Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: Rotary to the Rescue
#Freeport, GB, October 31, 2019 – Bahamas – Keenly aware of the decimation Hurricane Dorian left behind on Grand Bahama, particularly over the eastern end of the island, taking with it loved ones and homes, members of the five Rotary clubs on island rode a convoy into Pelican Point last week with desperately needed building materials, generators, fuel and more fresh drinking water.
The elated and grateful residents welcomed the cavalry when the two 40-foot trailers laden with roofing and building materials and truckloads of essentials arrived.
“I’m overwhelmed with joy because I didn’t know that this day would come that somebody would really think about us enough to want to do this for us,” Ianthe Laing, a resident of 49 years said. “It is a new start, a new beginning.”
Most of the residents in the east have lost everything and a number of them, loved ones, including entire families, who remain missing after they were swept out to sea during Dorian’s raging surge.
For some, before now the road ahead seemed bleak and onerous, not knowing how and if they can rebuild with no insurance, financial aid or clue where to start. Much of the homes that remain are for the most part unlivable and camping tents erected in front of these structures act as make shift lodgings.
But with some relief in sight for residents of Pelican Point who are living out their worst nightmare, it is literally a dream come true.
“I’m so happy, I can’t even express my feeling right now,” said Elvina Bain. “I’ve been hearing that supplies are coming since the hurricane left and this is the first time that I’m seeing it.”
Bain has resided in Pelican Point all of her life but moved inland to escape the impending forecasted monstrous hurricane. When she returned a week after the storm after the roads were made passable again, she found her house was in-tact but had suffered extensive roof damage and flooding.
Now, after gutting out her home and attempting to salvage what she can, picking up the pieces to the life she and her family once knew is proving to be one mammoth task. Making their efforts all the more egregious is the sporadic downpour of rain which gives birth to a new leaky episode.
“When it rains it pours,” said Bain who has moved back home and like many others who have returned are determined to rebuild the community of Pelican Point.
It was day 51 after Hurricane Dorian left its deadly path of destruction on Grand Bahama and Abaco and that many days since the Rotary Clubs of Lucaya, Freeport, Sunrise, Sunset and Grand Bahama have galvanized into action and pooled its resources with Rotary International to bring more help and relief to residents on the island. This time, Pelican Point would be the first settlement in the east to receive building materials.
Rotarian volunteer Rich Halpern, a member of the five person central committee whose responsibilities include setting up and managing the rebuilding program said the program was initiated exclusively for East Grand Bahama.
“We’re going to be the first ones out there actually bringing them hammers, nails, sheetrock, plywood and peel and stick. We had a benefactor that came to us, no strings attached, and just said ‘I want to give this to you and I want you to use it wisely and account for it’ and it was a lot of money,” Halpern said, pointing out that it is a global relief effort and one that is giving him goose bumps just talking about it.
Disaster Relief Committee Director James Sarles said Rotary operating as first responders initially brought in totes to be able to supply water, survivor goods and basic supplies to the residents of East Grand Bahama which was hardest hit.
The second phase, he added, is to get people back in their homes.
“So the monies that we raised with generous partners like Equinor, we’re going through the building phase. Today, it’s very exciting. Two 40-foot trailers, all of those building materials, have been paid for through our generous sponsors and it’s exciting for us today with just weeks after the storm that we are here on the ground,” he said.
“Rotary, which is a service organization – all volunteers – has been working tirelessly for five weeks, some of them had similar problems with their own home but they still came out.”
Local contractors are carrying out the work and will go from house to house.
“Once everything is dried in, then we’re going to do mold remediation. Mold is a very serious issue. Everything’s got to come out of the house and it has to be treated properly and you have to wear the right mask and protective tie-back suits,” said Sarles.
After that work is completed, Sarles said they will bring in the sheetrock and before long the residents will be able to move back into their homes.
“Then we’re going to help them with airbeds and doing everything that we can to get them back and to create some sort of normalcy with their life. That’s really what Rotary is all about. We’re a service organization and our motto is service above self,” he added.
“It makes me proud to be a Rotarian to help the people and certainly Grand Bahama is in a situation that we need the help and we’re doing the best we can.”
Area Governor of Rotary 6990 for Grand Bahama Lisbeth Knowles noted that the goal is to start with Pelican Point, move to Free Town and then on to McLean’s Town.
