PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis spoke with members of the Caribbean Community Monday night and agreed in principle to lend support to Venezuela during its current wave of unrest, according to Press Secretary Anthony Newbold. At a press briefing at t

The issue of child hunger was brought into sharp focus when the local non-profit organization Hands for Hunger held its “Food for Thought” conference recently.

Held under the theme “Feeding Dreams: Addressing Childhood Hunger in The Bahamas” the conference took place on May 22 in the Harry C. Moore Library at the University of The Bahamas.

It was sponsored by CIBC FirstCaribbean, and was one of many activities coordinated by Hands for Hunger annually to help fulfill its vision – the eradication of hunger in the Bahamas so that everyone has access to three nutritious meals a day.
Hands for Hunger Communications Manager, Keisha Ellis said it was important to highlight the plight of the hungry because many people are unaware that more than 43,000 Bahamians suffer from hunger every day.

“We thought the conference would be a good way to educate the public on what thousands of Bahamians living in poverty actually go through every single day, most of them being children under 14 years old.”

CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Managing Director, Marie Rodland-Allen, emphasized the urgency of the problem, stating, “Some of us may take for granted that we can have three nutritious meals every day and we find it difficult to understand how others cannot afford a meal on a regular basis.

It’s very important to us to help raise awareness about this problem because apart from the disturbing humanitarian aspect of this issue, how can we build a nation on empty stomachs? This matter requires urgent attention and we want to be a part of the conversation that brings about the change that we so desperately need.”

The speakers on the “Food for Thought” panel were Assistant Director of Education, Sharmaine Sinclair; Pediatrician at Princess Margaret Hospital, Dr. Zanele Balang; Senior Associate Director of the Center for Research in Education, Dr. Allison Karpyn and Founder and President of Red Rabbit, Rhys Powell.

They each addressed core issues of childhood hunger in The Bahamas such as lack of awareness and education among the general population and the importance of a well-balanced diet from their professional and personal perspectives.

A 2014 Household Expenditure survey conducted by The Bahamas Department of Statistics revealed that the absolute poverty line is now $11.64 per person per day ($4,247 annually). This is the amount an individual needs to meet his or her basic necessities. It is estimated that of this amount, $3.82 is spent on food. 

Founder and President of Red Rabbit, Rhys Powell addresses the audience at the Hands for Hunger annual “Food for thought” conference under the theme “Feeding Dreams: Addressing Childhood Hunger in The Bahamas” at the Harry C. Moore Library at the University of The Bahamas.

About CIBC FirstCaribbean
CIBC FirstCaribbean is the largest regionally-listed bank in the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean serving over 400,000 customers in 17 markets, through approximately 2,900 staff, across 100 branches and offices. The bank, which has almost 250 years of combined experience in the region,  offers a full range of market-leading financial services in: Corporate and Investment Banking, Treasury Sales and Trading, Retail Banking, Wealth Management, Small Business and Credit Cards.

Two swim programs in Grand Bahama got a welcome boost this week with donations from Waterkeepers Bahamas, the local licensee of the world’s largest and fastest-growing non-profit solely focused on clean water.

“We were pleased to show our support for the Freeport Aquatics Club, which has been such a powerful force in teaching discipline and sportsmanship while turning in highly competitive performances, and to the YMCA Swim for Ocean Survival (SOS) program that has done a remarkable job teaching school children basic in the water survival skills,” said Rashema Ingraham, Waterkeepers Bahamas Executive Director.

Both programs, she said, help prepare people to enjoy the waters safely.

“When Bahamians start swimming in open waters at a young age, they develop confidence but just as importantly, they develop an appreciation for the beauty of the underwater world and all the marine life that they would never see up close and personal otherwise,” said Ingraham.

Joe Darville, Save The Bays Chairman and Grand Bahama Coastal Waterkeeper agreed.

“Being in the water with fish, conch, crawfish, with sponges and corals and grasses, gives all of us a deeper respect for and a better understanding of the need to preserve marine life,” said Darville. “That commitment to preserve complements the goals of Waterkeepers Alliance to make as much of the world’s water as possible fishable, swimmable and drinkable.”

According to YMCA Director Karon Pinder-Johnson, more than 10,000 people in Grand Bahama – nearly one-fourth of the island’s population – have participated in the SOS learn to swim program in the eight years of its existence and this year she is hoping that more teachers will participate. The program is free of charge and open to students of all schools in Grand Bahama.

“This is a perfect example of a community pulling together, one non-profit helping another to achieve a common goal – appreciating the beauty of our waters and making it safe for more people to enjoy them,” said Ingraham.

Founded in 1999 by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Waterkeeper Alliance patrols rivers, bays, lakes and oceans on six continents. Kennedy was in The Bahamas in 2013 to help launch the Conchservation initiative and present The Bahamas with its first Waterkeeper license. Since then, the country has gained two more and volunteers monitor the waters and file reports in three areas of the northern Bahamas.

Diving into action - Waterkeepers Bahamas supports Freeport Aquatics Club (FAC) as part of its mission to bring awareness of the need to preserve a fragile marine environment. Pictured l-r, Grand Bahama Coastal Waterkeeper and Save The Bays Chairman Joe Darville, FAC Head Coach Albert ‘Bert’ Bell, Waterkeepers Bahamas Executive Director Rashema Ingraham and FAC super star and assistant coach Ashton Knowles. 

Pooling resources for community service – Marine environmental monitoring organization Waterkeepers Bahamas lends support to Grand Bahama YMCA Swim for Ocean Survival (SOS) program. Pictured l-r, Grand Baham