Suriname doet voor het eerst mee aan fotowedstrijd Wikimedia

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Tekst en beeld Audry Wajwakana PARAMARIBO — In september gaat de grootste internationale fotowedstrijd Wiki Loves Monuments van start. Uit

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Caribbean students don’t do well in the Netherlands – StMaartenNews.com – News Views Reviews & Interviews

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The content originally appeared on: StMaartenNews

PHILIPSBURG — Every year around 1,600 students from the islands of the former Netherlands Antilles travel to the Netherlands to study at institutions for MBO, HBO or WO-diplomas. Those journeys do not always end well: Caribbean students struggle with a complex of issues that result more often than not in disappointing results. The ministries of education from the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten commissioned a study into the experiences of these students.

The resulting report, produced by ResearchNed in collaboration with Excellent Government and Management Consultancy from  Bonaire and Utrecht-based consultant Andersson Elffers Felix was competed in April. Richelis Williams-Van der Mark, who works for the ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports in St. Maarten was part of the supervisory committee that supported the researchers.

First an explanation of the Dutch alphabet soup that is mentioned in the first line of this article. MBO stands for Middelbaar Beroepsonderwijs, HBO for Hoger Beroepsonderwijs and WO voor Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs, or studies at university level.

The four education ministries asked for the study because Caribbean students perform worse than other students that follow higher education. The results of the study mainly reflect the situation in Curacao and Aruba and the researchers warn that their findings cannot be extrapolated to the other islands. Data available from St. Maarten and the BES-islands was too limited to draw definitive conclusions.

Of the 600 MBO-students that go to the Netherlands every year around 50 percent has its diploma after four years, compared to 65 percent for students with a non-western migration background and 75 percent for other students. The yield is especially low among Caribbean male students. In the first year there is not much difference between male and female students but in the years after that the male students fall further and further behind.

HBO-studies attract each year around 740 Caribbean students, while around 250 go to university. Within the first year 48 percent of HBO-students and 43 percent of WO-students switch to a different study.

Only 23 percent of HBO-students has a diploma after five years, compared to 33 percent for students with a non-western migration background and 51 percent for other students.

On university-level the percentages are lightly better: 43 percent of Caribbean students had a diploma after four years, compared to 58 percent for students with a non-western migration background and 61 percent for other students.

Eight years after the start of their HBO-studies, 40 percent of Caribbean students had a diploma; for university students this percentage is 75 percent.

Most of the students that go to the Netherlands every year come from the larger islands Curacao and Aruba. St. Maarten sends between 50 and 75 MBO-students, 50 to 90 HBO-students and 10 to 20 WO-students.

What are the main concerns for these students? The report found that essential practical matters like housing are not settled well when the students arrive in the Netherlands. Coaching and supervising the students often stops after a year, or at times sooner.

There are no specific facilities for Caribbean students at most schools, because they are registered as being Dutch. For this reason they also do not qualify for facilities for foreign students.

Mostly, the new students suffer from what the report calls overload: a combination of practical, study-related and personal problems.

The report notes that students are poorly prepared for their life as a student in the Netherlands. They have not been taught to be independent, they lack study-skills and they do not master the Dutch language sufficiently.

Students experience a culture shock in their new country. The culture, the climate, the society, the approach to education and all kinds of practical matters are different from what they were used to back home. “For many students the transition is so significant that there is no good approach available to prepare them for it,” the report states, adding that is were better to take more time to prepare students or to look for better fitting study-options at other locations.

Where to begin? The countries must acknowledge that the study-success of Caribbean students is low,” the report states. “Preparation, the choice of study and support are insufficient and focusing on just one aspect will not solve these issues.” There is a need for more resources, and more cooperation, sharing of knowledge and professionalization.

According to the researchers the key to a solution is in the Caribbean. “The bottom line is that if we do not manage to improve the preparation and the supervision effectively, chances of study-success in the Netherlands remain slim. In that case the switch to higher education in the Netherlands ought to be more often discouraged or postponed.”

The report does not provide practical solutions. “The educational institutions in the Netherlands and the Caribbean and the respective governments have to discuss this among each other.”

A significant stumbling block for Caribbean students is language. “Dutch is for less than ten percent the language that is spoken at home,” the report notes. That is obviously not helpful because the language of instruction at most schools in the Netherlands is Dutch.

