Team BTC gave its full support to females attending the recent Girls in ICT Day event, encouraging high school seniors to consider careers in the STEM field. The company is also providing an opportunity for students to apply for a 4-week BTC internship to learn more about the inner workings of the telecoms industry. 

Celebrated globally on the fourth Thursday of April, Girls in ICT Day was held on April 27th under the theme, “Digital Skills for Life”.  

Every year, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) partners with BTC and other licensees to host a Girls in ICT event to inspire and encourage females to pursue careers in this field. This year’s event, held at Club Crush of the Atlantis Resort, featured professional speakers in the field of ICT and hands-on workshops. 

The BTC booth at the event included an interactive display for students to learn more about the steps taken to install fiber internet, Flow TV, and landline services.  

Also sitting on a Girls in ICT panel was BTC’s Go-To-Market Senior Executive, Alphanique Duncombe-Spence, who encouraged the high school students to follow their dreams and not be deterred from a field because it is mostly dominated by men. 

“No matter how old you get, don’t stop dreaming. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t be something or you can’t make it somewhere,” Spence said. “Don’t think of your own personal challenges as a bottleneck, as something that stops you from being what you want to be. I’ve always pushed myself beyond my parents’ expectations to get to where I am today, so don’t allow the challenges, even in your home, to stop you from making it big.”

BTC’s CEO Sameer Bhatti said the company is always open to embracing girls who are interested in the STEM field.  “These are fields that are mainly dominated by men, but at BTC, we are trying to create a balance as we embrace equality and equity, so it’s very important to have events like Girls in ICT for our young girls to realize that there are glass ceilings that can be broken by women in the STEM field,” Bhatti said. 

Presently, some 60 percent of the BTC team comprises of women with 12 sitting on its executive team. 

In addition to supporting Girls in ICT, BTC also commits to publicly highlighting colleagues who are making strides within the Company every International Women’s Day.

Last year, BTC and its parent company, Liberty Latin America, embarked on a Future Tech Stars initiative which provided over 20 weeks of training in modern technology and mentorship for girls across the Caribbean and Latin America.  Over a dozen Bahamian students graduated from this program after learning more about digital + crypto literacy, web development, and programming in python. Students were also exposed to a mentorship program, where they had the opportunity to learn more about the field of technology from some of the key movers and shakers in the business. 

BTC also recently launched a graduate program that provides mentorship and support and places the graduates in a rotation program to learn insights into core business areas. This is to build a bench of leaders to take on management roles, also positioning the company as the employer of choice in the telecoms market.

Team BTC gave its full support to females attending the recent Girls in ICT Day event, encouraging high school seniors to consider careers in the STEM field. The company is also providing an opportunity for students to apply for a 4-week BTC internship to learn more about the inner workings of the telecoms industry.  Celebrated globally on the fourth Thursday of April, Girls in ICT Day was held on April 27th under the theme, “Digital Skills for Life”.   Every year, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) partners with BTC and other licensees to host a Girls in ICT event to inspire and encourage females to pursue careers in this field. This year’s event, held at Club Crush of the Atlantis Resort, featured professional speakers in the field of ICT and hands-on workshops.  The BTC booth at the event included an interactive display for students to learn more about the steps taken to install fiber internet, Flow TV, and landline services.   Also sitting on a Girls in ICT panel was BTC’s Go-To-Market Senior Executive, Alphanique Duncombe-Spence, who encouraged the high school students to follow their dreams and not be deterred from a field because it is mostly dominated by men.  “No matter how old you get, don’t stop dreaming. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t be something or you can’t make it somewhere,” Spence said. “Don’t think of your own personal challenges as a bottleneck, as something that stops you from being what you want to be. I’ve always pushed myself beyond my parents’ expectations to get to where I am today, so don’t allow the challenges, even in your home, to stop you from making it big.” BTC’s CEO Sameer Bhatti said the company is always open to embracing girls who are interested in the STEM field.  “These are fields that are mainly dominated by men, but at BTC, we are trying to create a balance as we embrace equality and equity, so it’s very important to have events like Girls in ICT for our young girls to realize that there are glass ceilings that can be broken by women in the STEM field,” Bhatti said.  Presently, some 60 percent of the BTC team comprises of women with 12 sitting on its executive team.  In addition to supporting Girls in ICT, BTC also commits to publicly highlighting colleagues who are making strides within the Company every International Women’s Day. Last year, BTC and its parent company, Liberty Latin America, embarked on a Future Tech Stars initiative which provided over 20 weeks of training in modern technology and mentorship for girls across the Caribbean and Latin America.  Over a dozen Bahamian students graduated from this program after learning more about digital + crypto literacy, web development, and programming in python. Students were also exposed to a mentorship program, where they had the opportunity to learn more about the field of technology from some of the key movers and shakers in the business.  BTC also recently launched a graduate program that provides mentorship and support and places the graduates in a rotation program to learn insights into core business areas. This is to build a bench of leaders to take on management roles, also positioning the company as the employer of choice in the telecoms market.

The students at Bimini Primary School were given something to smile about last week after their school received ten brand new desktop computers with ten storage drives - a generous donation by an organization with a heart for giving back to their community. 

Bimini Pilots is an organization operating under Independent Maritime Services based in Grand Bahama.  Bimini Pilots is license and authorize to pilot vessels in the Greater Bimini area and more specifically RW Cruise Pier.  

“Every year we commit to giving back to some organization or group,” according to Independent Maritime Services President Captain Justin Wallace. “These donations are usually done in Freeport, because that’s where our main base of operation is located. But when we started to expand our operations in the Greater Bimini area, we decided we had to do something for Bimini. Last year, we donated over fifteen tablets to the high school, because they were really needed by the students. This year, we connected with the Administrator Desiree Ferguson and the former principal at the primary school to get an idea of what were their needs, which she said that were computers. So, we decided to purchase the computers for what will now be the school’s computer lab.”

“Wallace also said that their relationship with Bimini Primary will not end there as a brand-new wireless printer and webcams are on the way after he noticed there were none upon making the donation of the computers.”  

Bimini Primary School officials and the Island Administrator expressed gratitude upon receiving the computers as they are expected to go a long way in assisting the students with completing their schoolwork. In addition to the donation, Bimini Pilots also facilitated the setup and connection of the computers.  

 

 The students at Bimini Primary School were given something to smile about last week after their school received ten brand new desktop computers with ten storage drives - a generous donation by an organization with a heart for giving back to their community.  Bimini Pilots is an organization operating under Independent Maritime Services based in Grand Bahama.  Bimini Pilots is license and authorize to pilot vessels in the Greater Bimini area and more specifically RW Cruise Pier.   “Every year we commit to giving back to some organization or group,” according to Independent Maritime Services President Captain Justin Wallace. “These donations are usually done in Freeport, because that’s where our main base of operation is located. But when we started to expand our operations in the Greater Bimini area, we decided we had to do something for Bimini. Last year, we donated over fifteen tablets to the high school, because they were really needed by the students. This year, we connected with the Administrator Desiree Ferguson and the former principal at the primary school to get an idea of what were their needs, which she said that were computers. So, we decided to purchase the computers for what will now be the school’s computer lab.” “Wallace also said that their relationship with Bimini Primary will not end there as a brand-new wireless printer and webcams are on the way after he noticed there were none upon making the donation of the computers.”   Bimini Primary School officials and the Island Administrator expressed gratitude upon receiving the computers as they are expected to go a long way in assisting the students with completing their schoolwork. In addition to the donation, Bimini Pilots also facilitated the setup and connection of the computers. 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, the northern Bahamas was flattened, demolished, and would be forever associated with the deadliest natural disaster in Bahamian history. On Thursday, however, at the 15th Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) Abaco was recognized for its resiliency through its recent solar and storage projects. 

With 185mph maximum sustained winds, Hurricane Dorian left 2,500 people missing & thousands more displaced. “Rebuild stronger and better” was the motto adopted by Bahamians, government agencies, and non-profits from around the world. Among them were the Rotary Bahamas Disaster Relief and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, which funded the solarization of three Abaco schools—Man-O-War Cay Primary, Great Guana Cay Primary, and Central Abaco Primary Schools.

With solar panels that can withstand +185mph winds, each school features battery storage, each school functions as a hurricane shelter.

Compass Power, a Bahamian-owned EPC contractor, managed the Abaco projects. According to Compass Power principal, Justin Cunningham, “Our goal was to make Abaco more resilient and reliant on its natural resources. Using the world’s leading technology and long-standing solar equipment, these schools are not only self-efficient, but now serve as hurricane shelters for their communities.”

At CREF in Miami, Florida, the project received the 2023 Best Energy Resilience Project award, an honor reserved for leaders in the Caribbean energy sector that oversaw a clean energy project with outstanding resilience this year. The Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, Vaughn Miller; Permanent Secreatry, Phedra Rahming-Turnquest; and the Director of the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, Dr. Rhianna Neely accepted the award.

