Connect with us

Bahamas News

Half-a-Million Breakfasts Served Through the National School Breakfast Programme

Published

on

Prime Minister Philip Davis serves breakfast to a young Yellow Elder Primary School Student

By LLONELLA GILBERT
Bahamas Information Services

 

NASSAU, The Bahamas –– Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis visited Yellow Elder Primary School on Monday morning, February 17, 2025, to mark the milestone of ‘Half-a-Million Breakfasts’ served through the National School Breakfast Programme.

The Prime Minister helped to serve some of the meals and chatted with the students during his visit to the primary school.

According to the National School Breakfast Programme Fact Sheet, the Breakfast Pilot Programme was an initiative launched to improve student well-being and academic performance across The Bahamas by providing them with a nutritious meal to start their day.  The programme initially provided breakfast three days a week, with daily service for schools with 40 students or fewer and has since expanded significantly, now reaching 91 schools and serving more than 11,000 students.

Designed in collaboration with food scientists from the Ministry of Education, the breakfast menu is carefully curated to provide balanced and nourishing meals. To support this effort, 100 vendors have been hired and trained to maintain high-quality food preparation and distribution standards.

As of September 2024, the programme onboarded 78 pre-primary, primary, and all-age schools across the Family Islands, ensuring that no child starts their school day hungry.

In addition, the breakfast programme is one of the strategies used to promote student attendance and punctuality.

District Superintendent (Acting) in the Western New Providence Primary District, Jermaine Butler said, “This is tremendously important when we consider the fact that we need our students in school. A lot of our parents get up early and they do not have the time necessary and we do not want our students to buy breakfast when they can be at school.”

He added, “This is a guarantee to parents and the nation that students will be in school in a timely manner and receive a nutritious meal to enhance their learning throughout the rest of the day.”

Schools with breakfasts saw attendance rise by 3.3 percentage points in New Providence and 4.5 percentage points in the Family Islands during the 2023-2024 school year, compared to 2022-2023, on days breakfast was served.

Facts and Highlights:
• 90 schools served
• Over 11,000 Students
• 100 Vendors Hired
• Free Breakfast on The Family Islands
• 500,000 Free Meals Served

List of Islands with Schools with Breakfast:

Abaco

Prime Minister Philip Davis speaks to young toddlers of Yellow Elder Primary School while they have their breakfast

Exuma
Acklins
Grand Bahama
Andros
Inagua
Berry Islands
Long Island
Bimini
Mayaguana
Cat Island
New Providence
Crooked Island
Rum Cay
Eleuthera
San Salvador

Officer in Charge South-Central Division, Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings, and Principal, Yellow Elder Primary School, Tamica Adderley also were present for the visit.

PHOTO CAPTION

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis visited Yellow Elder Primary on Monday, February 17, 2025, to mark the milestone of ‘Half-a-Million Breakfasts’ served through the National School Breakfast Programme. Also in attendance for the visit were: Officer in Charge South-Central Division, Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings; District Superintendent Acting in the Western New Providence Primary District, Jermaine Butler; First Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Education, Daisy Higgs Principal, Yellow Elder Primary School, Tamica Adderley. (BIS Photos/Mark Ford)

Bahamas News

Twist To Win Ends in a Grand Style with Four $5,000 Mall at Marathon Shopping Sprees  

Published

on

Twist To Win grand finale winners (l-r) Brian Bethel, Taraceta Neely, Ashia Demeritte and Merlin Adams posing along with their winnings from the shopping spree.

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.

Continue Reading

Bahamas News

 The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival  

Published

on

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!

Continue Reading

Bahamas News

CWS Brings a Galore of Bubbles at Annual Jollification Festival  

Published

on

Caribbean Wines & Spirits team members smiling behind one of the company’s two bars at Jollification

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.

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING