The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has officially launched its scholarship program, creating opportunities for the next generation. Six students are the recipients of the company’s $120,000, four-year scholarship program which will support tuition or any other educational expenses while pursuing undergraduate studies in their desired field. 

“We are doing our part to ensure that the next generation of leaders have what they need to succeed,” said Sameer Bhatti, BTC’s CEO. “As a telecoms provider we recognize that we have a duty to assist our community in many ways, and at BTC, we strongly believe in the importance of training and developing students and nurturing talent. We believe that the introduction scholarship program is a great way for us to begin our own countdown to the nation’s 50th birthday, and we believe that this is a great gift for our young students.”

The six BTC scholarship recipients, presently in their first year of study at various colleges, are: Ashton Cartwright, a Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering major at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas; Aaliyah Harrison-Brennen, a Molecular Biology major at The University of the West Indies, Mona; Calvinae Jolly, a Biochemistry major at Springhill College in Mobile, Alabama; Vania Deal, an Aerospace Engineering major at Georgia Institute of Technology; Arthur Maycock, a Psychology major at the University of the Bahamas; and Waydeja Rolle, a Finance major at Voorhees University in South Carolina. 

“Learning is the first pillar of our corporate social responsibility, and we believe in life-long learning and education. Let me say that it was not easy when it came to selecting the recipients,” Bhatti said. “Applicants were expected to be well-rounded students immersed in extracurricular activities and with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher from their respective high schools. They were also required to submit a statement of purpose. We also selected students, not only based in New Providence, but also the Family Islands – and to our six scholarship recipients, I’d like to say, ‘congratulations.’” 

BTC will track each scholarship recipient for the next four years and will also support them with summer internships. Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA for the duration of the scholarship program. 

The launch of BTC’s scholarship program comes on the heels of several learning and training initiatives that were recently introduced to support the future development of youth.  

Last August BTC, in conjunction with its parent company, Liberty Latin America (LLA) launched its ‘Graduate Program’ to attract and develop young professional talent that will be ready to assume managerial roles upon finalization of the program. Persons hired as graduates are mentored and supported by senior leaders at BTC and are placed in a fast-paced rotation program to learn insights into core business areas. In return, BTC will build a bench of leaders to take on management roles, also positioning the company as the employer of choice in the telecoms market. 

Following International Women’s Day, BTC in partnership with LLA also continued to demonstrate its leadership and its commitment to the community with the launch of the ‘Future Tech Stars’ program. The all-expense paid, 20-week program included over 800 participants from the Caribbean and Latin America, with 17 girls graduating from The Bahamas.  Students were immersed in digital and crypto literacy, web development, and programming in Python. They were also exposed to a mentorship program, where they had the opportunity to learn more about the field of technology from key movers and shakers within Liberty Latin America and Cable & Wireless Communications. 

Over the years, BTC has also made countless contributions to the Gentleman’s Club scholarship program and The Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year program, with the view of supporting excellence and education. In previous years, BTC has also collaborated with the University of The Bahamas, providing a $250,000 four-year scholarship program.

“In the coming years, it is our hope to strengthen our scholarship program with an increase in the amount awarded, simply because we are aware of how important education is to the success of our students, and to nation building as a whole,” Bhatti said. 

 

