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Clowns Without Borders For Theraphy Workshops

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KINGSTON, Sept. 8 (JIS):
BY: DOUGLAS McINTOSH
Two members of the internationally-acclaimed Spanish humanitarian organization, ‘Clowns without Borders’ (‘Payasos sin Fronteras’) are currently in Jamaica for a series of engagements between today (September 8) and Friday, September 12, involving over 600 children and close to 200 child care practitioners.

Their visit, which is being jointly facilitated by the Embassy of Spain in Jamaica, and the Spanish-Jamaican Foundation (SJF), will see them conducting master classes/workshops focusing on alternative grief and trauma interventions incorporating play and drama therapy, a relatively new concept to Jamaica.
These will be held at the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, on September 9, and will target drama students of the institution, as well as social workers and psychologists from the Child Development Agency (CDA), and also current and future guidance counsellors from Teachers’ Colleges, and the Ministry of Education.

The members, Cristina Julia and Jordi Sabán, will also be giving special performances for children, aged four to 12 years, who are deemed to have been psychologically affected, primarily by incidents of violence, among other factors.

These will be held at the Edna Manley College on September 9, and Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College in Montego Bay, St. James, on September 12.

A total of 600 youngsters, who have been identified in schools and children’s homes, will attend with each college accommodating approximately 300 children for the day’s activities.

The visitors will also perform for children who are patients at St. Ann’s Bay Hospital, St. Ann, on September 8; Bustamante Hospital for Children, Kingston, September 10; and Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), September 11.
Spanish-Jamaican Foundation (SJF) General Manager, Dr. Rebecca Tortello, tells JIS News that the Clowns without Borders first visit to Jamaica, forms part of the SJF’s contribution to assist in strengthening stakeholders’ response to challenges associated with trauma affecting children, as a result of their exposure to violence.

“We contacted them (Clowns without Borders) and told them a little about the situation in Jamaica, in terms of the effect of violence directly and indirectly on youngsters in schools and children’s homes, and the high level of interest their caregivers have shown in play/drama therapy techniques, and they readily agreed to come and do a series of sessions for the children, and counsellors,” she explains.

Deputy Head of Mission in charge of Cultural Affairs at the Spanish Embassy in Kingston, Victoria Tur Gomez, adds that they will interact with the children. “They will talk to them…and they will engage with them in ways that we hope will bring smiles to their faces, which is the main purpose of their visit,” she said.
Dr. Tortello tells JIS News that the decision to invite Clowns without Borders to Jamaica “is not something we just decided to do.”

“We saw the need, knowing the great necessity of different therapeutic interventions for our children, and the success that play therapy has had around the world,” she explains, adding that “this project is an intentional extension of the SJF’s emphasis on health and wellness over the last three years.”

“We have done a number of training workshops, particularly in relation to play therapy and child abuse awareness, both for stakeholders in government-run children’s homes, as well as the Community Safety and Security Officers in the police force islandwide,” Dr. Tortello outlines.
She points out that there has been a high level of interest in, and positive feedback from the participants, and also in planning the activities for the clowns.

“Our partners in the government ministries and agencies understand that these are trained professionals who go to countries all over the world, many of which are war-torn, where children have experienced unspeakable violence and trauma, and they will bring their own brand of child-centred therapy to our children in Jamaica,” Dr. Tortello tells JIS News.

Both women highlight the inputs of key stakeholders which made the week-long engagements possible.
“We are very glad to have the Ministries of Education, and Health, and the Child Development Agency (CDA), and hospitals partnering with us. I also want to say thanks to Edna Manley College and Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College which have allowed us to use their premises to host these activities,” Ms. Gomez says.
Dr. Tortello notes the significant support from private sector entities, both Spanish and Jamaican, for the engagements. These, she informs, include SJF member company, Grand Bahia Principe Hotel in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, which she says has a “very strong relationship” with St. Ann’s Bay Hospital, where they have long supported the paediatric maternity wards.

“Their team will be at the hospital on the day of the clowns visit,” she informs. In addition, Dr. Tortello says SJF member company, the Montego Bay-based Hospiten, will participate in activities involving Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH).

“We also have support from the Seprod Foundation, which is providing refreshments for the children,” she adds.
Both Dr. Tortello and Ms. Gomez express the hope that the visit will yield fruitful long term dividends for Jamaica.

“We are hopeful the children will enjoy the performances, that the practitioners will find the information useful, and be able to incorporate play intervention techniques and humour in the forms of therapy offered to our children,” Dr. Tortello says.

Clowns without Borders is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, and has branches in eight other countries. These include: Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the United States, Sweden, and South Africa.

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Royal Navy Chaplain Leads Communion at Grand Turk Prison During HMS Medway Deployment

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, July 14, 2025 – In a rare and touching moment during the Royal Navy’s latest deployment to the Turks and Caicos Islands, Father Matteo Zambon, chaplain aboard HMS Medway, led a communion service at His Majesty’s Prison in Grand Turk. The intimate spiritual gathering brought reflection and encouragement to inmates and staff, and was described by observers as “deeply moving.”

