Black Immigrant Daily News

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His Excellency Peter Chia-yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, recently handed over a cheque for US$80,000.00 to Hon. Alva Baptiste, Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation & Diaspora Affairs, to finance the “Eastern Caribbean Solar Challenge: Race to the Sun” Initiative.

 The official handover of an initial US$80,000.00 of the total sum of US$200,000.00 was done on Thursday, November 3, 2022, at the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation & Diaspora Affairs, at Baywalk Mall, Rodney Bay. T

his amount will go towards promoting the use of solar power in Saint Lucia’s public sector.

Launched in 2021 by Saint Lucia and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the “Eastern Caribbean Solar Challenge: Race to the Sun” is a bold and exciting new renewable energy initiative that aims to engage governments, the private sector, development partners, impact financiers, and households in a united effort to increase the diffusion of solar energy across the region by the end of 2023, in the first instance.

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The current revised target is 6.5 MW of new solar through small and medium distributed solar installations across the OECS by 2025.

 Speaking at the handover ceremony, Ambassador Chen said Taiwan recognizes the joint initiative of the Caribbean Nationally Determined Contribution Finance Initiative (NDCFI) by the OECS and the Government of Saint Lucia, and the Race to the Sun Initiative.

He said Taiwan is pleased to support such initiatives.

“Taiwan is firmly committed to combatting climate change and doing its best to assist our diplomatic allies in attaining the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 set by the Paris Agreement,” Ambassador Chen said.

Ambassador Chen added that: “We are willing to make contributions to the Race to the Sun Initiative, and the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has agreed to sponsor US$200,000.00 to the Race to the Sun Initiative. On Monday (November 7), US$80,000.00 will be used exclusively in Saint Lucia to promote solar power, especially in the public sector.”

Ambassador Chen thanked Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre, Hon. Alva Baptiste, and Hon. Shawn Edward, Minister for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, and other Government officials for supporting Taiwan’s participation at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

“With Taiwan’s professional, pragmatic and constructive participation in the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement and associate mechanisms, I believe Taiwan can contribute even more to Saint Lucia, to the Caribbean Region, and to the world,” Ambassador Chen said.

In his remarks, Hon. Alva Baptiste said the Government of Saint Lucia will continue to interact with the Government of Taiwan because both countries are focused on common objectives of humanity.

“I am very appreciative (and) my staff and my Ministry, the Government of the Philip J. Pierre administration that I belong to, actually recognize true friendship, and we’re highly appreciated of contributions toward the sustainable development of this country,” Hon. Baptiste stated.

He added that: “Climate change continues its decimating march across the moral, social, economic and environmental fabric of our countries. The unfortunate thing is that we have been graduated from receiving concessionary financing because they say we are middle-income countries. So we face erosion of trade preferences, we face decline in official development assistance, and now climate change. The net effect is to create massive problems in our respective economies.”

Hon. Baptiste explained that given the harsh conditions that are placed on Saint Lucia and other small islands developing states in relation to climate change, any genuine assistance from friendly countries are welcome. He noted that Taiwan has been at the forefront of that development assistance.

 Meanwhile, Chamberlain Emmanuel, Head of the Environmental Sustainability Cluster, OECS, noted that the developing small island states have long recognized their inherent vulnerabilities as it relates to climate change.

Recent events have included the effects of the pandemic, geopolitical instability and other issues have exacerbated these challenges, he added.

“Our region, like the rest of the planet, is in dire need of energy and climate solution that provide multiple benefits to help underpin our long–term sustainable development strategies and contribute to our near-term recovery efforts,” said Emmanuel.

Emmanuel said a significant part of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on imported fossil fuel, with the resulting high and variable cost of energy being a major hurdle for competitiveness, particularly in the tourism and manufacturing sectors, thereby stymieing overall economic growth and development.

“Achieving an increased level of energy independence, diversification of our energy sources, and reduction of energy prices will further provide a positive domino effect that will ultimately improve the overall quality of life in our region and support our resilience goals,” Emmanuel said.

Emmanuel said that to date, the region has only developed a fraction of its indigenous energy resources, adding that the transition should include healthy balance and use of mature and proven technologies, and modern and innovative approaches that will redound to ease in implementation, affordability, social acceptance, and quick returns on investment.

