#Providenciales, July 10, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – The Turks
& Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association’s (TCHTA) Hospitality Adventure Camp
Alumni Wilkiens Martin, Wayne Gardiner Jr., Kevin Missick, Robinangel Simons
and Christin Greene are making waves as they continue to excel while receiving praises
and accolades from top organizations for their continuous strides in the
industry.
They have
represented the destination at several top international culinary events and
continue to serve as inspiration for many aspiring young local chefs across the
islands.
“Wilkiens,
Robin, Wayne, Kevin and Christin are all products of our TCI Hospitality Adventure
Culinary Camp which we run through the TCHTA with support from our members and
the public,” said CEO of the association, Stacy Cox. “We have had so many
success stories from this program which has created so many avenues to allow their
talents to shine on the international stage. I am so proud of them all, and the
many that have used this program as a tool to achieve their dreams.”
Wilkiens
Martin has represented Turks & Caicos in over 10 competitions and events
with Taste of the Caribbean being among the most recent. He has accrued over seven medals, trophies
and accolades during his time in the culinary field and has earned the respect
of his peers, mentors and, most of all, the industry.
“The
Culinary Camps have changed my life and led me to a path where I found my true
passion,” said Martin. “I’ve always known I wanted to be a chef, but I wasn’t
sure how to make that dream happen. After being encouraged by my high school Food
& Nutrition teacher to join, I discovered a whole new world that provided
endless possibilities and access to amazing mentors that have helped me get to
where I am today.”
Martin
credits his success to his hard work and perseverance and to the team of
supporters that believe in him. He said that his seven-year journey was not an
easy one as it took tremendous commitment to stay on the path and he encourages
all aspiring junior chefs to take advantage of the programs that are available.
“To all aspiring young chefs, my advice is to be patient with yourself, accept
that you will make plenty of mistakes, people may even laugh at you. But be strong, ask questions and take notes. Also,
strive to think outside the box and be prepared to represent your country
internationally.”
Wayne
Gardiner, Jr. is another prominent up and coming chef who represented the
island at the Rum and Rhythm Extravaganza in New York last month. Gardiner credits his success to the Hospitality
Adventure Lit’l Chefs Camp along with the list of mentors that have helped him
along the way.
Kevin
Missick represented TCI at the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore in May
alongside top chefs such as TCI Culinary Ambassador, Nikita Skippings, Chef
Lorraine Kenlock and fellow Junior Chef Alumni Robinangel Simons. Missick said that being allowed to showcase
his skills in Singapore has not only built his confidence but has also
introduced him to a new style of cooking.
“I have always been fascinated with cooking and the Lit’l Chefs Camp has
solidified my love and passion for the profession.” said Missick.
He too
credits his success to hard work, determination and also taking advantage of
the programs that are available to help young people develop their talents. “It
took a lot of hard work, interning, studying, training and being mentored by
some of the TCI’s best chefs. Because of this, I was able to represent the
country internationally at the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore and win my
first medal at the Taste of the Caribbean event last month.
Robinangel
Simons has come through the Lit’l Chefs Camp and has gone on to continue her
culinary studies in the United Kingdom, having now completed her Bachelor’s
degree and intent on continuing to her Master’s. Just last week, she led a faction of Team TCI
to a gold win in Antigua at the Antigua & Barbuda Grandprix Invitational.
Christin
Greene is also pursuing her studies in Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts
at the Florida International University (FIU), now in her Junior year. She has
successfully competed for Team TCI at the Junior Duelling Challenge in
Barbados, and now prepares to mentor the Jr. Lit’l Chef campers this year while
she is at home on her summer break.
These are
just a few of the many success stories from the TCHTA’s Hospitality Adventure
Camps. This year, the camps have added
some exciting changes welcoming not only aspiring chefs, but also boat captains
and cosmetologists from across the islands.
Cox
congratulated Martin, Gardiner, Simons, Missick and Greene and hopes that
aspiring young professionals will hear these success stories and take advantage
of the opportunities that are made available through these programs. “Hats off
to all of them. I have watched them develop since the beginning, and their accolades
and accomplishments speak to their growth. With the Hospitality Adventure
Camps, we aim to spark interest and develop talents that will turn into a
lifelong passion and career. Our goal is to provide programs and activities
that lead to complete development and empowerment of our country’s talented
youth.”
This
year’s camps kicked off on July 8th with the Jr. Lit’l Chefs camp for students
aged 12 to 14 years. The Lit’l Chefs Camp (a stay-over camp) takes place from
July 14th to 20th. This is an advanced segment of the Jr. Lit’l Chefs program
aimed at providing young cooks between the ages of 15 to 19 with an in-depth
look into the culinary field and offer one-on-one coaching and a sleep-in camp
experience. The Cosmetology camp rounds out this season’s events from July 22nd
to 26th and will give students ages 15 to 19 an opportunity to learn about the
beauty, spa, wellness and cosmetic industry.
