Bahamas News
Expect an Excellent Read from Mother Pratt’s NEW BOOK, From the Pit to the Palace
By Shanieka Smith & Deandrea Hamilton
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas, March 12, 2022 – Her life demonstrated that “you begin in the pit, but you don’t have to end in the pit.”
Cynthia Mother Pratt, most popularly known as Mother Pratt, a Bahamian born, who grew up in an inner-city called Coconut Grove, came from extreme poverty but modestly walked her way up to becoming the second in command as the Deputy Prime Minister and the first female Minister of Defense for The Bahamas.
Her target with this inaugural book is young people, and her message is that their start does not determine their end.
A gated community, money, or privilege were not Mother Pratt’s easy climb out of the pit. It was her internal desires, hard work, discipline, humility, and determination. It was not until age 34 that Mother Pratt went to university; she sat, learnt, and graduated with 17 and 18-year-olds.
“Nonetheless, I wanted to achieve my goal,” she said.
At the time Mother Pratt went to school, students had to leave at age 14 if their parents could not afford the fees. She said she grew up in the lower class; that then and now is a major discouragement for people in similar situations. This was where the inspiration for one of her three literary contributions, From the Pit to the Palace, originated.
“I want the masses to know, the world to know, that there is a woman who God brought from the pit, the gutter, so to speak and who emerged to the very top. If it happened for me, it can happen for them,” she said passionately.
From the Pit to the Palace, an autobiography of Mother Pratt was published in January 2022. According to Mother Pratt, the book is for everyone – young and old.
“You have many adults who tend to give up on life because things didn’t work out for them. They believe that they are a failure, and that is why the book will explain, and encourage, and enhance, edify, to tell them that there is hope,” she expressed.
To reinforce Mother Pratt’s humble nature and soul message from her autobiography: she still resides in an inner-city after all she has accomplished.
And Dr Cynthia Mother Pratt has accomplished a lot. While her first term in service to people was in the teaching profession and as a sports coach, Mother Pratt and her escalating popularity attracted leaders in the political arena.
“They had to almost pry me into first of all getting involved in politics, period, I never was interested; never been to a meeting. But what had happened at the time, I was at the college in Bahamas, I was assisting the director and there
with student activities – part-time lecturer, and I got a message there from the sitting Prime Minister that he would like to meet with me,” she expressed.
There was an invitation extended and suffice it to say, there was a big fat ‘no’ at the onset, but the Progressive Liberal Party and Perry Gladstone Christie, would not take no for an answer. Persistence paid off for Christie and an attempt, bound to fail from Mother Pratt’s perspective, turned into a 10-year career in politics, starting in 2002 until she retired in 2012.
A deputy party leader, the first for a woman in The Bahamas; a deputy prime minister who would go on to hold the prime minister’s post during a time of illness for Mr Christie and numerous other ceiling shattering accolades. Yet none seemed to change her heart, which was first and foremost for God, then for family.
Mother Pratt has six children: three boys, an adopted son, who is now deceased and one biological daughter. She also has eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Pratt’s husband, Joseph Benjamin is also deceased.
“They [my children] reminded me the other day, they said, mommy, we have never really had you for ourselves as our mom because you were always looking after somebody else. And at one time, I had six children in my house until at one point and my husband got to the point where he says Cynthia, don’t bring another one in here,” she chuckles as she reminisces.
Global prizes were also not unusual for Mother Pratt, but one presented to her in 2019 is truly cherished as it bears the name of one of history’s most valiant freedom fighters. At a ceremony at her church, Prayer and Praise Assembly in Coconut Grove, the little girl from ‘the Grove’ was awarded the Nelson Mandela Award for her long-standing commitment to community building, and it cemented that a book to chronicle this achievement must be penned. And so it was.
“The thing about my growing up is that I was never satisfied with where I was. I always wanted to belong and when I say belong: belong to those who are trying to get to another level. I was not satisfied with one thing; when I got that I was never satisfied because I knew there was something better. And so I knew then there was something pushing me to say you can achieve it, you can do it, says Mother Pratt.” She added that she was never afraid to fail.
On her porch is where she shared these fascinating nuggets and cherished memories with us; her front porch in the Grove. An area which she served and represented in parliament, and an area though often considered a shady side of Nassau town, is treasured as her launch pad, a stepping stone and the birthplace of her desire to be more.
“The inner city is where we live, but we have to make it what it is. The community does not build us; we build the community,” she said.
Dr. Pratt, who is admittedly social media shy adds that “if you really want to make something of your life, you need to dig deep, pull your bootstraps up and know that if Mother Pratt could make it, then I can as well.”
This former sports coach, who earned the name because she became such a positive force to young people, made it clear that little opportunities present themselves, and it is only fitting that young people grab on to them. The first step, she said, is to believe in yourself.
“[Opportunities] are there, but you have to go out and get it. And in other words, God would have given them manna from heaven, but they had to go and get the manna. And that is how you’re going to achieve because you must want to change.
I can’t make you do it, but you must want it from within and then grab a hold of opportunities when they present themselves because it may not be there tomorrow.”
From the Pit to the Palace is now available on Amazon at a cost of $20 dollars. It can also be found in Bahamas-based bookstores.
Undoubtedly, expectedly, the book authored by Mother Pratt will be a raw, real, humourous and inspiring account of a life that continues to be well-lived.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