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has officially launched its scholarship program, creating opportunities for the next generation. Six students are the recipients of the company’s $120,000, four-year scholarship program which will support tuition or any other educational expenses while pursuing undergraduate studies in their desired field.  “We are doing our part to ensure that the next generation of leaders have what they need to succeed,” said Sameer Bhatti, BTC’s CEO. “As a telecoms provider we recognize that we have a duty to assist our community in many ways, and at BTC, we strongly believe in the importance of training and developing students and nurturing talent. We believe that the introduction scholarship program is a great way for us to begin our own countdown to the nation’s 50th birthday, and we believe that this is a great gift for our young students.” The six BTC scholarship recipients, presently in their first year of study at various colleges, are: Ashton Cartwright, a Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering major at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas; Aaliyah Harrison-Brennen, a Molecular Biology major at The University of the West Indies, Mona; Calvinae Jolly, a Biochemistry major at Springhill College in Mobile, Alabama; Vania Deal, an Aerospace Engineering major at Georgia Institute of Technology; Arthur Maycock, a Psychology major at the University of the Bahamas; and Waydeja Rolle, a Finance major at Voorhees University in South Carolina.  “Learning is the first pillar of our corporate social responsibility, and we believe in life-long learning and education. Let me say that it was not easy when it came to selecting the recipients,” Bhatti said. “Applicants were expected to be well-rounded students immersed in extracurricular activities and with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher from their respective high schools. They were also required to submit a statement of purpose. We also selected students, not only based in New Providence, but also the Family Islands – and to our six scholarship recipients, I’d like to say, ‘congratulations.’”  BTC will track each scholarship recipient for the next four years and will also support them with summer internships. Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA for the duration of the scholarship program.  The launch of BTC’s scholarship program comes on the heels of several learning and training initiatives that were recently introduced to support the future development of youth.   Last August BTC, in conjunction with its parent company, Liberty Latin America (LLA) launched its ‘Graduate Program’ to attract and develop young professional talent that will be ready to assume managerial roles upon finalization of the program. Persons hired as graduates are mentored and supported by senior leaders at BTC and are placed in a fast-paced rotation program to learn insights into core business areas. In return, BTC will build a bench of leaders to take on management roles, also positioning the company as the employer of choice in the telecoms market.  Following International Women’s Day, BTC in partnership with LLA also continued to demonstrate its leadership and its commitment to the community with the launch of the ‘Future Tech Stars’ program. The all-expense paid, 20-week program included over 800 participants from the Caribbean and Latin America, with 17 girls graduating from The Bahamas.  Students were immersed in digital and crypto literacy, web development, and programming in Python. They were also exposed to a mentorship program, where they had the opportunity to learn more about the field of technology from key movers and shakers within Liberty Latin America and Cable & Wireless Communications.  Over the years, BTC has also made countless contributions to the Gentleman’s Club scholarship program and The Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year program, with the view of supporting excellence and education. In previous years, BTC has also collaborated with the University of The Bahamas, providing a $250,000 four-year scholarship program. “In the coming years, it is our hope to strengthen our scholarship program with an increase in the amount awarded, simply because we are aware of how important education is to the success of our students, and to nation building as a whole,” Bhatti said. 

Kassedy Dean, a sixth-grade student at Ginosko Centre for Academic Excellence, recently promoted a season of giving. Dean gifted young females at Elizabeth Estates Children's Home, who attend church and Sunday school with her, dresses which they could wear to Christmas Day service.

Kassedy donated 20 lightly used, but in good condition, dresses with the intent of 20 girls benefitting.

"Donating the dresses made me feel good inside," said Kassedy.

"I decided to donate the dresses because I know many girls aren't able to come to church because they don't have anything to wear. Therefore, I decided to gift some of the girls who attend my church, Epiphany Anglican Church, a nice dress. I hope they went to the girls of my church. However, I just [wanted] to make someone smile on Christmas, so it doesn't matter where it goes as long as the person receiving it loves it and appreciates it. But I believe most of the dresses went to the girls I attend church with."

The 10-year-old said a good citizen finds ways to positively affect change in their community, and that donating the dresses was a good way to give back to the community.

"I've always viewed myself as a good citizen to my country and community. The donation was important to me because it gave me a chance to positively impact a young girl's life, making her smile and know that there are people in this world who still care for her and want the best for her," said the tween.

"The home's administrators determined who got which dress. However, I know that no matter who got the dress, they would love the dress and feel comforted that they [could] attend Christmas service in a beautiful dress."

Kassedy, the daughter of Desra and Keno Dean, said that before Christmas, her mom usually does a deep clean of their home, during which she clears out clothing that they do not wear anymore or that are getting small. She said she asked her mom if they could donate the dresses that were still in good condition, and that she agreed.

The dress donation was not Kassedy's first. She said she has previously donated travel-sized toiletries to make care packets for a group of young girls who attend Youth Matters Incorporated.

She is also a smart kid with a 3.84 cumulative grade point average and believes education is gathering as much information as she can that will open new doors and opportunities for her future.

Community Outreach

Responding to the call to go into all the world and broadcast the news of God’s infinite love; pointing others to Christ, impacting hearts and changing lives, the Church of God of Prophecy East Street Tabernacle, under the guidance and leadership of Senior Pastor Bishop Hulan Hanna, hosted a special community outreach effort to help usher in the Christmas season featuring talented youth bands, free food and entertainment for the children.

