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BAHAMAS: Urban Renewal Utilizes Assets to Help Effect Community Change

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#Nassau, May, 28, 2019 – Bahamas – Officials from the Urban Renewal Commission, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, recently distributed care packages to 900 families residing in the urban communities of New Providence where Centres are located.

They included Bain and Grants Town, Centreville, Englerston, Fort Charlotte, Fox Hill, Free Town, Nassau Village, Pinewood and St. Barnabas. Care packages were also delivered to a number of Senior Citizen facilities.

Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell said there are times when families in the urban communities may need assistance for a short period of time outside of the scope of the Department of Social Services. He said it is during these times that the Urban Renewal Commission can step in and assist those families.

Minister Campbell said as both entities “basically serve” the same group of persons and fall under the scope of the same Minister, there will naturally be opportunities for collaborations “in the best interests of Bahamian families from time to time.”

“It’s not a duplication of efforts,” Minister Campbell noted. “Rather, it’s simply a matter of two agencies that fall under the scope of the same Minister and the same Ministry complementing each other and combining some of their assets to effect positive change within our communities as opposed to being in competition with one another,” Minister Campbell said.

“Opportunities for these types of collaborations between Urban Renewal and the Department of Social Services, from time to time, can only be a plus,” Minister Campbell added.

Acting Director of the Urban Renewal Commission, Mr. Kellen Russell, said the beneficiaries of the care packages were identified during the usual walkabouts through the communities conducted by Centre Managers and Staff.

That information, Director Russell said, is then forwarded to the relevant government stakeholders in order to effect positive change for residents of the urban communities.

“The Department of Social Services does a great job in meeting the needs of many in our communities, but when you look at the size of some of the households within those communities, that assistance – particularly food assistance – can be dispatched of within a short period of time,” Mr. Russell said.

“The persons (who received the gift packages) were identified by the Centre Managers and the Staff of the Centres and included the elderly, single mothers and/or participants in some of the many programmes that we run at the Centres.

“The walkabouts provide us with a great source of information with regards to who is in need and what are some of the things that need to be done to address the concerns/deficiencies of or in those communities. We are then able to meet with the relevant agencies in order to get those needs addressed.

“With our link to Social Services, we will have an idea, we will have an understanding, we will have the necessary intelligence that will cause us to understand who the persons are in the urban communities who have a real need, so that we can extend our hands to them thereby making services accessible to these communities,” Acting Director Russell added.

By Matt Maura

Release: BIS

Photo Captions:

Header: Kellen Russell (third from right) with members of the Urban Renewal team, prior to distribution of the care packages. (Urban Renewal Photo)

Insert: Team members of the Urban Renewal Centres distribute care packages during a recent initiative by the Urban Renewal Commission.

(Urban Renewal Photo) 

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Bahamas News

Royal Caribbean Club in The Bahamas started after delays

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#TheBahamas#RoyalCaribbean, April 23, 2024- After being delayed following its announcement in 2020, Royal Caribbean’s new 17 acre Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, is now in the works and is scheduled to be ready for 2025, according to reports. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday April 22, signifying the start of construction in the next few months. This project is huge for The Bahamas as it’s a first of kind for the nation, with a unique public private partnership allowing Bahamians to hold up to 49 percent in equity.

 

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Nassau Cruise Port Donates Nearly $2 Million Towards Food Security

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Nassau, Bahamas: The Nassau Cruise Port has donated $1.95 million towards
projects that will assist the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources in its aim
to increase food security for The Bahamas.

The donation officially occurred at the Ministry’s offices recently, where Minister
of Agriculture and Marine Resources Hon. Jomo Campbell, Minister of Labour
Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle, Permanent Secretary Neil Campbell and Nassau Cruise
Port CEO Mike Maura listened to a number of presentations including one for a
poultry programme for schools, a chicken broiler production programme, the
redevelopment of the Blue Hill Road Farmers Market and an Authentic
Bahamian Cultural Concept Store,

Mr. Maura said he was impressed by the presentations.

“I had the privilege to listen the presentations and review presentations that
touched on food security and the need for us to be self-sufficient, which as a
Bahamian I support completely. At the Nassau Cruise Port, we get excited
about the prospects of offering more authentic food to the millions of visitors
that we have each year,” he said.

“And then, in addition to that, we had presentations around the further
development of our artisans, which is so important to us as well. The guests
visiting our shores are looking for something that really touches The Bahamas
and can’t be found somewhere else. The Nassau Cruise Port has made a pledge to BAIC and its affiliates. We will be supporting the projects that were presented and we can’t wait to get started.”

Minister Glover-Rolle, who is also the Member of Parliament for Golden Gates,
hailed Nassau Cruise Port as a “great community partner.”

