeches and telling them how it is.”

    Flo also shared another unique advantage for his side: nine of his starting players attend the same primary school, Richfond Combined, giving them a pre-existing connection that translates to better on-pitch communication. For the coach, the core mantra that drives the program is “li fot,” a local phrase meaning never giving up. “Li fot means you’re not going to give up. You must love the football for the football to love you. My players, they love the football,” he said.

    A native of Grand Riviere, Flo holds the FIFA D License, and while he has expressed ambition to pursue advanced coaching education to grow his skills, he says he finds more fulfillment nurturing young talent in his current community than chasing higher-profile opportunities. “From way back, I just love the game, and I believed that I wanted to be a coach,” he shared. “My philosophy is getting to the youth. I love coaching youth. People would tell me, ‘Why you not take a senior team? Why not take the Under-20 team?’ No, my job is to work with youth and then draft them to help them climb the ladder.”

    Flo’s track record of developing talent extends far beyond under-12 success. Last year, he mentored Keevan Louisy, who claimed the tournament’s MVP and top goal scorer honors before Francois took home both awards this season. He has also helped develop senior men’s national team players including Canius and Brandon Sandiford, and he says he is eager to watch his current crop of young standouts, including Louisy and Francois, progress all the way to the international stage in the coming years.

  • Roseau Combined wins agri-innovation competition

    Roseau Combined wins agri-innovation competition

    Young agricultural innovators across Saint Lucia gathered recently in Odsan, Castries, for the third edition of the Agri-Innovation Competition, hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Saint Lucia Delegation. The event formed a core component of the Ministry of Agriculture’s annual World Food Day programming, held this year under the unifying theme “Empowering Young Minds in Creating Sustainable Agri-Solutions.” Designed to showcase creative, youth-led ideas to tackle some of the agricultural sector’s most pressing challenges, the competition invited primary school students to develop concepts centered on waste reduction, enhanced food security, climate-resilient farming, and sustainable production practices.

    Claiming the first-place title was Roseau Combined School, with their inventive entry “Banana Peel Miracle Irrigation Liquid.” The student-led project explores the untapped agricultural potential of liquid extracted from soaked banana peels, investigating its effectiveness as a low-cost, organic fertilizer or supplemental irrigation input for small-scale crop production. For their winning innovation, the team took home a floating trophy and four smartwatches to support their ongoing learning.

    Second place was awarded to Ciceron Combined School for their technology-focused concept “AgroS758,” which proposes a structured system to redirect agricultural waste and surplus produce away from landfills toward value-added productive uses. Their prize included a trophy and an all-expenses-paid educational eco-tour at the iconic Hotel Chocolat property in Saint Lucia. Odsan Combined School secured third place with “Cocoweed Shield,” an eco-friendly concept that repurposes discarded coconut husks and locally abundant invasive weeds to create a biodegradable ground covering. This natural mat works to suppress unwanted weed growth, reduce soil moisture evaporation, and support healthy crop development without relying on synthetic chemicals. The team took home a third-place trophy for their effort. Anse La Raye Primary School also rounded out the field of competing schools with their own original agricultural innovation concept.

    In a move to support continued hands-on learning for all participating youth, every school that entered the competition received a package of essential garden supplies, including quality seeds, hand tools, and basic agricultural inputs. These resources are intended to encourage students to continue testing and refining their ideas long after the competition concludes, fostering a new generation of engaged, sustainability-focused agricultural thinkers. IICA officials extended formal recognition to the partners who made the event possible, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Hotel Chocolat, Massy Stores St Lucia Limited, the Taiwan Technical Mission, and the Saint Lucia Conservation Fund. Their collaborative support underscored the shared commitment to nurturing young talent and advancing sustainable agricultural solutions across the Caribbean island nation.