#NASSAU, The Bahamas – Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, told Parliamentarians Monday that his Ministry and its Departments and Divisions have undertaken a myriad of measures to provide assistance to those Bahamians as the country continues its fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“The Department of Social Services has two National Hotline numbers and they are: 322-2763 or 422-2763. We continue to cherish our partnership with the Crisis Centre and their number is: 328-0922. The public is encouraged to use these contacts as required,” Minister Campbell added. (BIS Photo/Kemuel Stubbs)
Minister Campbell said
officials have endeavored to use every avenue to remain accessible not only to
their regular clients, but also to persons within the community of persons with
disabilities, the elderly, those in the tourism sector who find themselves on
reduced workweeks as a result of the closure of the tourism sector, and, “those
who are generally in need.”
The Ministry of Social
Services and Urban Development, is comprised of the Department of Social
Services, the Department of Rehabilitative Welfare Services, the Department of
Gender and Family Affairs and Urban Renewal, along with numerous Divisions and
Units.
Minister Campbell said
while the Department of Social Services is responsible for, and has been tasked
with, ensuring that the requisite assistance is provided to persons in need of
assistance, a “team effort” is being utilized.
Minister Campbell said the
Department’s response to COVID-19 also takes into account the needs of the
country’s most vulnerable groups of clients, consisting of its children, senior
citizens and persons with disabilities. He said to facilitate delivery of
services to the country’s senior citizens and persons with disabilities who are
clients, officials have increased the number of vehicles in its fleet “to avoid [their] being exposed to the large number of clients who visit our various
centres on a daily and monthly basis.” Approval was granted and vehicles were
rented in New Providence, in Grand Bahama and in Abaco.
The Department also made
it possible for persons from the community of persons with disabilities who are
not clients of the Department to provide their information to Social Workers at
the Disability Affairs Division via telephone so that they could receive
emergency food assistance where necessary. They will be required to present IDs
when they come to collect these coupons or when the coupons are delivered to
them.
Contact numbers for the
Disability Affairs Division are: 325-2251/2.
Minister Campbell also
announced that persons with disabilities under the age of 16 who normally
receive their services every two months, had their April assistance advanced to
them in the month of March to facilitate whatever preparations they needed to
make. Similar arrangements were also made for persons receiving foster care
subsistence.
Advertisement
“I would like to take this
opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to encourage the community of persons with disabilities
to register online with the Ministry’s link on the Government’s website www.bahamas.gov.bs. They may also email
the Disabilities Commission at disabilitiescommission@bahamas.gov.bs.
The Disability Affairs Commission can be contacted on a 24-hour cell by Whatsapp at: 376-8328. We have endeavored to use every avenue to remain accessible,
not only to our regular clients, but also to persons with disabilities and
those who are generally in need.”
Minister Campbell told
House Members that officials from the Department of Social Services have also
been working — in partnership with the National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA), the Ministry of Health and various non-governmental organizations — to
promote food safety and security.
“Many of these
organizations are challenged with being able to get hot meals and food parcels
to persons that are home bound, and to persons who frequent their
establishments daily,” Minister Campbell said.
“I want to reassure our
partners that as we reevaluate our positions and as we reconsider the needs of
our people, we are also reviewing our assistance to them and we will do all
that we can to continue to nurture and strengthen those partnerships that we
value so much. I want to assure them that they will hear from us in short
order.”
Minister Campbell said the
Ministry and the Department has also put measures in place to ensure that the
assistance normally given to the seniors home, the children’s homes, the
Williemae Pratt Centre for Girls and Simpson Penn Centre for Boys continue
uninterrupted at this time.
Advertisement
Additionally, Minister
Campbell said, the Department of Social Services continues to provide
assistance to persons in need by assessing them for Emergency, Temporary or
Permanent Food Assistance. He said the Department also continues to assist with
utilities and that financial assistance for medical procedures are ongoing.