“After coming out of the pandemic, I decided it was time to show our face to thepublic again, so I sought the Lord and it came into my spirit that we needed toleave the year connected with our young people and our community,” BishopHanna said. “And I further wanted to have the involvement of the community fromthe churches that we connect with and of course the wider community.”

COGOP East Street Tabernacle has for several years been involved in anevangelistic ministry called Manifestation with area churches. The communitypartners include Zion Baptist Church Shirley Street, Salem Union Baptist Church,Big Harvest Tent Ministry, Church of God East Street and Lily of the ValleyCorner, Mt Pleasant Green Baptist Church, Wulff Road COGOP, Golden GatesWorld Outreach and East Street Gospel Chapel.

Initially, the plan was to have the praise team of each partnering church be a part ofa massive praise and worship session, singing more seasonal songs. As the workbegan, through the direction of Minister Daren Seymour and his team – KatherineBeneby II and Travis Edgecombe - the vision and objective evolved to includeyouth bands instead…the Bahamas Brass Junior Band, the Golden Gates AssemblyBand and the Urban Renewal Band.

Bishop Hanna explained that while scheduling conflicts prevented some of thepartnering and community churches from being directly involved, several of themgave generously, as did persons from the wider community, including HG ChristieReal Estate. As a result of the support and donations, each of the youth bands waspresented with a donation of $500 towards ongoing efforts. The decision was alsomade to feed the children with hamburgers and hotdogs. Additionally, churchmembers were asked to bring toys that could be wrapped and donated to childrenin the community. “I thought it was a very good effort, we had the bouncing castle,and we were able to defray the entire cost with the partnerships and walked awayowing no one, I thank God for that.”

Several Bahamian vendors also came alongside the church to support the initiative,including Donkey Cone and LimeadeBahamas. “We were able to display a level ofBahamian entrepreneurial spirit by these persons who came in.

For Bishop Hanna and the members of East Street Tabernacle, the event was areintroduction of sorts, to let persons in the surrounding communities of SunlightVillage and Sunlight Cottage and beyond know that they had not been forgotten.And the Church remains a beacon of light, a reflection of God’s love and a sourceof support.

“Sometimes we look at things and we may feel, from where we sit, we may feel asif we operate in abundance, so we may not be able to appreciate fully what thesecommunities go through,” Bishop Hanna said. “There was a woman who came,and she got excited by the fact that we would be giving toys and [following theevent], I communicated with her, because she was really intrigued by the idea thather children would get gifts from us, so we were able to provide gifts for herchildren.”

Bishop Hanna said the objectives of the event was to connect with the community,to make it a Christmas event before going into the Christmas holidays and into theNew Year, and to bring the community together.

“We were streamed live on Facebook and other media platforms and that gave useven greater reach if only to be a witness to communities to let them know wewere doing something. These communities that are depressed, economically so, itcannot be that the only entity that is reaching out to them are persons from thepolitical class, their member of parliament or others. I thought that as a church weneeded to do this in a big and meaningful way.

“For me, the highlights coming out of this, it was good to see the smiles onchildren’s faces. It was good to see a mother, who when she found out about thetoys, and when I saw the look on her face that she was going to get something forher children, for her two boys, I saw how it resonated with her in such a positiveway, it really, really touched me deeply.

“The third thing, I was able to witness, there were hundreds of young people whocame throughout the duration, I saw hundreds of young people who came, got theirfood, some of the younger children in the bouncing castle, and there was not asingle incident, no fighting, no cursing, in fact we saw a few children, youngpeople, from Street Reach (a COGOP East Street Out Reach Programme ) who areall grown up now. Some of them are in their late teens and they’ve done pretty wellfor themselves in terms of adjusting to life as young adults. We took photos withsome of them, and it was so important for us to see what happened to thosechildren.”

As he reflected on the day, Bishop Hanna identified an important takeaway; to seethe transformation of the young men, in particular, who passed through the StreetReach Ministry: “young men who when they first came to us were deep in hostilityand anger and frustration and wanting to lash out and some of them we saw thepotential for some of them to either become a problem to others or to get inproblems at the hands of others and so, it was good to see them in a very positiveway.”