Another issue is the study students choose to follow. “Parents and teachers have a preference for status-giving studies like law and medicine that are possibly not a good fit for the student,” the report states.

The problems Caribbean students experience are complex: they vary from  seemingly mundane issues like homesickness, loneliness and performance anxiety to problems with the Dutch language and practical issues like housing, budgeting, debts, insurances and taxes. Combined with limited study-skills and a limited ability to take care of themselves, this puts study results under severe pressure.

Literature about poor study results mention family background, social economic status, ethnicity, the financial situation of students, social integration and a lack of confidence as possible causes.

Students who were interviewed for the study said that they were poorly prepared for the practical side of living in the Netherlands. They also said that it is too easy to make debts in the Netherlands and that many students don’t handle their finances well. This results in many side jobs that leave little time for study. Due to the temptations of debts, criminality, drugs and shady friends, some students lose focus. Pregnancies are also mentioned as reasons for dropping out of school.

Employees of the University of St. Maarten (USM) were also interviewed for the study. They said that students receive plenty of information but that many of them only take action at the last moment.

USM told the researchers that it wants to establish a program to prepare students better for their life in the Netherlands. The university also noted that it is busy establishing a business program in cooperation with a Dutch graduate school and that it already has a so-called two plus two program in place. Participants in this program study the first two years at home and the next two years at a partner institution in the United States.
Caribbean schools and universities are well aware of the problems students in the Netherlands are facing. They mention language, choice of the wrong study, culture shock, handling money, homesickness, not being independent, not being assertive and problems with housing.

The institutions also mentioned another factor: the culture of shame. Because of this, aspiring students often only hear the success stories. Living with family they have not seen in years does not always end well either; sometimes this results in conflicts whereby the student suddenly finds him or herself on the street.

Government institutions like the St Maartenhouse emphasized to the researchers that they want to present a positive image, saying that many students complete their studies. “Success-stories also deserve attention.”

But governments have also woken up to the reality of poor study results. Aruba and Curacao for instance no longer grant study financing for MBO-studies, because the return on investment is so low. For the same reason, the Hogeschool Rotterdam no longer actively recruits Caribbean students, though motivated students are still welcome there.

Most alarming in this context is that mastering the Dutch language in the Caribbean is diminishing. “Governments are promoting Papiamento or English. Outside of education, Dutch hardly plays a role anymore,” the report states.

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Related article:Education reform is a work in progress

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Education reform is a work in progress – StMaartenNews.com – News Views Reviews & Interviews

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: StMaartenNews

PHILIPSBURG — Minister Rodolphe Samuel (Education, Culture, Youth and Sports) has addressed the ten recommendations established in the Interim Education Review Report to arrive at the following conclusion: “All the proposed recommendations are being addressed.”

In one sense this is correct, because Minister Samuel has indeed addressed all the issues that stem from the review-report. But in spite of an exhaustive and very detailed explanation of all the shortcomings and possible solutions for St. Maarten education-system, there seems to be very little to report in terms of actual results.

The minister uses terms like initiatives, research, evaluation and even recommendations to show how busy his ministry is with all these issues but it seems that all the good intentions can best be described as a complicated work in progress.

The review-report contains ten recommendations, and Minister Samuel has discussed them all during three successive press briefings. To keep our readers entertained or at least a bit interested, we will stay away from going into all the details. Instead, we will highlight the most interesting topics.

One of the recommendations from the review-report is “to ensure a safe learning environment for students.” The ministry wants to tackle this issue by providing direct support to teachers and to do further research into this. Other initiatives include the creation of a policy and a roadmap towards reformed secondary education, improving students’ preparedness for higher education and/or for joining the labor market, a special needs policy and (again) research into CXC (Caribbean Examinations Council) and CVQs (Caribbean Vocational Qualification) as options for secondary vocational education.

The review-report also recommends the creation of a continuous learning path. What does the ministry want to do? Among other things implement reforms to improve the study success of Caribbean students in the Netherlands and devising a strategy to improve numeracy and literacy. The ministry also wants to establish a Council of Education and Labor.