“Solar energy fits the bill for all these criteria, and our geographic location makes the use of solar energy technology an obvious choice for all Members of the OECS,” Emmanuel stated, as he thanked Taiwan for its assistance.

“Furthermore, solar energy has the potential for widest application and adoption across sectors and at various levels of society. It can help meet the growing demand of energy while diversifying the energy generation mix to facilitate development.”

SOURCE: Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) 

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The National Drug Council (NDC) has launched its second annual Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds (HBHM) virtual campaign for the month of November.

“Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds was developed from a need to reach our youngest citizens with important information about how to develop healthy habits,” explains Delisa Hernandez, NDC’s prevention and education officer.

“In order to ensure that we could reach as many children and families as possible, the entire month-long calendar is available free of cost on the NDC website to teachers, parents, caregivers, youth-serving organisations, and even young people themselves,” she adds.

The daily activities offer participants information that helps to promote healthy nutrition, movement, mindfulness, and awareness. By doing these activities daily, children and families help to develop healthier habits.

“What struck me about this virtual campaign is the fact that it is an important precursor to drug prevention education programmes,” notes Sabrina Turner, Minister for Health and Wellness.

“In teaching children how their bodies are supposed to function you are also equipping them with the information to better understand how drugs and alcohol impair those very functions. Making this connection is necessary in helping them to see the harm that these substances cause the human body,” she adds.

Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds is the first in a series of building blocks that tackle drug prevention education and programming more holistically.

“Our aim at the NDC is to ensure that our prevention messages reach the intended audiences,” explains Brenda Watson, Acting Director of the NDC.

“As younger and younger children are exposed to harmful messages, it is important that we do our part in helping to equip schools, families, and communities with fun, factual, relevant and accessible tools to help build drug prevention knowledge and resilience from a young age,” says Watson.

The 2022 HBHM Campaign will also feature a cookbook competition. Participants are encouraged to submit, healthy recipes for consideration.

“Cooking and eating together provide such important opportunities for bonding as a family,” Hernandez adds. “By encouraging not only children but the families to participate in this challenge we are hoping to encourage that bonding, creativity, and perhaps even spark new family traditions that last long after this year’s campaign is done.”

There will be prizes for winning recipes and all recipes will be featured in the virtual HBHM Cookbook, which will be released by the National Drug Council early 2023.

For more information on Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds, or to register for the campaign, log on to www.ndc.ky.

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Following an appeal from Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts for more corporate support for the country’s national teams, JAMECO Equipment Company Limited (JAMECO), a subsidiary of the Stewart’s Automotive Group, has stepped up to the plate.

The company on Tuesday sponsored a 27-seater King Long bus, valued at $7.3 million and branded in the national colours, to the JFF. It was handed over at the Jaguar Land Rover Showroom on Arthur Wint Drive in Kingston.

“The JFF had lost their last bus, and they didn’t have anything to transport the teams. We became aware of their appeal to corporate Jamaica to support the teams, and we had a vehicle here that we thought would suit their needs,” said JAMECO General Manager Brian Pengelley.

Through this arrangement with the JFF, JAMECO has become the official transportation sponsor of Jamaica’s national football teams.

For a year, JFF will provide a driver and fuel, while the bus will be fully insured and maintained by JAMECO with an option to renew.

Pengelley is hopeful that the company’s gesture will inspire others to come on board.

“We are hoping that the rest of corporate Jamaica will see that we are jumping in to support and will bring to the party whatever they can. For us, it’s a matter of nationalism and playing our part in building Jamaica and its sporting fraternity,” he said.

Newly appointed JFF General Secretary Dennis Chung expressed his gratitude for the donation.

“The JFF is grateful to Stewart’s for the donation of the bus, which they have also graciously fully wrapped in the JFF colours,” he said.

He added: “This will get a far way in assisting the various national football teams as transportation is one of the most important ingredients in developing a successful football programme. Immediately, this provides assistance to the senior women’s team, which has two matches against Paraguay on the 10th and 13th of November, as they prepare for their historic second consecutive qualification for the World Cup next year.”

This recent backing by Stewarts Automotive Group is the latest manifestation of its support for the JFF.

Since 1998, when Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz historically qualified for the FIFA World Cup in France, the group has been providing transportation and financial support to the JFF. In 2012, under a sponsorship valued at $30 million, Stewart’s Automotive supplied the JFF with two vehicles.

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