Black Immigrant Daily News

Minister In the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ryan Straughn is happy to report that police have given the all-clear for staff of the Barbados Statistical Service (BSS) to resume their house-to-house visits to complete the Census enumeration.

The statement did not indicate if arrests have been or subsequent charges have been laid against any accused. However, if citizens feel unsafe, a hotline number has been provided.

Here is the statement from Minister Straughn:

A few weeks ago, there were a number of social media posts that caused the BSS temporarily suspend the enumeration for the population and housing census. I am happy to report that thanks to the work of the Barbados Police Service, this matter has now been resolved.

If householders are unsure that an individual is a member of the staff of the Barbados Statistical Service they can call the office at 535-2600

As a result, Census staff will be re-entering the field to complete Census enumeration from Wednesday, August 17, until September 30.

Householders are assured that staff from the Barbados Statistical Service who approach their homes are for either the Continuous Labour Force Sample Survey, or the Population and Housing Census are legitimate and have taken the Oath of Secrecy, which means that they cannot divulge information collected on any individual person or individual business.

The communities to be visited by Census workers will be publicised via the news media. These communities will also be shared with the Barbados Police Service, along with the names of the Census workers. If householders are unsure that an individual is a member of the staff of the Barbados Statistical Service they can call the office at 535-2600.

Officers will be collecting basic information on the household and will follow-up the interview with a telephone call to speed up data collection.

In addition to these surveys, the Ministry of Housing Lands and Maintenance is also conducting field work in relation to Operation Seek and Secure. Also, the officers of the Barbados Revenue Authority are conducting their tri-annual property valuation exercise, which was delayed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officers from Operation Seek and Secure, as well as the Property Valuation Exercise, may request your permission to enter your home at your discretion, to take any relevant photographs of your property. For the avoidance of any doubt, I emphasise this is entirely at your discretion.

I am therefore asking householders to fully cooperate with the Census workers, the officers of Operation Seek and Secure, as well as Officers conducting the Property Valuation Exercise from the Barbados Revenue Authority when they visit your home. These officers will be carrying picture identification cards issued by the respective institutions.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Founder and Director of the annual event, noted dub poet Yasus Afari stood tallest at Sunday evening’s staging of the 12th Annual Jamaica Poetry Festival in New Kingston.

Hosted by AC Hotels, the vibrant event included a wide array of artistic performances, and appeared to have been well supported by corporate Jamaica.

Among the performers was guest of honour, Professor Mervyn Morris, who delivered a calm and reflective set of works that was well received by the audience who gave him a rousing welcome on stage.

Iconic pianist Marjorie Whylie provided mellow music, which was warmly received and was later complemented with the presentation of the festival’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award to her.

Also a standout of the evening was comedian Dr Michael Abrahams, who dubbed his way through a number of subject areas, including politics and ‘home affairs’, which was translated into “man and woman business” by the master of ceremonies.

After raising eyebrows in asking members of the audience to indicate whether they were Labourites or Comrades, Abrahams got a huge ‘forward’ in declaring that “Mi tired ah unno!”

A section of the audience which was in attendance at Jamaica Poetry Festival 2022 at AC Hotels in New Kingston last Sunday evening.

Then he shifted into a higher political gear in taking local politicians to task by citing that every government claims to be fighting corruption, “but there has been no interruption (in corruption)”.

When the heavyweight Yasus Afari came on stage, it was a fully-loaded affair lyrically, with him waxing eloquently through subjects like environmental concerns, humanity and injustice, history and the African continent. His performance was enriched with artistic accompaniment from skilled percussionist, Calvin Mitchell, and the expressive duo of ‘dancing queens’ (Rebecca and Oris), who playfully seduced and entertained a quite responsive audience.

“If we protect the earth, the earth will protect us,” declared Yasus.

“Take care of the earth and she will take care of us,” he added emphatically.

Approaching the end of his rousing set, he labelled ‘Miss Lou’ (Louise Bennett-Coverley) as the “muma of (the Jamaican) patois, and said both Opposition Leader, Mark Golding, and Prime Minister Andrew Holness should be thinking about exporting the Jamaican patois, instead of relying too much “on the speaky spoky business”.

In his virtually-delivered presentation, globally-acclaimed Jamaican Jazz musician, Monty Alexander, paid tribute to the continued growth of the local creative arts and was grateful to the Poetry Festival for its outstanding development and promotional work. In one of the surprises of the evening, he treated the audience to a premiere of a track from his upcoming album. The audience enjoyed his soothing vocals and lovely music video as he enthralled them with a version of ‘As Time Goes By’, originally recorded by Herman Hupfield in 1931 and famously re-introduced in the 1942 film Casablanca.

Another section of the audience that was at Jamaica Poetry Festival 2022 at AC Hotels in New Kingston last Sunday evening.

The evening’s entertainment was closed by an energetic set from reggae violinist Mark Stephenson, including closing with a lively rendition of the ‘Drop Leaf’ rhythm to the absolute delight of the appreciative audience.

Others who performed – all creditably – included drummer Calvin Mitchell and poets Sammoya Banton, Kai Falconer and Ebony Payne, with special virtual appearances and endorsements from Skip Marley, George Elliott Clarke and Patrick Lafayette.

The Jamaica Poetry Festival is staged by SenYAcum Edutainment for which Yasus Afari serves as Founder-Director. The festival received strong support from prominent local businesses and other entities, including the JN Group, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), VM Investments, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), Jamaica Observer, Proven Investment, Sandals, Digicel Foundation, Tuff Gong International Limited, Sun Coast Beach Club; along with the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ), Learning Life Jamaica, and Art of Life Magazine.