“The Abaco schools solar and storage project represents a further step in The Bahamas’ continued commitment to rebuild stronger and cleaner, and provide equitable access to reliable energy,” said Dr. Neely. 

"The successful implementation of the Abaco school solar and storage project demonstrates how collaborative efforts between the government, donors, private sector entities, and NGOs can lead to truly transformative outcomes that benefit communities in need," said Fidel Neverson, technical manager with RMI’s Islands Energy Program, a part of a global non-profit, independent organization focused on accelerating the clean energy transition.

The project’s official commissioning will be held in the Abacos in the coming weeks. 

 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, the northern Bahamas was flattened, demolished, and would be forever associated with the deadliest natural disaster in Bahamian history. On Thursday, however, at the 15th Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) Abaco was recognized for its resiliency through its recent solar and storage projects.  With 185mph maximum sustained winds, Hurricane Dorian left 2,500 people missing & thousands more displaced. “Rebuild stronger and better” was the motto adopted by Bahamians, government agencies, and non-profits from around the world. Among them were the Rotary Bahamas Disaster Relief and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, which funded the solarization of three Abaco schools—Man-O-War Cay Primary, Great Guana Cay Primary, and Central Abaco Primary Schools. With solar panels that can withstand +185mph winds, each school features battery storage, each school functions as a hurricane shelter. Compass Power, a Bahamian-owned EPC contractor, managed the Abaco projects. According to Compass Power principal, Justin Cunningham, “Our goal was to make Abaco more resilient and reliant on its natural resources. Using the world’s leading technology and long-standing solar equipment, these schools are not only self-efficient, but now serve as hurricane shelters for their communities.” At CREF in Miami, Florida, the project received the 2023 Best Energy Resilience Project award, an honor reserved for leaders in the Caribbean energy sector that oversaw a clean energy project with outstanding resilience this year. The Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, Vaughn Miller; Permanent Secreatry, Phedra Rahming-Turnquest; and the Director of the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, Dr. Rhianna Neely accepted the award. “The Abaco schools solar and storage project represents a further step in The Bahamas’ continued commitment to rebuild stronger and cleaner, and provide equitable access to reliable energy,” said Dr. Neely.  "The successful implementation of the Abaco school solar and storage project demonstrates how collaborative efforts between the government, donors, private sector entities, and NGOs can lead to truly transformative outcomes that benefit communities in need," said Fidel Neverson, technical manager with RMI’s Islands Energy Program, a part of a global non-profit, independent organization focused on accelerating the clean energy transition. The project’s official commissioning will be held in the Abacos in the coming weeks. 

Eleven Grand Bahama high schools received $900 each to assist with purchasing art supplies for their respective programs.

The donations were made possible by the first ArtLucaya Festival, which was hosted by the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and local artists in March.

The weekend of events showcased over 40 established, mid-career and emerging local artists at three venues - the Rand Nature Centre, the Garden of the Groves and the Charles Hayward Library.

"I am totally thrilled at the idea of the Grand Bahama Port Authority supporting the visual arts," said participating artist and art teacher Alisa Streather-Robinson.

"I am also thoroughly excited for our students. They not only got to display their work at COLIBRI, but they also had the option to sell their pieces, which was a first for many of them and a good experience for them as well."

Among the receiving schools were: Jack Hayward Junior & Senior High Schools; Grand Bahama Academy; St. Georges High School; Tabernacle Baptist Academy; Eight Mile Rock High School; Sunland Baptist Academy; St. Paul's Methodist College; Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Academy; Bishop Michael Eldon High School; and Lucayan International School.

GBPA Acting Chairman Sarah St. George extended thanks to former Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes; Minister for Social Services and Urban Development Obie Wilchcombe; and Jamaal Rolle, ambassador-at-large for Cultural Affairs, for their support of the four-day celebration of art.

"We'd also like to acknowledge the partnership and active support of Grand Bahama's artists' community for their passionate commitment to the event," St. George said.

"And of course, we're grateful to all avid art enthusiasts for attending this inaugural festival celebrating our island's art and culture. The impact of a robust arts community enables a record and living history of our island's culture and allows a means of self-expression that enables more sensitive, accepting, and caring communities."

ArtLucaya Chairman Fatima-Zahra Kaboub said the festival was a great success and the beginning of what is hoped will become an annual art festival attracting collectors and curators from near and far.

"We are so grateful to the art supporters who came to our events, all the funds collected from ticket sales are now going straight to the art teachers, so that they may have funds to buy much needed art supplies to run and grow their art program, which is very exciting," said Kaboub.