Creating a mature government structure is yet another recommendation. The ministry intends to draft recommendations for the amendment of the national decree for the funding of education, research the funding model and establish a national decree for the funding of higher education.

The ministry’s ten-year strategic plan (2016-2026) aims to minimize bureaucracy and to establish a public education school board.

Obviously, the ministry has also keep an eye on the money that is spent in the education system. To this end it has contracted the government accountancy bureau (SOAB) to research compliance with education legislation, compare granted subsidies with actual financials and check whether financial management measures are in place. SOAB completed its research in March, but the ministry did not provide any details about the results.

There is much more in the works and we will present here a few examples. The division public education is in the process of upgrading all public schools with interactive boards, laptops and tablets. A policy change to establish a more efficient school busing system is underway, as is an evaluation of foundation-based education.

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Related links:Caribbean students don’t do well in the Netherlands

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Parliament has no authority over GEBE – StMaartenNews.com – News Views Reviews & Interviews

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The content originally appeared on: StMaartenNews
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PHILIPSBURG — Utilities company GEBE is in a serious crisis, Minister of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs acknowledged during a public meeting of Parliament on Friday, but the shareholder (the Council of Ministers) has “limited authority to intervene.” Only the supervisory board of directors can provide the solution, she said.

Jacobs also made clear that GEBE has no legal relationship with parliament and that parliament has no authority over the company. “It cannot summon members of the managing board or the supervisory board to parliament; they can appear voluntarily but they are not compelled to answer questions or to provide information.”

Parliament’s authority is limited to asking members of the Council of Ministers how its exercises its shareholder-rights.

Minister Jacobs noted that “effective and immediate action” is required from the supervisory board. The shareholder has asked this board to immediately appoint a temporary and independent manager and to set up a crisis management team. The shareholder also wants GEBE to procure and conduct an independent investigation into the events of the past couple of months. This refers specifically to the period after GEBE became the victim of a cyber-attack on March 16.

Jacobs explained that the Council of Ministers discussed on March 29 the possibility “to establish a consortium of cyber security professionals and CEOs of government-owned companies to ensure that we have a standard procedure for cyber security.”

In April the ministers of Finance and VROMI met with the supervisory board to discuss the status of actions to restore data and to make sure that collection starts to take place.  On August 19 there was a general shareholders meeting.

In spite of all these actions, the crisis at GEBE has not gone away. On the contrary, GEBE-clients have not received invoices, or they have paid invoices only to hear that according to GEBE they didn’t and to be informed that they are being threatened with a termination of services in September.

Minister Jacobs encourages citizens who did not receive any bills (and therefore have not paid anything) to contact GEBE’s customer service to make a payment-arrangement. Jacobs labeled a statement by GEBE that its accounts receivables are up to date as “erroneous.”

Members of Parliament had plenty of questions for the minister, but they will have to wait for the answers. Jacobs asked ten days to prepare her replies, but parliament-chair Grisha Heyliger-Marten tentatively postponed the meeting until Wednesday, August 31, giving the minister just four days (including the weekend) to come up with her answers.

Independent MP Solange Duncan noted earlier in the meeting that GEBE is a piece of critical national infrastructure. “It is the government’s responsibility to make sure that it functions properly,” she said. Duncan asked who is responsible for holding GEBE accountable. “The shareholder and the supervisory board should not have a direct influence on the company,” she said. “But what we see is that decisions are taken without integrity and that there is a serious management problem.”

Duncan pointed out that in 2017 the government delegated the regulatory role for GEBE to the Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP). “What is the current status of BTP’s mandate? Was anything done?”

Duncan furthermore asked whether the FBI or Microsoft headquarters had contacted GEBE’s ICT-department with a warning about a looming cyber attack.

Duncan also stated that St. Maarten has “a serious governance problem,” adding that this is not due to a lack of institutions but to having people in positions where they should not be. “If hundreds of people have to suffer for one person to keep a job then some of them are not going to take this lying down,” she warned.

MP Ludmilla de Weever noted that GEBE has postponed payments to vendors. “Does this include insurance?” she asked. De Weever also wondered how GEBE is going to pay for not-budgeted overtime and about the status of relief for seniors.

But most of all, she appeared critical of the company’s financials. “If you look at the revenue of the four big companies (GEBE, Harbor, Airport and Telem) then it does not add up. There is a leak somewhere.”