“Additional assistance for
rent, and I want to pause there, Mr. Speaker, because coming out of this I
would have heard some concerns about persons who are homeless. Mr. Speaker, the
Department of Social Services has always made itself available to assist
persons seeking rental assistance and so I say here for the record that anyone
who is out there who is serious about wanting assistance in that regard, can
access that very same line item.”
Minister Campbell said many
of the Department of Social Services clients who receive food assistance (at
present the programme is servicing just under 10,000 persons) are armed with
Bank of The Bahamas Pre-paid cards upon which funds are uploaded monthly.
Minister Campbell said the most recent upload took place on March 27 (2020).
“I am aware that there are
a number of persons whose cards have expired in the interim. Those concerns
have been expressed and are being addressed. I want to thank the staff at the
Bank of The Bahamas who are working with us to renew those cards as soon as
possible.”
Minister Campbell said the
Department has also been charged with providing special food assistance to
those persons who – as a result of the closure of the tourism sector — found
themselves on reduced workweeks.
“This for us is uncharted
territory. We initially established an email address asking persons to email us
so that they can get the subsistence. In light of the fact that we were — while
wanting to assist found it necessary to promote physical distancing — within a
week, up to Saturday past, we had more than 3,000 persons throughout The
Bahamas apply to that email address. I want those persons to know that they
will begin getting responses starting today and I am advised, and I know that
my team is listening and will not make a liar out of me, that as early as this
Wednesday, coupons will be ready and persons will be contacted and advised (a)
how they can collect those coupons or (b) how the coupons may be delivered to
them.”
Minister Campbell said he would
have also been advised that there is some concern that some of the measures put
in place to protect citizens from the COVID-19 Pandemic “may have put some
persons in some environments that ought to be safe but are not necessarily safe
because it is in those home environments where some persons are abused and
possibly worse.”
File photo
“Mr. Speaker, I want to say to the abusers that no time is a good time to commit acts of abuse. This is a time when they should reflect on the errors of their past and try to make amends and so I trust where some mistakes would have been made in the past, those perpetrators would repent of their ways and seek to build those bridges that they would have broken down.
Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.
#TheBahamas, April 22, 2022 – A Senior Forest Officer, part-time mermaid and author are leading the charge on environmental protection, education and advancement in The Bahamas.
In their respective terrestrial and marine fields, Ingeria Miller, Jonisha Cartwright and Kristal Ambrose are contributing leaders and changemakers to a more sustainable future for not only the country, but the world.
CIBC FirstCaribbean extended their celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day theme, ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’, by recognizing the work of the trio on Earth Day.
Ingeria Miller is a Senior Forest Officer with responsibilities spanning fieldwork and administrative duties. Her introduction to the environmental sector began over 13 years ago when she participated in a United States-funded research project focused on endangered birds on Eleuthera upon recommendation by her then professor, Mrs. Joyanne Thompson.
“Seven million snakes, mosquitoes and sand flies later, it was the most rewarding experience of my life. The project grew me up. I learned to love and appreciate nature and the outdoors became a living classroom for me,” said Ingeria.
Following a switch from pre-med to a major in Natural Resources, Ecology and Policy Analysis from Cornell University, and later completing a Master’s in Public Administration in Environmental Science from Columbia University, Ingeria has given her expertise to The Bahamas while at the now Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) and the Forestry Unit. Her most recent environmental leadership role was during Forestry Awareness Week. She started the initiative in 2015 as well as introduced the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resource’s only environmental summer camp.
Jonisha Cartwright, a part-time mermaid, took a twist on her environmental studies by connecting it to sociology, and is now a recent graduate equipped with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with Sustainability from Arizona State University. Her journey in environmental work began in 2014 as a volunteer and later as an intern at the Bahamas Reef Environmental Educational Foundation (BREEF), a non-profit conservation organization focused on youth education, advocacy and public outreach.
As an environmental educator at the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), Jonisha said, “It gives me hope and joy to see kids excited about the environmental field or to see fishermen not only adhering to fisheries laws but being stellar environmental stewards and advocating for their peers to adhere as well.”