“Thank you for the opportunity to not only present but agreeing to participate.
Our Minister of Agriculture has a goal of reducing food imports by 25 percent by
the year 2025 and our project in the Golden Gates Community speaks to that,”
she said.

“We have a number of backyard farmers, farmers and fishers in our community
in Golden Gates. Being able to use the Blue Hill Road Farmers Market, which is
going to be dubbed the ‘Fish Fry of the South,’ as a hub for food security but
also a hub where artisans and handicraft persons can come and sell their wares
is wonderful. So, we are happy that you have agreed to partner with us and we
look forward to a partnership and we hope to welcome some of your visitors
when this amazing renovation is done.”

Minister Campbell also lauded the Nassau Cruise Port for its efforts.

“I would like to say thank you to the presenters for the presentations that are
several steps in the right direction for our country, to Mr. Maura and his board at
the Nassau Cruise Port and I would like to say thanks to God for this partnership
and bringing us all together as we move forward, upward, together in building a
better, brighter, future for The Bahamas,” he said.

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Career Symposium 2024 Connects University Students with Successful Professionals

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Nassau, THE BAHAMAS — Some of the most successful and accomplished professionals and business leaders in the country recently shared their experiences and nuggets of wisdom with students at University of The Bahamas (UB) about thriving in a wide range of careers.

The University Centre for Counselling and Career Services and the Career and Job Placement Advisory Unit collaborated to host the 2024 Career Symposium which brought students face to face with leaders in the careers to which they aspire.

Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi, said the symposium was key to developing potential as university students strive to leave their mark on the world.

Ms. Rickell Curry

“In the spirit of collaboration and growth, let us engage in meaningful dialogue, cultivate relationships, and harness the power of collective wisdom to shape our futures,” said Dr. Oriakhi. “Together, let us embark on this journey of exploration and discovery, united in our commitment to realizing our fullest potential and making meaningful contributions to our communities and beyond.”

Promoting careers in psychology, Ms. Curry noted that psychologists are equipped with the ability to help others, troubleshoot areas of weakness within themselves, and become better people and professionals in the process.

“The floor is yours to be able to explore. There’s no job where you don’t have to deal with people, so learning, even if you get a bachelor’s in psychology, is a great grounding,” she said.

Dr. Darville, one of few interventional radiologists in The Bahamas, offered another nugget of advice on choosing an area of study.

Dr. Elizabeth Darville

“It is important to know enough about yourself in order to make the decisions you want to make,” said Dr. Darville. “You have to work on yourself first and know what you want to do. Radiology gives you a chance to have fun. It gives you a chance to mold your career closer to your personal life than other medical specialties might.”

Another growing field is project management which Mr. Hepburn called a life skill. He also urged a commitment to lifelong learning.

“Individuals that continue to learn become unstoppable, period,” said Mr. Hepburn. “It is so true. When you learn, you become unstoppable because nothing can stop you in your process of development.

Mr. Wellington Hepburn

“The more you know, the more valuable you are. We need individuals who are cross functional—that can operate in different capacities. So please understand that your learning should never stop.”

With small and medium-sized businesses helping to drive the economy at an incredible rate, Ms. Rolle affirmed the importance of entrepreneurship in any economy.

“When we talk about entrepreneurship, we usually look at it from a myopic standpoint,” she said. Ms. Rolle. “What do I mean by that? Small, but usually about self: ‘how do I make more money?’ And in some cases, some look at entrepreneurship as a way of survival. ‘I need to make a couple extra dollars, I have this bill to pay’. Those types of things.

Ms. Samantha Rolle

“But entrepreneurship really, in its truest form, is about innovation, whether it’s a new concept or any existing concept that you innovate new ways, or help expand the economy.”

The career symposium was held at the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre and is held every academic year.

 

PHOTO CAPTIONS

 

  • Career Symposium 1: UB Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi, delivers the opening address at the 2024 Career Symposium.
  • Career Symposium 2: Students and guest speakers enjoy a lighthearted moment during the 2024 Career Symposium.
  • Career Symposium 3: Ms. Rickell Curry speaks to students during the 2024 Career Symposium.
  • Career Symposium 4: Dr. Elizabeth Darville delivers remarks during the 2024 Career Symposium.
  • Career Symposium 5: Mr. Wellington Hepburn educates students on the importance of project management during the 2024 Career Symposium.
  • Career Symposium 6: Ms. Samantha Rolle talks about the role and importance of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in any economy.

 

Office of University Relations

University of The Bahamas

2nd Floor, Michael H. Eldon Complex

Oakes Field Campus

P.O. Box N-4912

Nassau, The Bahamas

Tel: (242) 302-4355/4354/4365

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