In his sponsor’s message and representing Sun Coast Beach Club, Lance Thomas expressed delight at the standards of artistic talent that were on display at the festival, and commended the SenYAcum team for its role in building a platform for local presentation and enjoyment of the creative arts. He commented that it is such standards of excellence that can fuel other local development efforts, such as the Sun Coast Beach Club, a resort-inspired, super-inclusive gated community being developed in Twelve Miles, St.Thomas.

Thomas also interestingly drew parallels between the artform of poetry and the parish of St Thomas, describing both as under-appreciated national treasures with significant latent potential.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Through a partnership with the Sandals Foundation, the Great Shape! Inc. 1000 Smiles clinic, the world’s largest international humanitarian dental project, has provided free dental care to over 300,000 Caribbean nationals since 2003.

Following a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic, the Great Shape! Inc. team hopes to significantly increase that number when they return to Jamaica in August.

The first of a series of two-week clinics will kick off at the Torrington Wesleyan Holiness Church on the outskirts of Savanna-La-Mar from August 22 to September 2, 2022.

The team of dental care professionals includes experienced dentists, dental hygienists, final-year dental students from the University of Technology (UTECH) as well as support staff.

“Great Shape! and the 1000 Smiles dental project is thrilled to be back in Jamaica working to serve the people of Jamaica who need care,” said Joseph Wright, Founding Executive Director of Great Shape! Inc.

He noted that the impact of the work being done by his team and volunteers is profound because not only do they fix teeth and relieve suffering, but they are also changing people’s lives by improving their employability, their self-confidence and their social standing with a beautiful smile.

Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of Sandals Foundation, is elated about the resumption of the 1000 Smiles dental project in Jamaica.

“We are incredibly honoured to work with an organisation like Great Shape! Inc., which brings health and healing to the Caribbean’s frontlines. It has been two years since the last staging of the 1000 Smiles Project, so I am confident that the team coming here will make a significant difference for the people in the communities by giving them the opportunity to rediscover their smiles,” Clarke said.

Clarke also stated that the organisations are grateful to the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) for their support over the years.

From August to November, the team will provide cleanings, fillings, extractions, and oral health education to adults and children in the Whitehouse, Negril, and Ocho Rios regions, using some of the best military-grade mobile equipment. Dental sealants, thin coatings that, when painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (molars), can prevent cavities (tooth decay) for many years, will also be provided in the Ocho Rios region, allowing families who are unable to visit the dentist on a regular basis to protect their teeth for years to come.

This year’s clinic at the Torrington Wesleyan Holiness Church in Westmoreland will operate on an appointment-only basis, with each sitting accommodating up to 22 patients, as mandated by the GOJ to alleviate overcrowding at the clinic site.

Members of the public can schedule appointments by calling or texting (876) 863-7858 or (876) 402-6170. Individuals must provide their name, age, gender, and the procedure they wish to have performed.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

News

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine. – Photo by David Reid

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has urged residents of Parlatuvier and its environs to use their new internet service responsibly.

On Tuesday, the Telecommunications Authority (TATT) launched its Universal Service Fund Broadband Infrastructure project at the Parlatuvier Multipurpose Facility for residents of the rural community and its surrounding areas. It is the first to be implemented in the country.

The project is being managed by Columbus Communications TT Ltd, commonly known as Flow.

Augustine, who is also the representative for Parlatuvier/Speyside/L’Anse Fourmi, told the residents they must use their newfound access wisely.

“I don’t want to see with this access, people cussing each other out on Facebook, people doing lives trying to outdo some of those violent characters they see down in Trinidad. That is not Tobago at all,” he said in an address.

“So we have a responsibility to raise the bar in terms of what we put out there about ourselves.”

Augustine said the high-speed internet access should not be used an opportunity to share the latest gossip on WhatsApp.

“It has to be more than being able to snap a picture and send it out on Facebook or on Twitter or Instagram or to post a picture video. It has to go beyond that.”

Saying parents also have a responsibility to their children, Augustine said parenting must go beyond the physical space to include the virtual world as well.

The advanced technology, he said, must also be used to enhance the area’s offerings, such as tourism.

In this regard, Augustine urged small guesthouse and villa operators to use the internet to promote their businesses.

“We need to have influencers sharing information now about what we have to offer in the area.”

Using the construction of the new Parlatuvier fishing depot as an example, he said: “Maybe using this access, you could say to the rest of the island when you have fish and what type of fish you have in real time. It is about a 25-30-minute drive from Scarborough, so people can come and eat fresh fish.”

With the new broadband service, Augustine said, community centres, schools and other public spaces will have internet access to facilitate residents who still may not be able to afford it at home.

Residents, he said, will also be able to reconnect with their loved ones who have moved out of the community.

Augustine also advised the residents to share their stories.

“Because I could tell you something – Parlatuvier, L’Anse Fourmi, Bloody Bay, you are far more blessed than you think, and they way you live is far more advantageous than you think. There is a world out there who would love to hear and see your stories and see how you live.”

He recalled people have often referred to the area as being behind God’s back.

“But with the coming of this access, you right in front of God’s face now.”

Saying the internet is often viewed with trepidation, especially among some senior citizens, Minister of Digital Transformation Hassel Bacchus urged residents to embrace the technology.

He told them it must not be used as a toy but as a mechanism to facilitate their growth and development.

Bacchus assured the broadband service will provide “a level and equalising playing field” for the residents.

TATT chairman Gilbert Peterson, SC, Rabindranath Maharaj, director of Technology Operations, Columbus Communications, and TATT CEO Cynthia Reddock-Downes also spoke.

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