Bahamas News

Mother’s Day comes early for single moms, thanks to AML Foods Limited & Bahamas Feeding Network

Published

8 years ago

September 22, 2016

Nassau, Bahamas, September 21, 2016 – For 60 single moms with little or no support and young ones to feed, relief came today during a presentation by the Bahamas Feeding Network, thanks to support from AML Foods Limited. The women – each personally selected as deserving by their churches or community leaders – were gifted with vouchers for staples, produce and foodstuffs and told to go on a shopping spree for the healthiest foods they could find to help make hunger a memory.

“When we launched the Bahamas Feeding Network nearly three years ago, we knew that hunger affected one in every eight people in The Bahamas who live below the poverty level, but it was not until we reached out on a daily basis partnering with churches, helping in soup kitchens, plating food in feeding centres, that we fully understood the desperation,” said Philip Smith, Executive Director of the non-government organization.

“And of all the people we help feed – the indigent, the elderly who are often too proud to admit they are hungry, those who have fallen through the spaces of a safety net – there was no group that needed help more than single mothers. So on this day, we want to recognize their struggle and make life a little bit easier for them by distributing these $100 food coupons to 60 women, each of whom has multiple children and must find a way to support and feed them without a spouse who could share the burden.”

“We at AML Foods Limited feel strongly about hunger prevention and healthy living,” said Renea Bastian, Vice President of Marketing & Communications of AML. “As a company we want to help to ensure that more people have access to the foods they need. We envision a day when no individual has to wonder where his or her next meal will come from and that’s why we have pledged to donate $100,000 to the Bahamas Feeding Network, over the next three years. To date we have donated some $30,000. In these tough economic times when most organizations have had to cut back on assisting in order to survive, we consider it our responsibility to step in and help the less fortunate in the communities that we operate in. We will be making a similar donation in Freeport tomorrow.”

The donation was the latest in a necklace of golden gifts from the organisation that has raised and donated more than $350,000 in food coupons and foodstuff. “While we are giving, we are also teaching people to grow,” said diplomat, businessman and philanthropist Frank Crothers, Bahamas Feeding Network Chairman. “We are very excited about our backyard farming initiatives and are working closely with the Department of Agriculture.”

Small scale farming, he said, has the potential to alleviate much of the hunger that currently plagues The Bahamas and particularly New Providence. When implemented in schools, it could make the difference between success and failure for students too hungry to focus on absorbing what is being taught. The Network has also held a best practices seminar with an international expert and is in the process of compiling an audit and inventory of feeding programs, hot and cold, and those who depend upon them.

“We are giving these coupons to the moms who have so many responsibilities and far too often, too little support, but while the coupons are going to the mothers, we know that the end result will be fewer children going to bed hungry over the next several weeks,” said Smith. “It is for them that BFN and AML came together to support this important initiative.”

“Thank God for this voucher because I didn’t have anything to eat at the moment,” said a mother of four who headed into Solomon’s Super Centre to purchase groceries for her family. “I am very grateful to the Network and AML Foods.”

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Bahamas News

Get your laugh on, March On, family drama by Gea Pierre, debut this weekend in Turks and Caicos

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Shanieka

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale again this weekend, the show debuts Friday night.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew where shows are set for Brayton Hall, for Friday May 10 at 8pm and Saturday has two showings; matinee at 4pm and evening, 8pm.

Tickets are $75 VIP. General admission is $60.

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attentattention.

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.”

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations.

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. The full team returns on Friday, May 10 with the comedy production being held under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described.

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stop laughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”

Bahamas News

The Bahamas Successfully Hosts Its Fourth World Athletics Relays

Published

6 days ago

May 12, 2024

Shanieka

NASSAU, Bahamas – Hundreds of people from around the world turned out in full force for the BTC World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 that took place at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, May 4 -5, 2024.

This is the sixth edition of the relays and the fourth time that The Bahamas has hosted the event, which actually made its debut in The Bahamas in 2014.

President, World Athletics, Sabastian Coe said after three very successful editions from 2014 to 2017, the World Athletics Relays has quickly become one of the World Athletics vibrant competitions, developing a culture of fun and innovation that gives it a unique flavour.

