Government’s One Family Programme continues to positively impact the lives of many of its clients, through an arrangement that allows families, especially those who left school without certification, a second chance at education.

This revelation came last Saturday as Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, spoke to media representatives at the Drug Education and Counselling Services (DECS) Headquarters at Roebuck Street, St. Michael, about the successful partnership the One Family Programme has with DECS and the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust.

Lauding the Trust, which was instrumental in obtaining the DECS Roebuck Street facility, he referred to it as “a charity par excellence” and said of the programme with DECS: “One of the things we realised with the One Family Programme is that a number of our clients needed this additional support…. This is a wonderful marriage. This is what you needed, and this is what you provide.”

Mr. Humphrey outlined how clients were benefiting. He stated: “We are beginning with 309 of our clients. We have 141 who will be doing CXCs (Caribbean Examination Council) and that’s a nine-month course. We have 139 who will be doing Skills Programmes – that’s about three months. And then we have 29 who are pursuing remedial courses and that would be for about six months. That work will allow our clients, then, to have the capacity to make a vital contribution to Barbados. That’s all we want at the end of the day.”

The Minister also alluded to the fact that the goal of the One Family Programme was being exceeded.  He said: “When we started the One Family Programme, the idea was that we would take 1,000 most vulnerable families in the first instance, and then as time progressed, we would take another 1,000, and then another 1,000 until we were able to reach all.

“Of course, we did not account for the exponential growth, where if we take a thousand and some of those persons then go out and change some lives, or we were able to bring on more and more community groups, whether they are local NGOs or bigger NGOs and they change some lives, then you have an exponential growth and you’re able to have an even wider impact. And I think that is what we are now experiencing on the programme.” 

Mr. Humphrey; members of the One Family team; Grand Patron of the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust, Derrick Smith; and Trustee Pippa Challis toured the classrooms and other facilities.

Speaking to members of the Trust, the Minister said: “We want to thank you for your partnership with the One Family Programme that up to now is well over $200,000 and continues to grow…. This is what Barbados needs, the capacity and the opportunity for all of us…to come together to do something transformative for the island…. If we could have this programme replicated all over Barbados, what a difference we are going to make!”

Meanwhile Chairman of DECS, Roger Husbands, said the Second Chance Lessons Programme was launched many years ago out of necessity.  “We’ve realised that adults are also in need of a second chance at education. Most of these young people dropped out of school and left without education. We realised that we needed to give young people skills so that they can go out and be entrepreneurs,” Mr. Husbands stated.

Trustee of the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust, Pippa Challis, stated they were pleased to continue supporting DECS’ work and helping families improve their circumstances. “We are not giving them the fish. We need to teach families and the parents to be able to provide for their children. That’s why we love the One Family Programme. The fact that we’ve been able to bring two entities together in the DECS building…the two of you together, we are going to win; the island is going to win.” 

At the event, there was also the official opening of the Julian Sacher Computer Lab – in honour of Mr. Sacher, a trustee and early supporter of the DECS’ work, who died last year. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Chairman of Drug Education and Counselling Services, Roger Husbands, making a presentation to Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, at the media event last Saturday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works, Santia Bradshaw, has received 30 new electric buses, a donation from the People’s Republic of China; a move that will bring Barbados closer to its goal of providing a greener and more efficient public transportation service.

During a brief handover ceremony at the Barbados Port Inc. last Friday, the Transport Minister revealed that the new fleet brings the Transport Board’s total number of electric buses to 89, the largest in the Caribbean.

May 1, 2025, has been set as the target date for the new buses to be placed in rotation on the road, and it is anticipated that they will help alleviate public transport challenges in rural parishes.

Several communities should benefit from improved service when the new buses are deployed. These include Connell Town and Joey Hill in St. Lucy; St. Albans, St. James; Boscobel, St. Peter; Chalky Mount and Shorey Village, St. Andrew; and Bathsheba and Sugar Hill in St. Joseph.

Extending thanks to the People’s Republic of China, Minister Bradshaw said the donation strengthens the growing relationship between the two countries.

She indicated that the Chinese Government graciously provided spare parts for the buses, as well as 30 DC chargers, which will facilitate faster charging.

“The Chinese officials have also agreed to provide additional technical resources to the Government of Barbados. The BYD team (manufacturers of the buses) will shortly be opening their office in Barbados, which is another major accomplishment for this country.

“They will now be in a position to service faster the fleet of electric vehicles that we have on island, while at the same time providing that transfer of resources that is needed for our engineers and teams that are currently on island working with these vehicles,” she said, adding that one of the BYD technicians will assist specifically with charging infrastructure installation.

The Transport Minister further explained the preparation required for the buses to hit the road on May 1. “They have to be weighed, inspected, and registered. A number of the functions have to be installed on them such as Wi-Fi. The cashless system and fare boxes have to be installed in the vehicles. The cameras that we have been installing on the other vehicles also need to be put in place, and of course, we have to programme the destination signs.”

Pointing out that the Transport Board’s transition to a fully electric fleet will result in the phasing out of the existing diesel buses, she said: “This allows us to bring down our expenditure on the maintenance costs of the diesel buses as well as fuel costs. That will go a long way, certainly over the next few months, and I think by the end of this financial year we should be in a substantial position to see the benefits financially of making the transition.”

As the country continues its quest to modernise its transportation sector, Ms. Bradshaw revealed plans were well under way to acquire another 35 electric buses by the end of this financial year.

Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Barbados, Liang Jie, said this donation was another landmark achievement in the friendship between the two countries.  

“I am confident this new fleet of electric buses will make a meaningful contribution to Barbados’ carbon neutrality and contribute to public transportation, bringing plenty benefits to the Barbadian people, school students, and commuters,” he said. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works, Santia Bradshaw, speaking with Country Manager, BYD Panama, and the Caribbean, Eduardo Lopez, while Commercial Counselor of China’s Embassy in Barbados Liang Jie, and Parliamentary Secretary of MTW, Dr. Romel Springer, look on

Government has reaffirmed its commitment to placing gymnastics on a full developmental path, with the support of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the Barbados Amateur Gymnastics Association (BAGA).

This assurance came from Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, following talks with FIG President, Morinari Watanabe, at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex over the weekend.

The discussions coincided with the staging of the Trident Classic by the Barbados Amateur Gymnastics Association, at the Wildey Gymnasium.

Mr. Griffith shared that Barbados was pursuing comprehensive technical assistance to boost all aspects of the sport.

“We are looking for a full developmental process starting with the coaches because that is required, but it should also include our judges and officials. Ideally, we would welcome a trainer to Barbados for a period to help develop local capacity,” he said.

He added that talent identification and consistent training are critical, and proposed that close to two dozen athletes be earmarked to lead Barbados’ efforts at the regional and international levels.

FIG President Watanabe responded positively, pledging to dispatch at least one coach to assist in the development of gymnastics on the island. He also encouraged the region to set clear timelines for achieving Olympic-level participation.

“I believe Barbados can be the hub for gymnastics in the Caribbean, and we will provide the necessary technical support,” Mr. Watanabe stated.

Minister Griffith echoed this sentiment, affirming that the Government was working towards providing a permanent home for gymnastics within a new multi-disciplinary facility. 

The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including Japan’s Chief-of-Mission, Nakae Arata; President of the Barbados Olympic Association, Sandra Osborne; Director of the National Sports Council, Neil Murrell; Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM, David Comissiong; and BAGA President, Sheldene Pinder. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, shakes hands with FIG President, Morinari Watanabe, following talks at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex over the weekend