The service was a standout feature of HMS Medway’s multifaceted visit, showcasing the Royal Navy’s humanitarian and pastoral outreach, not just its operational capacity. While the ship is widely recognized for its disaster readiness and security work in the region, the prison service offered a profound, personal dimension to the deployment.

Alongside this spiritual engagement, HMS Medway conducted a simulated beach landing exercise in collaboration with the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment, aimed at improving disaster response coordination. The Royal Navy’s Crisis Response Troop participated in the operation, which took place on the beach adjacent to the Grand Turk cruise pier and concluded safely before ship traffic resumed.

The visit also reinforced UK support for the Overseas Territories during hurricane season. HMS Medway, permanently stationed in the Caribbean, is outfitted with emergency relief supplies, medical kits, and equipment for clearing debris and restoring access in the aftermath of natural disasters.

In Providenciales, the crew met with local officials and conducted further training and outreach activities. The deployment builds on strong ties established during previous visits, including youth mentorship programs and joint patrols with the TCI Marine Branch and Police Force.

Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam has previously praised the UK’s forward-deployed assets like HMS Medway as “critical to disaster preparedness, maritime security, and community support”. This most recent visit deepens that role, showing how hard power can be paired with soft-touch diplomacy.

As HMS Medway resumes regional patrols, its legacy in the Turks and Caicos this year will not only be measured in drills and deployments—but in the quiet connection made behind prison walls, where faith, dignity, and humanity were affirmed by a visiting chaplain in naval uniform.

In a place often associated with hardship and consequence, Father Zambon’s communion service served as a rare reminder: that even the most disciplined missions can carry a message of hope.

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Governor Targeted Again in Social Media Impersonation Scam

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, July 13, 2025 – The Governor’s Office has issued a renewed warning to the public following the discovery of multiple fake Facebook accounts impersonating Her Excellency, Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam. The fraudulent profiles, created under names such as “Dileeni Daniel Selvaratnam” and “Dileeni Selvaratnam,” have been flagged for attempting to engage residents through unsolicited messages.

In a statement released on Friday, 11 July, the Governor’s Office confirmed that at least four such accounts had been identified and formally reported to Facebook for investigation and removal. The public is urged not to interact with these profiles and to report any suspicious activity directly to the platform.

This is not the first time the Governor has been targeted. Similar impersonation attempts were reported in early 2024, when scammers used lookalike profiles to solicit money from unsuspecting individuals. The recurrence of such schemes has raised concerns about online safety and the misuse of public officials’ identities for fraudulent purposes.

“Her Excellency does not conduct official business via social media direct messaging,” the statement emphasized. “All legitimate communication is handled through official government email addresses or verified public channels.”

Residents are encouraged to follow the Governor’s verified social media pages, including the official Facebook page: Turks and Caicos Islands, Governor’s Office and Instagram: @governorturksandcaicos, for authentic updates.

Authorities are reminding the public to remain vigilant when interacting online and to treat unsolicited friend requests or private messages from high-profile individuals with skepticism.

The Governor’s Office reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and online safety and thanked the public for helping to identify and report fraudulent activity.

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Search for Missing American Tourist Intensifies in Turks and Caicos

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U.S. Officials, Family Join Local Efforts as Disappearance Enters Ninth Day

By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor and Wilkie Arthur | Eagle Legal News

 

Turks and Caicos, July 4, 2025 – The United States Department of State has confirmed it is aware of the disappearance of American citizen Brian Tarrence in Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Embassy in Nassau is actively assisting in the ongoing investigation. Tarrence’s mother is now on the island, anxiously hoping for good news as the search for her son enters its ninth day.

Tarrence, 51, of New York, vanished on June 25 while vacationing with his wife in Providenciales. The couple was staying at the Inn at Grace Bay in a privately rented villa booked via Airbnb. CCTV footage reviewed by Eagle Legal News shows Tarrence walking away from the property around 3:00 a.m., alone and without signs of immediate distress. He has not been seen since.

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is treating the case as high priority, and a search operation is underway in Grace Bay, with efforts expanding to The Bight and nearby districts. U.S. private investigator Carl DeFazio, hired by Tarrence’s family, is also on the ground and working alongside local authorities.

“We are tracking any activity—credit cards, digital devices—that could point us toward his location,” said DeFazio. “This is a coordinated effort, and we are committed to bringing Brian home.”

Sources close to the investigation say Tarrence may have been in a vulnerable state prior to his disappearance. His wife reported that he had relapsed into alcohol use and was displaying increasingly erratic behavior, including signs of paranoia and delusional speech. He reportedly believed people were outside their villa and made concerning remarks hours before he disappeared.

When his wife woke that morning, Tarrence—and his phone and wallet—were gone. The devices remain unreachable, and no transactions or confirmed sightings have been reported.

His wife continues to cooperate fully with police, while his mother, who recently arrived in TCI, has joined local and diplomatic efforts in hopes of a safe resolution.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest police station or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-8477.

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