Caribbean News
BTC Fetes Mathematics Champions
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: Beaches Turks and Caicos recently treated talented mathematics champions Shecaniah Robertson and Emilly Charles and their families to a day filled with fun and excitement in recognition of their feat as the champions of the inaugural Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Education mathematics competition.
Robertson and Charles, grade six students at Oseta Jolly Primary School in Providenciales, walked away winners in the recently held competition at the Gustavus Lightbourne Sports Complex turning back the challenge from 13 other
primary schools. Beaches Turks & Caicos were supporting sponsors of the much-heralded academic event.
General Manager, James McAnally in welcoming the students and their families shared, “As a resort, we believe in championing educational advancement and opportunities and it was our pleasure to lend support for the competition with the provision of prizes. We are pleased to welcome our mathematics champions and their families and share the many amenities of our resort with them as a reward for their hard work. We remain excited to encourage future participants to work just as hard and come celebrate with us.”
As the saying goes, to the victors belong the spoils, as Robertson and Charles reaped the fruits of their hard work courtesy of a day pass for four at the luxury-included Beaches Turks and Caicos.For Robertson, it was well received. “WOW… this is a beautiful place. The team members here are kind and accommodating and they made us feel like we are tourists. The waterpark was the most ideal place for us to start and it was so much fun. The activities that we enjoyed included exploring and having fun at the Pirates Island.”
Her teammate and friend, Emilly added, “The food was good. We had the chance to dine at many of the restaurants and the variety was really great. Pirates Island Waterpark with slides, and X-Box room alone can finish the day if we had not gone to the beach to do any watersports or other restaurants or participate in any of the fun activities that were organised.”
Said Ava Robertson, mother of Shecaniah, “I am overwhelmed and very thankful to the Beaches Turks and Caicos resort and its general manager, Mr. McAnally for making this day so special and memorable for us as a family. This is a great motivation as these girls will now see that whenever they work hard academically, these perks will be forthcoming and we hope to be back soon.”
Emilly’s father, Edley Charles, who was a part of the day of frolicking believes it was a day well deserved. This, as he reflected on and spoke proudly of his daughter’s hard work and commitment in studying. “It’s not difficult to support her, in fact, it is quite easy. This is because she is disciplined. When you find a child who listens, parenting and
coaching become a bit easier because her studying habits can develop faster.
“Mathematics is a subject that calls for practice and mental discipline. Emilly is a child who enjoys the challenge and the competition they have won in order to be here. This is a good foundation for what our schools are doing in this subject area. For the Beaches Turks and Caicos to be major sponsor and provide for the champions this reward shows that the resort believes in the development of the children and people of Turks and Caicos. This is a commendable act on behalf of this corporate giant who puts their money where their mouth is, in building the nation, one child at a time,” Charles continued.
An ecstatic Emilly could barely contain her excitement following her first experience at the water park. “This experience is almost magical. These activities were only seen by me in magazines, but Beaches Turks and Caicos has allowed us to enjoy all the fun activities that tourists pay to come to this island to enjoy. As for my friend and I, we have achieved this dream occasion because of our academic discipline and the support that this resort has been giving to the children and for the development of education.”
Emilly’s teammate Shecaniah added, “Winning the competition was a very exciting time, but being here to live out this prize is like a dream come true. We were able to have fun and enjoy different kinds of meals. Emilly and I have been waiting for this celebration and I am happy that we are able to enjoy this treat from this world class resort.”
Release: Beaches Resorts
Photo Captions:
Header: Shecaniah Robertson (left) and Emilly Charles float along the lazy river as they enjoyed their main prize in the primary school Mathematics competition from Beaches Turks and Caicos
1st insert: Shecaniah Robertson (left) and Emilly Charles share a moment with the camera before they decided to explore the BTC Waterpark and the many dining opportunities
2nd insert: Emilly Charles and her sibling (let) along with Shecaniah Robertson and her sibling float along the lazy river during their exploration of the Waterpark at BTC
Imagine an Atlantic Bridge connecting the Caribbean Region to the African Continent
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — When CARICOM leaders convened with African counterparts and Afreximbank officials in Ethiopia, the outcomes were savory and exactly what many Caribbean people want to see materialise as the islands become uniquely reconnected to the African continent.
At the Second CARICOM-Africa Summit, held at the African Union headquarters, leaders moved beyond symbolic language to agree on a draft communiqué that, if finalized, would anchor this partnership in practical action. While not yet officially published by the AU or CARICOM, the document points to an agenda that blends history with urgent twenty-first century priorities.
The draft outlines commitments to improve air and sea transport links, including the pursuit of a multilateral air services agreement to break down the barriers that still keep the Caribbean and Africa physically apart. It also calls for visa facilitation and simplified entry regimes, making it easier for citizens of both regions to travel, study, and work across the Atlantic.
Equally significant are pledges to advance double taxation treaties that could remove one of the most stubborn obstacles to investment.
With Afreximbank’s Caribbean headquarters already established in Barbados and the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) gaining momentum, leaders now want to lock in the financial and legal frameworks that will drive new business.
Reparatory justice also featured prominently, with the draft communiqué sharpening a joint call for coordinated advocacy. CARICOM’s long-standing Reparations Commission is expected to work more closely with African institutions to demand global recognition and redress for the shared traumas of slavery and colonial exploitation.
CARICOM’s incoming chair, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis, captured the spirit of the gathering when he urged that the Atlantic Slave Trade be reimagined as an “Atlantic Bridge — a bridge of hope, a bridge of advancement, a bridge that will ensure our people take their rightful place in this world.”
For Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, the meeting was a “homecoming,” but also a reminder that concrete steps like the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC) and improved transportation links are needed to transform rhetoric into results.
For citizens back home, wrestling with inflation and economic uncertainty, the Addis outcomes — transport, visas, investment, health, and reparations — are precisely the kinds of measures that can validate leaders’ journeys and rekindle faith in South-South cooperation. What was once only rhetoric now hints at the beams of an Atlantic Bridge, connecting the Caribbean and Africa in ways that could finally turn history’s tragedy into tomorrow’s advantage.
