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TRANSITIONAL HOMES COMPLETED SOON

Twelve “transition houses”, being built at Haggatt Hall, St. Michael, are making “great progress” towards the expected year-end completion timeline.

This is according to Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for coordinating infrastructural projects, Dr. William Duguid, who was speaking during a press conference earlier this week.

He disclosed that the construction of the three-block quads, each housing four units, began in July 2022, and are for persons currently living at the Barbados Workers’ Union College, whose houses were destroyed and damaged as a result of Hurricane Elsa and the “freak” storm last year.

Minister Duguid explained: “We recognise from the beginning that we would have some people who would have challenges with land. So, … as we designed the programme, we’ve added in these housing solutions on government land for those people who have difficulty building back their house because they had difficulties with land, because the landlord had not given them permission to rebuild, and all sorts of things like that. So, we recognise from the beginning that that could be an issue.”

The Senior Minister pointed out that five persons from the Barbados Construction Gateway Training Initiative are a part of the crew working on constructing the quads.

Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance, Dwight Sutherland (left) and Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for coordinating infrastructural projects, Dr. William Duguid (right), in discussion with students of the Barbados Construction Gateway Training Initiative (l-r) Devon Mathurin, Darian Carter and Duane Burnett, on site at Haggatt Hall, St. Michael (GIS)

“We’ve also partnered with the construction gateway programme, and we have young people who are also being trained in how to do this new kind of technology, how to put together the steel frames, how to do the drywall, how to be able to plaster drywall and make the joints of drywall.

“So, it’s not only a siloed approach to government; it is bringing all of the various players of government. Ministry of Education whose construction gateway it is; the opportunities for the Ministry of Housing, opportunities for the Member of Parliament, all working together to benefit and for partnering for the people of Barbados,” the Senior Minister stated.

He further added in addition to the single houses built on people’s land, Government is also building quads and in the near future duplexes on land that is owned by the Government. This programme provides an outlet for displaced persons to be housed.

Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance, Dwight Sutherland, shared how many houses would be built on the site overall. “We have another three quads to be built just on the western side of where we are standing, and three quads plus a single unit, and that would give us 13 units to add to the actual 12 that we have here. So, you have some 25 units that will be built in this location in Haggatt Hall,” Minister Sutherland said. (PR/GIS)

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SPECIAL POLLING DAY NOTICE

Local

FundAccess To Host Legal Clinic Workshop from May 13th

Entrepreneurs will soon get another opportunity to learn about critical legal matters that are key to the operation of their businesses.

FundAccess will be hosting The Legal Clinic Workshop, which will commence on Tuesday, May 13, and continue each Tuesday, until May 27, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The workshop will be facilitated by Attorney-at-law Ondene Kirton and participants will discuss Understanding Business Legal Structures; Contracts & Agreements; Employment Law & Compliance; and Examination of the Various Laws Relating to Small Business.

During those sessions, the participants will be exposed to sole proprietorship, partnerships, corporations – pro and cons; how to choose the right legal structure for a business; the importance of contracts in business operations; avoiding common contract pitfalls; and employee rights & employer responsibilities, among others. Some of the pieces of legislation to be examined include the Employment Rights Act and National Insurance and Social Security Act.

Interested persons may attend the workshop in person at FundAccess’ Pinfold Street, Bridgetown location, or online via the Zoom Platform. To register, click on the following link: https://bit.ly/3Fu09Jv.

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Centenarian Built On Firm Foundation Set By Grandmother

“Trust God first” is the mantra of one of Barbados’ newest centenarians, Athelstan Browne, who celebrated his 100th birthday on April 29, 2025, at his home in Montrose, Christ Church, surrounded by family and friends.

One of his specially invited guests was President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason.

Mr. Browne shared that he grew up “not knowing a mummy” as his mother passed away at age 23, when he was two years old, and his brother was only one year old.

Crediting his grandmother for his upbringing, Mr. Brown remarked: “I had a real good, good grandmother that raised two of us, and everything we learn before we went to school, she taught us.”

Pointing to a humble yet deeply religious upbringing, Mr. Browne said: “I and my brother slept on the floor. Our grandmother spread things down there, and she just put the pillow under our head.”

He recalled that they had to sing the hymn “Under the Blood” before going to bed, and first thing in the morning before they had breakfast, which usually consisted of “a cup of tea and two biscuits”. Adding that the hymn was “our song”, Mr. Browne sang the hymn from memory.

Stressing that his grandmother was a great provider, he noted: “My grandmother had land, and she would work the land…. We would eat raw potato, raw okras, (green) peas, cucumbers…. The only thing we did not eat was raw yams and eddoes.”

Mr. Browne continues to enjoy his ground provisions “with a little rice”, as he likes his rice with green peas, and if available, chicken boiled with the rice. “I am a fish man,” he remarked, eating it either fried or with a “stew sauce”.

Continuing to nurture his Christian beliefs, he joined the Mount Ararat United Holy Church (currently in Dayrell’s Road, Christ Church) in 1967, at age 33, and has continued there ever since.

Once the Superintendent of the Sunday School at the church, Mr. Browne is still instrumental in providing leadership to the youth there. “I have a crowd of young people at church that love me…especially when I have to talk to them…. It is what they should hear and what they should have,” he said.

The centenarian was raised in Montrose, Christ Church, and attended the Christ Church Boys’ School (now Milton Lynch Primary School). After leaving school, Mr. Browne initially took to agriculture but then worked cutting soft stone in two quarries in Christ Church.

In 1947, at the age of 22, he decided to join the US Farm Labour Programme and took the first Pan American Airlines flight out of Barbados. Over 10 years later, Mr. Browne returned to Barbados and married Monica Browne (deceased). Together, they built the house where he currently resides.

Returning to his roots in agriculture, the centenarian worked at the Ridge Plantation, Christ Church, until retirement. He also planted and reaped ground produce at home, as well as planted and cut canes.

Mr. Browne, who is generally in good health and has a sharp memory, still works around the home and enjoys reading, which he does without glasses. He also keeps in touch with his family in New York and North Carolina, and will do some travelling, but he is always ready to return home.

After toasting the centenarian, Her Excellency remarked: “You are in the midst of a lot of love, and I am sure you are going to enjoy the rest of your birthday. I am really happy to have met you. I am grateful for the work that you still continue to do with our young people because a lot of them lack direction, and we, nowadays, don’t take enough time to sit down and speak with them…. We don’t remind them that they are important, that they are somebody.”

Mr. Browne responded: “You got to make them understand what … the Lord expects of them… We have to acknowledge the Lord.”

Mr. Browne has two children, 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. (PR/GIS)

Caption: President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, and Barbados’ newest centenarian Athelstan Browne take a walk outside during his birthday celebrations in Montrose, Christ Church