“We’re just really happy that we can help everybody here in Pelican Point and later the rest of East End. We’ll do as much as we can with the donations that we have received so far and we are really grateful. We are trying to get as many donations in as possible because there is a lot of work to do,” she said.
Contractor Steve Laing, who is also from Pelican Point, was overjoyed to see the outpouring of donated building and roofing materials for the people of East Grand Bahama.
“This is the first set of materials to hit the ground in Pelican Point and we are so thankful because the people were so discouraged and this brings a ray of hope in [them] at least starting to put their life back together,” said Laing who was speechless when he first returned home after the storm.
“You can’t imagine the beauty of this place before the storm and the horror of this place after the storm. People who know Pelican Point, this is the cleanliest settlement on the island, but now it just lies in ruin and the folks are really in despair.”
Laing said their new reality makes one learn to appreciate the simple things in life.
“I want the folks in Freeport and the rest of The Bahamas to know that even though they are living a somewhat normal life, 95 per cent of the people in this area don’t have a home. There is no place to use the restroom, no power, no running water, there’s no restaurant, no shops, no nothing,” he said.
“In the nighttime it’s just darkness. So to have these guys come and bring these supplies it really makes us feel good.”
The Rotary Clubs plan to head back to the east shortly to take supplies into residents of Free Town.
Release: Rotary International
Photo Captions:
Header: The Rotary Clubs on Grand Bahama are on a mission to get help to residents of East Grand Bahama whose homes were destroyed after Hurricane Dorian hit the island nearly two months ago. From left are Jaims Carey, president of the Rotary Club of Lucaya; Jackie Russell, secretary of the Rotary Club of Grand Bahama; Lorine Miller, president of the Rotary Club of Freeport; James Sarles, past president of the Rotary Club of GB Sunrise; Christine van der Linde, president of the Rotary Club of Grand Bahama and Lisbeth Knowles, Area Governor for Grand Bahama District 6990.
1st insert: It was a happy day for residents of Pelican Point to witness the first delivery of building materials brought into their area by Rotary International for the purpose of repairing and rebuilding their homes after Hurricane Dorian.
2nd insert: Members from the five Rotary Clubs on island were on hand and ready to off load the desperately needed supplies they delivered for the residents of Pelican Point in East Grand Bahama.
3rd insert: Residents of Pelican Point are ready to start rebuilding their community and can now do so with the generosity of Rotary International and other private sponsors.
4th insert: Area Governor of Rotary 6990 for Grand Bahama Lisbeth Knowles was excited to be a part of the cavalry bringing in much-needed materials, generators and water to the residents of Pelican Point who were displaced after Hurricane Dorian.
5th insert: Area Governor of Rotary 6990 for Grand Bahama Lisbeth Knowles, left, and Rotarian volunteer Rich Halpern, a member of the committee responsible for setting up and managing the building program, at Gold Rock Creek just after the building materials were loaded on to trailers before heading out to deliver the goods to residents of Pelican Point
Bahamas News
Next U.S. Ambassador? Walker Pledges Business-Driven Approach as U.S. Looks to Counter China in The Bahamas
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
The Bahamas, September 16, 2025 – For the first time since 2011, the United States is on the cusp of sending an ambassador to The Bahamas — and the nominee, former football star turned entrepreneur Herschel Walker, is promising to bring his business instincts to the diplomatic table.
Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week, Walker underscored that his background in food-service companies and small business leadership has prepared him to think practically about investment. “I know how to run a business, how to create jobs, how to make payroll. Those lessons translate into building relationships and building trust,” Walker said.
Walker, who was nominated by President Trump in December 2024, faced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 11. As of now, he has not yet been confirmed; his nomination remains under review, pending a committee vote before it can move to the full Senate. If approved, he would become the first U.S. ambassador to The Bahamas since 2011.
For years, U.S. officials have stressed security and counternarcotics cooperation with The Bahamas, including through “Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos.” But in areas like infrastructure, medical care, and long-term investment, Washington has often been absent.
Hospitals and clinics remain under-resourced, and hurricane recovery has been slow in many islands. Chinese state-backed firms, by contrast, have shown up with financing packages and construction deals — a presence that has raised alarms on Capitol Hill.
“Only 50 miles off our shore, The Bahamas is too important for us to ignore,” warned Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders during Walker’s hearing. They called China’s inroads “strategic, not charitable,” suggesting Beijing’s long game is about ports, proximity, and political leverage.