The TCI
Hospitality Adventure program has long been supported by members of the TCHTA.
The organization has hosted three major annual fundraising events to help
finance the initiative; the annual Taste of Tapas, Chefs on the Beach and the
Golf Scramble all assist the TCHTA with covering the expenses of the camp, its
continued development, and the costs associated with traveling to competitions.
Interested
applicants are encouraged to visit the TCHTA Office. Prospective campers and
parents will be required to sign a consent form and all camps are subject to an
entry fee which will be paid by all applicants.
The TCHTA
is also looking for interested chefs to join the award-winning culinary team.
For more information about the TCI Hospitality Adventure Camps or to learn how you can become a part of TEAM TCI, interested persons and organizations are encouraged to call the TCHTA office on 331-5787 or visit their social media pages.
We are living in the hottest times ever recorded by mankind, according to new data shared by Copernicus Climate Change Service, (C3S). It’s not just a warmer season, climate records continue to topple like dominoes in a concerning and for many, frightening trend that could have consequences for the Turks and Caicos.
“March 2024 was warmer globally than any previous March in the data record, with an average surface air temperature 10°C above the previous high set in March 2016. This is the tenth month in a row that is the warmest on record for the respective month of the year” the C3S revealed.
To some, that might mean getting a new fan, having AC installed, or spending some extra days at the beach. But in some of the coldest places on earth sheets of ice are melting, contributing to sea level rise, and affecting the Caribbean.
Countries below sea level are most at risk, at the forefront of those calculations is the Turks and Caicos. A November 2023 report cited the TCI, Bahamas, Jamaica, and Cayman, as facing sea level rise by the end of the century. In that report, the UNDP estimates that without shoreline defenses more than 5 percent of the Turks and Caicos Islands will disappear completely below the ocean. This is the prognosis for The Bahamas, BVI, and Cayman as well.
“The displacement of millions of people and the disruption of economic activity in major business hubs could introduce new elements of instability and increase competition for resources,” the UNDP warned.
The continued temperature records aren’t helping.
“Antarctic sea ice extent was 20% below average, the sixth lowest extent for March in the satellite data record,” the Copernicus Service explains, though in some areas there was more ice than we have seen for several years, it’s not enough to stave off the continued melting.
NASA explains that because floating ice is made of fresh water, it increases sea level slightly when it melts into the salty sea, but its melting ice on land like glaciers that fall into the ocean, and the expansion of seawater as it warms, contribute most to sea level rise.
For coastal countries, this means land loss and for islands, it is a major concern. Already global sea level has risen about 8 inches (0.2 meters) since reliable record-keeping began in 1880 according to NASA . In a 2024 report the space agency said by 2100, scientists project that the sea will rise at least another foot (0.3 meters), but possibly as high as 6.6 feet (2 meters)
When Magnetic Media used the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sea Level Rise Simulator it didn’t show what would happen to the Turks and Caicos or the Bahamas, but it did have data on Florida which lies just an hour off the coast of Freeport, Bahamas. With only 1 foot of water rise, areas like Key West were completely covered.
The UNDP however, says there is hope and urges countries to treat the prediction as a call to action rather than an inevitability, as shoreline defences and climate action have the potential to prevent these changes.
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands, April 17, 2024 – “Thousands have lived without love, but no one has ever lived without water,” according to poet, W. H. Auden. More than 500 students and teachers at the Enid Capron Primary School in Providenciales stand to benefit from a 750 gallons filtration water tank system valued at almost US$15,000 courtesy of the Sandals Foundation, Beaches Turks and Caicos and SIP Water, distributers of ICON LifeSaver®. The system that was recently installed will be able to use harvested rain water along with its ultra-filtered system to provide potable water.
This project had SIP Water, which is the Caribbean Distributors for ICON LifeSaver®, install and commission the system which was handed over to the administrators of the Sandals Foundation adopted school. ICON LifeSaver® is a British company providing some of the safest, potable water purification solutions in the world through supporting organisations.
Paul Girling, Director of SIP Water says, “This system is able to change untreated, contaminated water into ultra-pure, micro-biologically clean drinking water. Its multi-filtration system removes all micro plastics, bacteria, protozoan cysts and viruses to a minimum level of 99.99% without the need for any electricity or chemicals”.
Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Social Services and Member of Parliament for the Five Cays area, Hon. Rachel Taylor was present as the system was commissioned. “This is a landmark achievement for the school and the community of Five Cays. This location is an emergency shelter and with the Atlantic Hurricane season not far away, having this in place will serve our students well and by extension, the community. We are grateful for the continued partnership with Sandals Foundation and Beaches Turks and Caicos in giving back to the Turks and Caicos Islands,” Taylor shared.
Beaches Turks and Caicos Managing Director, James McAnally shared, “this project is a giant step towards ensuring the basic necessities in our community are safe and sustainable. We continue to grow and look at new ways to serve in the areas of education, the community and the environment. This tank will go a long way in helping to improve the quality of life of the children and faculty in the Five Cays community especially during times of disaster.”
Principal at Enid Capron Primary School, Sophia Garland elatedly shared, “our students’ health will be improved as they consume more water daily. This system will provide for us a level of sustainability throughout the school and the community. As an educational institution, we continue to celebrate partnerships with corporate entities that seek to support key infrastructural needs of the students, staff and wider community.”
The ICON LifeSaver® product is environmentally friendly. As a leader in sustainability, this will help in the reduction of plastic bottles. The filters are reusable and typically have a 1-2 year span. This is a patented ultra-filtration technology which is independently tested to the highest portable water standards.
Captions:
Header: Paul Girling (left), director of SIP Water, Sophia Garland (2nd left), principal of the Enid Capron Primary school, Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Social Services, and Joe Lovegrove, Operations and Technical Director of LifeSaver gave thumbs up sign to the completion of the project.
1st insert: Joe Lovegrove, Operations and Technical Director for LifeSaver takes his time to insert one of the six filters that the filtration system that was recently installed and commissioned at the Enid Capron Primary School.
2nd insert: Enid Capron Primary School teachers share a moment with the ICON team following the successful completion of the installation of the water filtration system with Paul Girling (left) director of SIP Water and Joe Lovegrove Operations and Technical Director for LifeSaver.
Experience Turks and Caicos is fostering an environment where young talent can thrive and excel, and the recent additions to the organisation serve as a testament to that commitment.
Experience Turks and Caicos is pleased to welcome Miss Rothesia Williams and Miss Kristan Lightbourne to the Finance Department as well as Miss Oshin Whyte, who has been assigned a temporary role as Tourism Statistics Officer.
Miss Williams joined the team as an Accounts Clerk effective April 2nd, 2024 while Miss Lightbourne will take up the position of Finance Accountant effective April 15th, 2024.
In her role, Miss Williams will support the Finance Accountant in updating financial records, generating financial reports, reconciling bank statements and processing financial transactions. Miss Williams is a graduate of the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration and previously worked at the Waterloo Hotel Management Ltd, where she held the roles of Accounting Clerk and Senior Accounts Payable Clerk.
As Financial Accountant, Miss Lightbourne will prepare statements and reports and advise on financial strategy.
Miss Lightbourne previously worked as an accountant at The Shore Club where she oversaw and provided strategic guidance to various sectors within the finance department, including Cost Control, Audit, Accounts Payable, Cash Management, and Payroll and implemented and reviewed internal financial policies and controls to ensure compliance and efficiency among other duties. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Management from the Turks and Caicos Community College and is currently pursuing her Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) certification in the United Kingdom.
Miss Whyte will be working temporarily with the team as Tourism Statistics Specialist effective April 3rd, 2024.She will be responsible for collecting and analysing data relevant to the tourism industry that would enable Experience Turks and Caicos to develop informed strategies to enhance the tourism sector.
Miss Whyte previously held the position of Interim Environmental Policy Coordinator with the Ministry of Tourism where she collaborated with the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources to ensure the timely delivery of the key objectives of the Sustainable Livelihood Program. She is a graduate of Oxford Brookes University with a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Sciences and the University of Kent with a Masters by Research (Hons) in Human Geography
In welcoming the young women to Experience Turks and Caicos, Co-Chair of Experience Turks and Caicos Mr. Alvin Hegner said the future of the tourism industry centres around the youth.
“As we forge ahead in fortifying and expanding our organisation, the stewardship of adept individuals becomes paramount. Given the Turks and Caicos Islands’ singular reliance on tourism, we must foster sustainability by nurturing our youth, empowering them to evolve into the torchbearers of tomorrow who will carry forward the legacy of our current endeavours. I am genuinely enthused to extend a warm welcome to these young women as they join our ranks, eagerly anticipating the remarkable contributions they will undoubtedly make,” he said.
Miss. Williams and Miss Lightbourne will report to the Chief Financial and Operations Officer, Ms. Rufina Augustin while Miss Whyte will report to the Chief Marketing Officer, Ms. Trina Adams.