He thanked the Bahamas Government, the local World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 committee and the Bahamian people for agreeing to host the relays. However, his main thanks were to the “world’s best sprinters” travelling from all the continents to compete in preparation for the road to Paris, France, in two months’ time.

During the opening ceremony, the athletes were given words of advice from Carl Lewis, one of only four Olympic athletes to have won nine Olympic gold medals, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

He said, “Keep it simple, do not try to do anything extra. Do what your coaches said. Leave on time, leave on time, leave on time.”

The athletes and crowds were treated to the sounds and sights of Junkanoo at the end of the opening ceremony. The Junkanoo performers stuck around for the two days of competitions, playing for the sprinters as they competed on the track.

Teams competed in the Women’s and men’s 4x100m, and the women’s men’s and mixed 4x400m. A total of 14 teams at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 automatically qualified for places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Both days of competition were important, as day two offered another chance for qualifications for those teams unsuccessful on day one.

In fact, The Bahamas was able to take advantage of the second day of competition.

Bahamians were made proud as the country set a new national record during the mixed 4x400m relays thanks to the efforts of 16-year-old Shania Adderley, a student of Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

The team came first in their heat on Sunday evening after not being able to gain a spot for the Paris Olympics on the first day of competition.

Other sprinters on the team included Alonzo Russell, as well as Olympic champions Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

(BIS Photos/Kemuel Stubbs)

Bahamas News

PM at World Relays 2024 Opening: ‘Tonight, the eyes are on The Bahamas’

Published

6 days ago

May 12, 2024

Shanieka

NASSAU, The Bahamas – During his remarks at the Opening Ceremony for the World Athletics Relays 2024, on May 4, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis welcomed the special guests, athletes, officials, and “all lovers of athletics from around the world” to the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium here in the “vibrant heart” of Nassau, Bahamas.

“This weekend, the world’s finest athletes gather on our shores to embark on a journey that is not only about speed and strength but also about dreams and determination,” Prime Minister Davis said. “From the serene beauty of our islands to the historic grandeur of Paris, this event marks a crucial path to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.”

He added: “Here in The Bahamas, we are no strangers to world-class athletics or the warmth and exuberance that such international gatherings bring. It is a distinct honor to once again welcome the World Athletics Relays back to our islands. This event holds a special place in our hearts, symbolizing a bridge between nations brought together by the universal language of sport.”

Prime Minister Davis noted that that year’s theme, “Paradise to Paris,” captured the essence of that journey.

“It is here, amidst the splendor of our sun-kissed beaches and the rhythmic sway of our palms that the chase towards Olympic glory begins anew,” he stated. “We are thrilled to offer a backdrop of unparalleled beauty, where every sprint, every baton pass, and every victory lap is set against the picture-perfect canvas of our islands.”

He added: “To our athletes, I say this: as you stand on the precipice of your dreams, ready to catapult yourself into the annals of history, know that you are part of a legacy of excellence and determination. This weekend, you are not only competitors but also ambassadors of your countries and the spirit of sport. We are especially proud of Team Bahamas, who carry the weight of their performance and the hopes and pride of our nation. You embody the spirit of The Bahamian people, and we are behind you every step of the way.”

Prime Minister said that to the international visitors, he extended “the warmest Bahamian welcome”.

“Over the next few days, as you revel in the thrill of competition, take a moment to bask in the beauty of our island,” he stated. “Discover why we proudly say, “It’s Better in The Bahamas.” Whether it’s the hospitality of our people, the tranquility of our waters, or the rhythm of our culture, you are in for an experience that captures the heart and rejuvenates the soul.”

“Let us celebrate the unity and friendship that sports foster, cheering every athlete and savoring the spectacle of human potential at its best,” Prime Minister Davis added. “I hope the races are swift, the results are inspiring, and the memories are lasting.

“Welcome to The Bahamas, the paradise where champions chase their dreams to Paris. As your host, it is my immense pleasure to declare the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 2024 officially open. Let the games begin.”