Walker positioned himself as a nontraditional but pragmatic envoy. He argued that his business career, rooted in private sector success, equips him to champion American investment in The Bahamas.
He pledged to:
- Promote U.S. companies interested in medical and infrastructure projects.
- Support an environment that encourages American investors to see The Bahamas as more than just a beach destination.
- Highlight opportunities for partnerships that improve public services, healthcare, and resilience against hurricanes.
“I’ve built businesses. I know what it takes to attract investors and create opportunity. That is exactly what I intend to bring to our relationship with The Bahamas,” Walker said.
The Bahamas is not just a tourist paradise. It’s a frontline state in migration, drug interdiction, and hurricane response. More than six
million U.S. visitors travel there annually, making stability and safety a U.S. domestic concern as much as a foreign policy one.
And yet, with the ambassador post vacant for 14 years, the U.S. has often looked detached — opening space for China’s ambitious Belt and Road agenda. The fear is that infrastructure deals signed today could give Beijing leverage in the region tomorrow. Walker’s confirmation would symbolize a course correction, signaling Washington’s intent to re-engage not only in security but in the economic future of The Bahamas. Not everyone is convinced Herschel Walker is the right man for the job. His nomination revived controversies from his 2022 Senate run, including past allegations, public gaffes, and doubts about whether he has the diplomatic polish the post demands. Some senators and analysts questioned whether celebrity and business experience were enough for a role requiring nuance in foreign policy and geopolitics.
Critics argued that The Bahamas, sitting just 50 miles from Florida and facing intense Chinese interest, deserves a seasoned diplomat rather than a political ally.
Walker confronted those doubts head-on. “People have underestimated me all my life — in academics, athletics, and business,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “And I have always proven them wrong, through discipline, determination, and by outworking everyone.”
He admitted he had never served as an ambassador but countered that his career prepared him in other ways: building businesses, managing payrolls, and connecting with people from all walks of life. He framed his business background as a strength, promising to use it to encourage U.S. investment in healthcare, infrastructure, and hurricane resilience projects in The Bahamas.
Rather than sparring with critics, Walker leaned on confidence and persistence: “I know how to build trust and find common ground. That’s what this relationship needs.”
If confirmed, Walker would have to balance his role as diplomat with expectations of being a commercial cheerleader for U.S. firms. His emphasis on entrepreneurship suggests a willingness to push U.S. businesses toward opportunities in healthcare, ports, and post-storm reconstruction — areas where Bahamians say they need the most support.
For Bahamian officials, the question will be whether Washington is prepared to back words with financing. U.S. private sector dollars, paired with aid and development partnerships, could help shift the tide against Chinese influence.
For Walker, the test will be whether his business acumen can translate into diplomatic wins — giving Bahamians alternatives to Beijing, while deepening the U.S. role in the Caribbean.
Analysis: If Walker delivers, this appointment could mark a turning point: a U.S. strategy that recognizes that in the Caribbean, investment is diplomacy.
The Bahamas, September 10, 2025 – Rescue swimmers from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Aviation Training Center in
Mobile, Alabama visited Nassau to train Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) and Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) members in water survival skills as part of Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) earlier this week.
“Training alongside our USCG partners ensures our personnel are best prepared for the unique challenges of joint operations” said Superintendent Wendy Pearson, Commander Drug Enforcement Unit.
The multi-day exercise, centered on the USCG’s Shallow Water Egress Training (SWET), enhanced the safety and preparedness of Bahamian partners who routinely operate aboard USCG helicopters during OPBAT missions. The exercise provided hands-on instruction for 31 participants and strengthened interoperability between U.S. and Bahamian agencies engaged in counter-drug, search and rescue, and maritime security operations throughout the region.
“We were excited and proud to have the opportunity to share our expertise with our Bahamian partners. Not only did RBDF and RBPF
perform exceptionally well, they exceeded the standards we set for the event,” said Petty Officer Second Class Cole Johnson, USCG.
OPBAT is a cooperative multi-agency international operation supporting The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands to stop illicit drug smuggling through the region. U.S. Embassy Nassau Chargé d’affaires Kimberly Furnish stated, “Since 1982, OPBAT has worked to stop the flow of illicit narcotics through the Caribbean, destined for the United States or other jurisdictions. This is international cooperation at its best.”