MP George Pantophlet (National Alliance) emphasized that the issues at GEBE must be resolved. “If GEBE goes down, we all go down,” he said.

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Related articles:MP De Weever: Issues at GEBE a matter of national security nowMP Gumbs Requests Question Hour to Receive Answers about GEBE’s ongoing cyber-attack woesN.V. GEBE saga>>>

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PM Browne says it is time for Craig Walter to be removed as chairman of ECAB

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The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room

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Sandals Resorts’ Adam Stewart redefines Caribbean excellence

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The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room
Stewart

The presence of Sandals Resorts International in the Caribbean is strong, with five brands and 24 properties in countries and territories including Antigua, The Bahamas, Barbados, Curaçao, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Turks & Caicos. The company employs approximately 18,000 team members.

The family-owned, private hotel chain was founded by the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart in 1981, the same year his son Adam Stewart, the group’s current Executive Chairman, was born.

The younger Stewart recalls that his father, a former appliance salesman, never allowed an opportunity to pass him by. Realizing he needed foreign currency to buy appliances from abroad, he purchased a hotel to secure his own source of foreign exchange.

In a wide-ranging interview with Yahoo! Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer, Adam Stewart shared some of the factors that contributed to Sandals’ astounding success, and why its future is on solid ground.

Looking forward, the Executive Chairman says, “Put your seat belts on, cuz it’s gonna be one heck of a ride. It’s gonna be wild to watch what Sandals does over the next decade.

Here are 10 Key Takeaways which could help the region’s hoteliers, destinations and tourism stakeholders.

Give visitors more than they expect

Adam Stewart said Sandals’ success is based on exceeding people’s expectations while showing them the best of “God’s country down here in the Caribbean”. The endless journey in pursuit of excellence, he stated, requires innovation and staying ahead of consumer demands.

Leadership and innovation are key

“Butch” Stewart was both a dreamer and an executor. With his vision he captivated the minds of a small team of people. Adam Stewart believes Sandals has perfected all-inclusive excellence and now continues to institute innovations, such as providing high-end guests with MINI Cooper cars for exploring local food and cultural offerings.

Agility and can-do culture

Be ready to respond nimbly to emerging opportunities. Foster a “can-do” attitude centered around the consumer. The agility of Sandals teams and their attention to detail have vaulted the company to what Stewart believes is probably the world’s largest host for weddings. Sandals hosts more than 10,000 ceremonies a year.

Brand recognition

The Sandals name and brand are synonymous with excellence. “Butch” Stewart got the name from one of his friends while walking on the beach. The brand enjoys an 84 percent brand recognition in North America.

Fall in love with your destination

Most Caribbean islands are independent, sovereign nations with distinctive attractions. Sandals decision makers travel to potential resort sites to find the region’s best beaches, sunrises and sunsets. They want to share the islands’ unique appeal with the rest of the world.

Own your property

Land in the Caribbean is finite, so Sandals identifies the most beautiful and most desirable locations and acquires them, with an eye to the future.

Don’t consider yourself second rate

Sandals has inspired a generation to say that “you can be the world’s best. You can stand on the world stage and be from the Caribbean,” asserted Stewart, who added “we, in the Caribbean, we punch above our weight.”

Invest in staff and communities

Sandals invests in education through its foundation and in under-resourced communities. Sandals team members are automatically enrolled in the Sandals Corporate University where they can earn degrees free of charge. Such skills training and education has enabled Sandals to retain staff more successfully than other regional companies. In memory of “Butch” Stewart, the company invited the University of the West Indies and Florida International University to set up a school for the region. When its hotels were shuttered during the pandemic, Sandals kept its team members on the payroll.

Responding to crises

Sandals considers it a corporate responsibility to respond to crises (such as COVID-19) in ways that help to keep communities and their own customers safe and secure. Sandals donated an entire resort to the Jamaican government for over a year, free of charge, as a center for COVID-positive cases. The property evolved into a vaccination center. The company also bought 40 ventilators, donated more than 300 trips to frontline workers, and provided transportation in various islands and hotel rooms to many of the health care workers battling the impact of the virus.