Bishop Hanna credited Philip and Anita Beneby for launching the ministry and forits lasting success – even though it has been on hiatus. He noted further that it ishis intention to look at relaunching the ministry early in the New Year, and he ishopeful that he can engage a newer generation of young people who are coming upthe ranks.

“It’s unfortunate some of the young people fell through the cracks, but for the mostpart the ones that we saw there that day, have done well. Some are in the DefenceForce Rangers, others are working, some have even finished high school, so we arevery encouraged and by the grace of God we pray that God will continue to keepthem, particularly, when you think about the amount of crime going on in thecommunity, we certainly need God to keep these young people.”

As for the holiday extravaganza, Bishop Hanna said that he would like to think thatit will blossom into an annual event, if it is the will of the Lord. “I'd like to see itremain and become an annual institution in the community, which simply meansthat we would have to go out into the community much earlier and [connect with]the donors much earlier and engage people in a positive way who would want toparticipate in, what I believe, has been a very meaningful community and churchactivity.

“My message for the community, and my wish for the community, is that duringthis holiday season, the main thing will be that man was lost, and God in his divinemercy, had a plan for man’s redemption and that plan involved the first Christmas,it involved God sending his son Jesus Christ. We encourage everyone to enjoy theseason, we don’t celebrate a day, we celebrate the birth, we celebrate salvation.

“And I pray that we will understand that the God we serve is bigger than everybarrier, every hindrance that has plagued us during 2022 and that we will go byfaith which is the victory into 2023. I am also looking up, looking to God to supplyall those things that we need, I am looking up to him that salvation will sweep thecommunity, that revival will be in the land.”

 

