Bahamas News

Akiva repellent campaign to take bite out of mosquito-borne disease threat in hurricane-ravaged islands

Published

7 years ago

October 1, 2017

#Bahamas, October 1, 2017 – Nassau – Long after the TV cameras have gone, well before lights are back on and life returns to normal, standing water left behind in hurricane-ravaged islands will help breed mosquitos that can deliver deadly diseases. On Tuesday, a company with a conscience stepped up to take the sting out of the threat.

Livful, the Atlanta-based developers and manufacturers of Akiva Mosquito Repellent, announced a matching donation of non-toxic wipes with the power to last 16 hours. Akiva wipes will be distributed weekly to the islands impacted by Hurricane Irma weekly through NEMA and HeadKnowles.

“The Bahamas is very close to our hearts. We chose to launch Akiva here and we’ve been welcomed into the homes, playgrounds and resorts on these beautiful islands,” said LivFul CEO Hogan Bassey. “In the aftermath of a hurricane, mosquitoes breed. During a rebuilding period, people must be protected from the mosquitos that deliver diseases like Zika, Dengue and chikungunya. Plus, we understand that mosquitos on those islands are a tremendous nuisance. We’re praying for a speedy recovery for The Bahamas and we’re doing what we can to help.”

For every 3 bottles or packages of Akiva’s single-use wipes purchased from Lightbourn Trading on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway, LivFul will match the purchase with a donation of wipes. Lightbourn will deliver the donation to NEMA and HeadKnowles every Friday for distribution to the islands along with other supplies. The campaign will run through October 13.

“We are very grateful to Livful which is demonstrating what it means to be a social entrepreneurship enterprise,” said Captain Stephen Russell, Director of NEMA. “Now that we are beginning to re-inhabit the islands and people are returning to their homes, it is important that we tend to some of the needs they may not even recognize as urgent, like protecting them against diseases spread by mosquitos.”

Bassey knows all too well what the impact of mosquito-borne disease can mean. He spent two decades experimenting with formulas to keep people mosquito-safe after suffering from malaria repeatedly in his native Nigeria by the time he was 10. The final formula was the result of cooperation with the University of Georgia where Bassey studied. The product became available in The Bahamas in June and response to it has been nothing short of phenomenal, reflecting what was learned during official testing. Arm-in-cage tests showed Akiva’s effectiveness lasted up to 16 hours keeping 200 female, buzzing biting mosquitoes at bay.

“As residents return to the southern islands, their focus will be on making sure they have a safe place to sleep, that their roof is repaired and essential services are in place,” said HeadKnowles volunteer Patrina Khoo Farquharson, who received the first cases of donated wipes Tuesday. “But also, the mosquitos are a tremendous nuisance. The responders on the ground – Royal Bahamas Defence Force and Police Officers, volunteers – are literally under constant attack by these ‘monster-sized’ blood-suckers. This donation from Akiva will go a long way toward protecting the people of the southern Bahamas from mosquito-borne disease and the misery of relentless attacks. We are very appreciative and hope everyone will rush down to Lightbourn Trading and make their purchase while the campaign is on.”

Press Release: DPA

Bahamas News

Bahamas economic growth

Published

4 days ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

The Bahamas’ economy is in good standing according to reports from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute which released the Quarterly Gross Domestic Product Series. They indicate that quarterly GDP trends for 2023 saw increases compared to 2022, a sign of recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic.

The most significant increase was 9.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and the industries responsible for the growth include Accommodations and food, construction and Arts.

Bahamas News

RBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos

Published

4 days ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited (“RBC”) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kerryl-Lyn King-Henry as Country Manager and Area Vice President (“AVP”), Personal and Commercial Banking, Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

In her new role as Country Manager and AVP, King-Henry will take on full responsibility for the bank’s operations, strategy, and development in the TCI market, with a strong focus on solidifying partnerships with the Government, regulatory bodies, and the local community.

King-Henry brings to the role a dynamism influenced by nearly 25 years of industry experience. Prior to her new appointment, she served as AVP of Business Banking in Trinidad and Tobago. She has held progressively senior roles within both personal and commercial banking, as well as various functional units.

King-Henry holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a specialization in Leadership, FinTech and Big Data Analysis, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Further enriching her professional profile, Kerryl-Lyn is a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Teacher, and Speaker. Her passion for leadership and development is matched by her commitment to community service, as she actively volunteers her time and leverages her professional expertise to mentor and support others. “

Kerryl-Lyn’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities make her the perfect choice to lead our operations in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said Ericka Rolle, RBC’s Managing Director and Vice President, Personal Banking, The Bahamas and TCI.

“Her commitment to excellence, combined with a genuine passion for community engagement, aligns perfectly with our Bank’s purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring to her new role,” she added.

Bahamas News

Get your laugh on, March On show coming to Turks and Caicos with box office at IGA Friday and Saturday

Published

5 days ago

May 3, 2024

Shanieka

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale this weekend from May 3 to 5.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew.

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attention.”

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.”

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations.

A ticket booth will be set up from today, Friday May 3 in the foyer of IGA grocery store beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and then again all day on Saturday, allowing residents to purchase with cash.

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. Then the full team returns on Friday, May 11 for the actual showing at 8 pm and their two showings on Saturday at 4pm and 8 pm. The venue is Brayton Hall, Providenciales under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described.

Tickets are only $60 for general seating and $75 for VIP seating.

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stoplaughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”