Linkages and diversification

Understanding tourism linkages is key to sustainable success. It is also important to look beyond the traditional mindset of a hotel as primarily concerned with accommodations, food and beverage. Sandals is in the retail business, the media business, the automotive business, the experience business and, of course, the hospitality business.

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4 cops hospitalised after accident near Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

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Tesfa Defour (right) and his passenger look on at his wrecked car which collided with a panel van at Tarouba on Sunday. Photo by Marvin Hamilton

Four police constables were injured in an accident on Sunday after doing extra duty at a fete at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

The injured men are PCs St John, Edwards, Colvis, and Li, all from the Port of Spain Court and Process Unit. They were taken to the San Fernando General Hospital where they remained up to Sunday afternoon.

Two civilians, Tesfa Defour and a friend, identified only as Shane, received minor injuries. They were medically examined by paramedics at the scene and allowed to leave.

The crash happened at the intersection of the Brian Lara Stadium Road and Gasparillo ByPass Road at around 10.30 am. The officers and the two civilians were leaving the FOC Colours Of Pandora fete at the academy.

Supt Richard Smith of the Southern Division said the officers were in a white panel van, driven by St John.

From what he was told, the van exited the link road and turned right. A Nissan Cefiro car driven by DeFour, and heading the same direction, collided with the van.

The van flipped, throwing out two of the officers. It landed partially on the car at the roadside.

A fire officer sweeps shattered glass from the road after an accident between a panel van and a car on the Gasparillo bypass road on Sunday after the occupants of both vehicles left the FOC Colours of Pandora fete at the Brian Lara Stadium and Cricket Academy. Photo by Marvin Hamilton

Smith said, “The driver was trapped in the front seat while the other was able to come out himself. All officers received serious injuries. One got injuries to his back and shoulders. He got large cuts. I was the first responder here from the police.”

Newsday spoke briefly with Defour at the scene. He said he was leaving the link road and heading straight across the road.

“The information is hazy right now. I was driving out of the link road, heading straight across (towards a road that leads to a T&TEC substation).”

“The van was behind and was turning right out of the link road. The accident happened at the intersection. I just feel the crash, and we ended up there,” he said, pointing to the wreck.

Insp Lewis, Cpl Richardson, PC Jackman, and other officers visited the scene.

Richardson of the Gasparillo police station is leading the investigation.

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10 Zeelugt squatters allocated house lots at Stewartville Housing Scheme

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana

Ten families who are squatting on lands at the Zeelugt Sideline Dam, East Bank Essequibo in Region Three have been allocated house lots in the new Stewartville Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara.

The allocations were done at the scheme today by a team from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) including Director of Community Development Gladwin Charles, Regional Housing Officer O’Shanna Miggins and other technical staff.

It is in keeping with a commitment made by the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal during an outreach earlier in the month. The Minister at the time assured residents that the agency is working to fast-track relocation and regularization in informal settlements across the region.

One of the beneficiaries receiving his house lot number

During today’s distribution exercise, Charles noted that the area occupied by the informal settlers is nearby the community’s primary school and as such poses a number of issues. The relocation is therefore expected to improve the environs of Zeelugt, while also improving the living conditions of the squatters.

For husband and father of two, Amos Calistro the land provides a better environment to nurture his two young children.

Calistro said, “It make me proud because me daughter them living in squatting area and the place nasty”. He also noted that the area poses a risk to their health.

Amos Calistro picks his house lot from an envelope held by Regional Housing Officer O’shanna Miggins (left) as officers of CHPA and other informal settlers look on

“I’m happy for the piece of land that we get, at least we gon make much of it,” expressed Ishwar Saytoo, who stated that her family has been squatting in the area for several years. The family is now looking forward to constructing their home in Stewartville.

Single father, Roopnauth Jaggernauth also noted his satisfaction with the agency’s intervention as he is also now in a better position to provide safer shelter for his daughter.

Roopnauth Jaggernauth (left) signs his allocation letter with the assistance of a senior technical staff of CHPA

The housing scheme is already equipped with first-phase infrastructure and utilities such as roads, drainage networks and water.

After selecting their house lots, the informal settlers were issued with their allocation letters and guided by CHPA’s Surveys Unit on a lot identification exercise.

Aerial view of the Stewartville Housing Scheme

A total of thirteen persons are squatting in the area, however, the other three persons have already been allocated house lots in Stewartville and other nearby schemes.