Responding to the call to go into all the world and broadcast the news of God’s infinite love; pointing others to Christ, impacting hearts and changing lives, the Church of God of Prophecy East Street Tabernacle, under the guidance and leadership of Senior Pastor Bishop Hulan Hanna, hosted a special community outreach effort to help usher in the Christmas season featuring talented youth bands, free food and entertainment for the children. “After coming out of the pandemic, I decided it was time to show our face to the public again, so I sought the Lord and it came into my spirit that we needed to leave the year connected with our young people and our community,” Bishop Hanna said. “And I further wanted to have the involvement of the community from the churches that we connect with and of course the wider community.” COGOP East Street Tabernacle has for several years been involved in an evangelistic ministry called Manifestation with area churches. The community partners include Zion Baptist Church Shirley Street, Salem Union Baptist Church, Big Harvest Tent Ministry, Church of God East Street and Lily of the Valley Corner, Mt Pleasant Green Baptist Church, Wulff Road COGOP, Golden Gates World Outreach and East Street Gospel Chapel. Initially, the plan was to have the praise team of each partnering church be a part of a massive praise and worship session, singing more seasonal songs. As the work began, through the direction of Minister Daren Seymour and his team – Katherine Beneby II and Travis Edgecombe - the vision and objective evolved to include youth bands instead…the Bahamas Brass Junior Band, the Golden Gates Assembly Band and the Urban Renewal Band. Bishop Hanna explained that while scheduling conflicts prevented some of the partnering and community churches from being directly involved, several of them gave generously, as did persons from the wider community, including HG Christie Real Estate. As a result of the support and donations, each of the youth bands was presented with a donation of $500 towards ongoing efforts. The decision was also made to feed the children with hamburgers and hotdogs. Additionally, church members were asked to bring toys that could be wrapped and donated to children in the community. “I thought it was a very good effort, we had the bouncing castle, and we were able to defray the entire cost with the partnerships and walked away owing no one, I thank God for that.” Several Bahamian vendors also came alongside the church to support the initiative, including Donkey Cone and LimeadeBahamas. “We were able to display a level of Bahamian entrepreneurial spirit by these persons who came in. For Bishop Hanna and the members of East Street Tabernacle, the event was a reintroduction of sorts, to let persons in the surrounding communities of Sunlight Village and Sunlight Cottage and beyond know that they had not been forgotten. And the Church remains a beacon of light, a reflection of God’s love and a source of support. “Sometimes we look at things and we may feel, from where we sit, we may feel as if we operate in abundance, so we may not be able to appreciate fully what these communities go through,” Bishop Hanna said. “There was a woman who came, and she got excited by the fact that we would be giving toys and [following the event], I communicated with her, because she was really intrigued by the idea that her children would get gifts from us, so we were able to provide gifts for her children.” Bishop Hanna said the objectives of the event was to connect with the community, to make it a Christmas event before going into the Christmas holidays and into the New Year, and to bring the community together. “We were streamed live on Facebook and other media platforms and that gave us even greater reach if only to be a witness to communities to let them know we were doing something. These communities that are depressed, economically so, it cannot be that the only entity that is reaching out to them are persons from the political class, their member of parliament or others. I thought that as a church we needed to do this in a big and meaningful way. “For me, the highlights coming out of this, it was good to see the smiles on children’s faces. It was good to see a mother, who when she found out about the toys, and when I saw the look on her face that she was going to get something for her children, for her two boys, I saw how it resonated with her in such a positive way, it really, really touched me deeply. “The third thing, I was able to witness, there were hundreds of young people who came throughout the duration, I saw hundreds of young people who came, got their food, some of the younger children in the bouncing castle, and there was not a single incident, no fighting, no cursing, in fact we saw a few children, young people, from Street Reach (a COGOP East Street Out Reach Programme ) who are all grown up now. Some of them are in their late teens and they’ve done pretty well for themselves in terms of adjusting to life as young adults. We took photos with some of them, and it was so important for us to see what happened to those children.” As he reflected on the day, Bishop Hanna identified an important takeaway; to see the transformation of the young men, in particular, who passed through the Street Reach Ministry: “young men who when they first came to us were deep in hostility and anger and frustration and wanting to lash out and some of them we saw the potential for some of them to either become a problem to others or to get in problems at the hands of others and so, it was good to see them in a very positive way.” Bishop Hanna credited Philip and Anita Beneby for launching the ministry and for its lasting success – even though it has been on hiatus. He noted further that it is his intention to look at relaunching the ministry early in the New Year, and he is hopeful that he can engage a newer generation of young people who are coming up the ranks. “It’s unfortunate some of the young people fell through the cracks, but for the most part the ones that we saw there that day, have done well. Some are in the Defence Force Rangers, others are working, some have even finished high school, so we are very encouraged and by the grace of God we pray that God will continue to keep them, particularly, when you think about the amount of crime going on in the community, we certainly need God to keep these young people.” As for the holiday extravaganza, Bishop Hanna said that he would like to think that it will blossom into an annual event, if it is the will of the Lord. “I'd like to see it remain and become an annual institution in the community, which simply means that we would have to go out into the community much earlier and [connect with] the donors much earlier and engage people in a positive way who would want to participate in, what I believe, has been a very meaningful community and church activity. “My message for the community, and my wish for the community, is that during this holiday season, the main thing will be that man was lost, and God in his divine mercy, had a plan for man’s redemption and that plan involved the first Christmas, it involved God sending his son Jesus Christ. We encourage everyone to enjoy the season, we don’t celebrate a day, we celebrate the birth, we celebrate salvation. “And I pray that we will understand that the God we serve is bigger than every barrier, every hindrance that has plagued us during 2022 and that we will go by faith which is the victory into 2023. I am also looking up, looking to God to supply all those things that we need, I am looking up to him that salvation will sweep the community, that revival will be in the land.”

ONE Family emerged as the unofficial winner of the New Year's Day Junkanoo Parade, kicking off the new year with back-to-back wins after rushing to victory just days earlier on Boxing Day.

It marks a significant milestone for the group following a two-year hiatus of the cultural event, as it has been some 20 years since One Family secured consecutive wins, according to its chairwoman. #The group first took Bay Street by storm a week ago, captivating the judges and crowd with its warrior-like theme that saw them finish first place at the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade. #Committed to winning for a second time, One Family returned to Bay Street to put on another spectacular show, but this time under the theme: “Happy Hour, Come Celebrate with Us.” #The group wore several eye-catching pieces that paid homage to popular beverages and other forms of entertainment that Bahamians would usually take part in during “happy hour”, wowing the crowd with a colourful display and lively performances. # Ahead of One Family’s performance, fans chanted “Two straight” and “One Family coming,” exciting event goers. # And just as fans had predicted, the group remained undefeated and was declared the unofficial winner of the New Year’s Day event, securing a winning score of 93.37. # They also won several categories, including best music, best off the shoulder, best overall performances, best overall costume and best Shirley Street scores. # The unofficial results were released at around noon yesterday. # Saxons, who won the 2019 New Year’s Day Parade, came in second place with 90.62 points — beating Roots by just one point — and swept categories of best lead costume. # Roots finished third with 90.61 points, the Valley Boys placed fourth with 90.29 points, while Genesis finished fifth with 76.94 points after a ten-point penalty deduction. # Music Makers rounded out the top six after suffering a 42-point penalty. # Christina “Muffin” Fernander, One Family’s chairwoman, was elated about the group’s second victory, describing it as “overwhelming.” # “It is very overwhelming,” she said with tears in her eyes. “We’ve lost members this week preparing for the parade and so you know while we were on the high from winning the Boxing Day, we also (grieving) in losing two of our One Family members. # “After a two-year break and to walk away as successful as One Family did this Junkanoo season, it’s just - words cannot express but it’s all teamwork. It’s not just me. It takes 200 plus persons to get this all done, and I am grateful and appreciative of all of (the) One Family members that support us.” # She explained that last year was a difficult one for the group financially, among other things, but noted that through it all, One Family endured and “pulled through.” # “It’s great motivation to get us now to kick off our 2023/24 season,” she said. # She also told The Tribune the victory was historic, as she was the first female chairman of One Family or any other Junkanoo organisation to secure two consecutive wins. # However, this is not the first time the group has won the parades twice in a row, according to Ms Fernander. # “It’s been 20 years since we’ve done it and have had a consecutive win, but this was my first time as chairman,” she said. # With respect to the B Division groups, Colours emerged victorious, beating the Fancy Dancers, the Immortals, Original Congos, and Body of Christ, which rounded out the top five.

It marks a significant milestone for the group following a two-year hiatus of the cultural event, as it has been some 20 years since One Family secured consecutive wins, according to its chairwoman.

The group first took Bay Street by storm a week ago, captivating the judges and crowd with its warrior-like theme that saw them finish first place at the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade.

Committed to winning for a second time, One Family returned to Bay Street to put on another spectacular show, but this time under the theme: “Happy Hour, Come Celebrate with Us.”

The group wore several eye-catching pieces that paid homage to popular beverages and other forms of entertainment that Bahamians would usually take part in during “happy hour”, wowing the crowd with a colourful display and lively performances.

Ahead of One Family’s performance, fans chanted “Two straight” and “One Family coming,” exciting event goers.

And just as fans had predicted, the group remained undefeated and was declared the unofficial winner of the New Year’s Day event, securing a winning score of 93.37.

They also won several categories, including best music, best off the shoulder, best overall performances, best overall costume and best Shirley Street scores.

The unofficial results were released at around noon yesterday.

Saxons, who won the 2019 New Year’s Day Parade, came in second place with 90.62 points — beating Roots by just one point — and swept categories of best lead costume.

Roots finished third with 90.61 points, the Valley Boys placed fourth with 90.29 points, while Genesis finished fifth with 76.94 points after a ten-point penalty deduction.

Music Makers rounded out the top six after suffering a 42-point penalty.

Christina “Muffin” Fernander, One Family’s chairwoman, was elated about the group’s second victory, describing it as “overwhelming.”

“It is very overwhelming,” she said with tears in her eyes. “We’ve lost members this week preparing for the parade and so you know while we were on the high from winning the Boxing Day, we also (grieving) in losing two of our One Family members.

“After a two-year break and to walk away as successful as One Family did this Junkanoo season, it’s just - words cannot express but it’s all teamwork. It’s not just me. It takes 200 plus persons to get this all done, and I am grateful and appreciative of all of (the) One Family members that support us.”

She explained that last year was a difficult one for the group financially, among other things, but noted that through it all, One Family endured and “pulled through.”

“It’s great motivation to get us now to kick off our 2023/24 season,” she said.

She also told The Tribune the victory was historic, as she was the first female chairman of One Family or any other Junkanoo organisation to secure two consecutive wins.

However, this is not the first time the group has won the parades twice in a row, according to Ms Fernander.

“It’s been 20 years since we’ve done it and have had a consecutive win, but this was my first time as chairman,” she said.

With respect to the B Division groups, Colours emerged victorious, beating the Fancy Dancers, the Immortals, Original Congos, and Body of Christ, which rounded out the top five.