Jonisha joined the BNT in March 2020, three days before the country went into its first emergency lockdown due to COVID-19. Since her start, Jonisha has spearheaded the creation of the animated series, Adventures of Xuma, and plays an important role in Ecosystems of The Bahamas with the BNT, a live-action, video series aimed toward high school students and adults.
Geared toward children of various ages, Kristal Ambrose, who recently moved to Sweden to begin her PhD studies focused on Marine Debris Threats and Solutions for the Caribbean region, released a children’s book titled Kai and Gaia Discover the Gyre, with illustrations by Bahamian artist Stevie Burrows.
Prior to this milestone, Kristal founded Bahamas Plastic Movement and has engaged youth through many programs in order to inspire and empower them. She designed an upcycle program to motivate them to come up with original ideas about how to repurpose plastic waste and a Junior Plastic Warriors environmental education program which includes music, dance and art was later created.
Kristal’s connection with the ocean started at a young age when her father convinced her to join him on his daily swims. Being in the ocean made her feel more connected and inspired her mission―to save the ocean from plastic pollution.
She envisions a sustainable future as “a transition towards a circular economy complete with social and environmental justice, equity and access for all communities, especially those of colour.
“It also looks like a divine and intentional reconnection between humanity and the earth systems that support us,” Kristal added.
Ingeria, Jonisha and Kristal have each taken on environmental leadership in different ways in various spaces. The most common trait between the trio is their passion and commitment to not only the environment but their country. CIBC FirstCaribbean highlighted the trio earlier this year in celebration of International Women’s Day as the bank continues to support women making waves in the environmental sector.
Recent CIBC FirstCaribbean donations have also directly benefited organizations and causes the women are a part of. The bank partnered with the Forestry Unit to plant trees on the Bahamas Girl Guides campsite and, in light of the national plastic ban, partnered with Fresh Market to provide hundreds of free reusable grocery bags to customers. CIBC FirstCaribbean also recently donated to the Bahamas National Trust and BREEF.
#TheBahamas, April 21, 2022 – Deputy Port Director at Freeport Harbor, Mr. Charles Rolle welcomed the Ocean Explorer Ship to Freeport on Saturday, April 16, 2022 and a plaque exchange took place between Mr. Rolle and Captain Apostolos Kaknis of the Ocean Explorer to make the visit official.
Mr. Rolle noted that the plaque exchange is a nautical tradition and serves as a sign of welcome and friendship. It was the Explorer’s first time into Freeport, and according to the Deputy Port Director, it will not be the last.
“Having this ship come into Grand Bahama for the first time and for subsequent times in the future is a big deal for us here in Grand Bahama,” Mr. Rolle noted during the short ceremony on the dock of the Freeport Harbor.
“It’s a new opening when we have ships call on our harbor for the first time or when we have cruise lines have new ships that call on our Port. It suggests that people are coming to Grand Bahama. It suggests that new cruise lines are interested in coming to Grand Bahama. And that is significant for Grand Bahama because it means an economic boost.”
Mr. Rolle noted that the economic impact of a new ship calling on the Port of Freeport extends beyond the port, into the stalls of the vendors and taxi drivers that surround the harbor and even as far as into Port Lucaya, where a lot of the passengers from the ships tend to venture too in an effort to find that unique Bahamian souvenirs and trinkets.
“This is very impactful on the economy of Grand Bahama and everyone gets an opportunity to benefit,” added Mr. Rolle.
It’s the first time that a ship like the Ocean Explorer has called on Freeport Harbor. Unlike traditional cruise ships that caters to relaxation and entertainment for the entire family, the Explorer is focused on expedition and adventure. Making trips to Antarctica, Iceland and to other places where traditional cruise ships and other huge vessels are unable to navigate, the Ocean Explorer attracts passengers with a thirst for adventurer and discovery.
The ship has the capacity for 200 passengers.