The Community Development Department will continue to provide guidance and support to the families during the relocation and resettlement process.

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MOH loosens COVID-10 restrictions; drops social distancing Loop Barbados

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The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

The three-foot physical distancing rule will not be included in the next Emergency Management (COVID-19) (Protocols) Directive when it is released on Monday, August 29.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Ian Gooding-Edghill, made the disclosure on Friday after the arrival of 14,400 doses of the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), which were gifted to Barbados by the British government.

The Health Minister explained that the decision was made “on the basis of the information available to us”. However, he pointed out that despite the change to the Directive, Barbadians were expected to maintain their social responsibility as the pandemic was still ongoing.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kenneth George, pointed out that the directives were used as tools to change behaviour and “to curtail some basic human rights”.

“We’ve learned so much about the COVID pandemic for over two years… we cannot continue as before. We know too much. Unfortunately, persons have lost lives along the way but with respect to moving forward, we can’t use an environment of fear or restrictions to combat a respiratory disease. Therefore, when we say we have removed the three-feet requirement, we are putting the onus on the Barbadian public with respect to responsibility and taking care of themselves.

“How can you do this? If you are in a circumstance that you are unsure of, put on your mask, particularly if it’s indoors. If you are in a situation where you feel you may be at risk, you do the right things. I believe that the removal of the reference to three feet is a good thing. However, what we are asking the public to do is to continue to use good judgement at this time with respect to moving forward in a COVID-19 environment,” Dr. George emphasised.

The Chief Medical Officer said that, at present, the two major public health interventions are mask wearing and vaccination. He added that these are “what will get us through this current climate”.

Dr George further noted that public health officials were in the process of discussing other measures which would give people more freedom in terms of moving around, while protecting public health.

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Lil Baby Spoil His Friend James Harden With $250k Cash For His Birthday

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

What’s a quarter million dollars between rich friends? Nothing, as Lil Baby was recently seen on video gifting his close friend and NBA star James Harden $250,000 for his birthday over the weekend.

Harden showed that he doesn’t need the cash, considering he brought in his 33rd birthday on a yacht in Marina Del Rey, California, with a star-studded event last Friday, August 26. He was surrounded by other big names in the NBA and hip-hop world, including Kevin Durant.

Lil Baby did not attend that event but showed up sometime after to let Harden know that he definitely did not forget his birthday.

In the video, which has been making the rounds, Lil Baby can be heard saying, “I ain’t have time to get you nothing. I know you ain’t low on no money or nothing,” before handing Harden a Goyard bag packed with the cash.

The two have been inseparable this year and have been spotted multiple times enjoying each other’s company. In fact, Lil Baby and other rappers like Travis Scott have been seen in attendance at quite a few of Harden’s games.

Some media outlets have also noted that on many occasions since the start of the year, Harden has been spotted leaving as soon as training was finished or right after his games to go and hang out with Lil Baby.

James Harden/IG

Harden has also come under scrutiny for his long partying hours, which was again highlighted in February when a last-minute studio session with Lil Baby, Lil Durk, and Meek Mill at his home in Houston turned into an all-nighter. According to reports, they partied until Harden had practice on the same day.

“They all called me like, ‘Yo, we about to pull up to Houston.’ Baby, Durk, Meek. They all come to the house [from] Atlanta, like two in the morning. I gotta go to practice in the morning! They come in the studio and I’m up with them the whole time,” Harden is quoted as saying.

He then explained that he had to leave right from the studio at 7:30 a.m. to get to practice.

Even though it may seem like he is just partying, it seems that Harden is way more into rap music than many people know. For example, he is listed as an executive producer on Lil Baby and Lil Durk’s joint album The Voice of the Heroes.

It’s been confirmed that he was involved from the beginning and that many of the sessions were recorded at his home studio. He even shared that his involvement with rap music has helped him on the court.

“Leaving all-night studio sessions going straight to practice with the songs they made gave me a newfound motivation. The Voice and The Hero two killers at the top of their game the collaboration only seemed right. I just hope the same impact they have on me, they have on the world,” he said in another interview.

It looks like Harden’s friendship with Lil Baby and his affinity for rap music isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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