Captain of the Ocean Explorer Apostolos Kaknis said the passengers were excited to be in Freeport and experience the “great weather”, considering the harsher weather they had endured only days earlier, having sailed from Antarctica. The call on Freeport Harbor caps the conclusion of the Ocean Explorer’s first season of sailing.
“Our guests are already off the ship and out into the harbor walking around and enjoying this beautiful weather that you have here in Freeport,” said Captain Kaknis.
“This vessel sails around the world in special places and that’s what attracts people to our brand. We are on the luxury scale and our customers are upscale individuals economically, who want to visit and enjoy places that most people will not want to visit. But they go for adventure and for exploration.
From Freeport the Ocean Explorer will travel to the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Europe, Antarctica and back to Freeport. Captain Kaknis said ending the sailing season in Freeport is like icing on the cake for the passengers and crew members and they look forward to returning to Freeport to end another season.
WELCOME TO GRAND BAHAMA – Officials from the Ministry of Tourism were on hand to welcome the Ocean Explorer to the Port of Grand Bahama on Saturday, April 16, 2022 at the Freeport Harbor. A plaque exchange between tourism officials and the captain of the Ocean Explorer was held to officially welcome the new ship to Freeport. On hand for the plaque exchange were (from left) Elaine Smith (Niche Markets & Groups and Events Coordinator at the Ministry of Tourism, GB); Nuvolari Chootosingh (Niche Markets & Groups and Events Manager, Ministry of Tourism, GB) and Captain of the Ocean Explorer, Apostolos Kaknis.
PLAQUE EXCHANGE – Deputy Port Director at the Freeport Harbor, Mr. Charles Rolle (second from left) exchanges plaques with Captain of the Ocean Explorer, Apostolos Kaknis in a short ceremony at the Freeport Harbor on Saturday, April 16, 2022, to welcome the Ocean Explorer calling on the Freeport Harbor for the first time. The Ocean Explorer port of call in Freeport ended the ship’s first season of sailing, arriving in Grand Bahama from Antarctica. Also on hand for the plaque exchange were Shawn Thurston, a Marine Pilot (second from right) and Roman Laing, marine pilot (left).
#TheBahamas, April 21, 2022 – Approximately 50 vendors received the Emergency Vendor Relief Grant on Friday, April 8, 2022 — distributed on the first floor of the Harold DeGregory Building, where the Ministry for Grand Bahama is housed.
The Hon. Ginger Moxey, Minister for Grand Bahama said that when the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, the Hon. Chester Cooper visited Grand Bahama in late March, they were having meetings with potential buyers of the Grand Lucayan.
“We decided to go over to the Port Lucaya Marketplace to visit some of the vendors and to really hear their concerns and see how we could address some of their issues. Immediately we discovered, and it was a cruise ship day and there were no customers.
“Many of the vendors would have gone through Hurricane Dorian and then the pandemic and so they were really struggling.”
The Minister further stated that they were looking at ways to possibly bring relief.
It was a Monday, and the following day, they were able to take information to Cabinet requesting immediate relief to not only those vendors, but others as well.
“Today is the beginning of the fulfillment of that and it’ll continue on, as we are still waiting to get all of the information from the various vendors.”
Vendors are required to submit the relevant documents before their cheques are processed.
During phase one, 50 vendors received, out of approximately 380.
“Since then,” she said, “we’ve had additional cruise passengers coming in that we were able to get into Port Lucaya Marketplace to support those vendors. We are also looking at the beach access and giving the visitors a better experience. “When the visitors come to that area, the Port Lucaya vendors will then benefit.”
Receiving Assistance – Approximately 50 vendors were recipients of the Emergency Vendor Relief Grant Distribution. This came on the heels of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investment and Aviation, the Hon. I. Chester Cooper and Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey, touring the Port Lucaya Marketplace on Monday, March 21, and even though there were cruise ships in port, there were no visitors there.
Making it Better – Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey, on Friday, April 8 shared that about 50 vendors were the recipients of the Emergency Vendor Relief Grant Distribution. Cheques were distributed at the Ministry for Grand Bahama after vendors submitted the necessary information.