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‘Love Safely Week’ begins

The National Wellbeing and HIV Commission will continue to encourage safe and responsible expressions of love during Love Safely Week 2025, February 9 to 15.

Unlike World AIDS Day, an international day of significance, Love Safely Week is an indigenous initiative of the Commission, which seeks to promote healthy sexual behaviours and wholesome relationships (romantic and platonic).

Its campaign for the week will make use of several initiatives in a bid to minimise stigma and discrimination and highlight the importance of engaging in safe intimate relationships through making use of protection.

Three of the most recent are the Love Safely Literary Competition, the Love, Health & Fitness Fair, and theHoletown Festival Intervention.

Launched in 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Love Safely Literary Competition serves as a platform for the Commission to engage and educate Barbadians about HIV through literary creativity.

Participants are encouraged to produce either fictional or autobiographical works that convey the message that an HIV diagnosis is not synonymous with a death sentence.

Submissions are centred around themes, such as Hope, Overcoming stigma and discrimination, Resilience and perseverance, Compassion and understanding, and Choosing the right path, which align with the UNAIDS World AIDS Day 2024 theme: Take the rights path: My Health, my right!

The Love, Health & Fitness Fair at the Warrens Office Complex, Warrens, St. Michael, on Friday, February 14, is the penultimate event during the week of activities.

An all-day event, which starts at 10:00 a.m., it targets members of the public and will also serve nearby businesses. The aim is to promote holistic wellbeing, and patrons can expect a range of services. Among these will be complimentary health screenings, including blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, HIV, and BMI; CPR demonstrations; and various wellbeing services, such as body waxing, pedicures, facials, and haircuts for males and females.

The fair will also place emphasis on prostate and colorectal cancer awareness, substance abuse education, condom demonstrations, fitness sessions, and the provision of healthy snacks and vitamins.

The Commission’s annual Man Aware Intervention, being held on February 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., during the Holetown Festival, will culminate the week. This initiative will engage both residents and visitors through fun and interactive social activities.

Patrons will be educated about HIV and can visit the Commission’s Man Aware booth and take advantage of free grooming services, participate in imaginative educational games designed by Commission staff, and benefit from free condom distribution.

Members of the public are invited to participate in the events to mark Love Safely Week 2025. According to the Commission, these initiatives exemplify its “unwavering commitment to cultivating a safer and healthier society”. (PR/GIS)

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Pride Of Barbados Award Nominations – St. Thomas & St. Joseph

Barbadians at home and in the diaspora are invited to submit nominations to the National Honours and Decorations Advisory Council for the Pride of Barbados Award 2025 for the parishes of St. Thomas and St. Joseph.

Nominations should be made via the following links and will close on Sunday, March 9, for the parish of St. Thomas, and on Monday, March 31, for the parish of St. Joseph.

https://eforms.gov.bb/sc/prideofbarbadosaward – Pride of Barbados Award Portal
https://eforms.gov.bb/f/pbastthomas – Nomination Form – St. Thomas
https://eforms.gov.bb/f/pbastjoseph – Nomination Form – St. Joseph

Section 19 of the Barbados National Honours and Decorations Act 2021 states the award of The Pride of Barbados may be conferred by the President in accordance with the Award of Pride of Barbados Act, 2019 (Act 2019-52).

The category and criteria of award available to be conferred on citizens of each parish in Barbados during We Gatherin’ 2025 are as follows:

PRIDE OF BARBADOS – awarded to a person who is a citizen of Barbados or is entitled to be registered as a citizen of Barbados, or is a permanent resident of Barbados and through sacrifice, diligence, and dedication to service has made an outstanding contribution to community life in a parish in Barbados or to the improvement of economic and social conditions in a parish in Barbados.

The awards shall be conferred on persons who reside in a parish in Barbados and who have been nominated by persons who live in the respective parish. They shall also be conferred on persons who formerly resided in a parish in Barbados but now reside outside Barbados, and who are nominated by persons who either reside in the parish or used to reside in the parish but now reside outside Barbados. (PR/GIS)

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ST LUCY RESIDENTS HONOURED

Ten distinguished residents of St. Lucy have be recognized for their exceptional service to community life, making them the first recipients of the We Gatherin’ 2025 Honours List.

The honorees, celebrated for their dedication across various sectors of society, were presented with commemorative pins during a ceremony at State House on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley commended the awardees for their unwavering commitment to improving the lives of their fellow parishioners. “Those of you here today represent individuals who, for decades and across different communities, have enriched the lives of others in St. Lucy,” she stated. “Because you have been nominated by your peers and parishioners, we are here to say thank you for your efforts.”

She further emphasized that many of the recipients had contributed selflessly, never expecting recognition. “When you were out in the fields or working with young people, no one was thinking about a reward. But as a nation and as a community, we have a duty to pause and express our gratitude.”

Among the awardees was Trevor Boyce, honored for his dedication to enhancing sporting infrastructure, particularly cricket, in St. Lucy. For the past 32 years, he has served as curator of the parish’s Lord’s Cricket Ground. A man unaccustomed to the spotlight, Boyce expressed his appreciation: “I feel deeply honored. While I don’t seek recognition, I am grateful to be here today.”

Fiona Griffith, known for her long-standing efforts in education, sports, and youth development, was also recognized. She encouraged Barbadians to take an active role in their communities. “I am a community person—I do a lot of work in St. Lucy and across Barbados. I was pleasantly surprised by this recognition, and I give thanks to God. I encourage more people to give back; it’s important, fulfilling, and shows that we care.”

Lyman Phillips, who was acknowledged for his outstanding service in healthcare, community leadership, and mental health advocacy over four decades, reflected on his deep connection to St. Lucy. “I am incredibly proud to receive this award. Having lived here for the past 51 years, I have been actively involved in the community. St. Lucy is a beautiful parish, and I hope to see more people engaging in community initiatives to keep our programs thriving.”

The We Gatherin’ 2025 Honours List aims to recognize those who have made significant contributions to their parishes, fostering a spirit of community and national pride.

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One Family gets fresh bread boost from Purity Bakeries

The cupboards of the One Family program, an initiative of the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, will be stocked with plenty of fresh bread for 2025.

One Family recently welcomed Purity Bakeries onto the programme’s growing extended support structure, with Purity committing to donating 100 loaves of freshly baked bread every two weeks for six months.

One Family Project Manager Nicole Daniel said the gesture was doubly appreciated as a tangible contribution to the well-being of vulnerable families and for reinforcing the One Family strategy of transformation through cooperative effort.

Purity’s Head of Sales, Distribution and Marketing, Ms. Angela Haynes, said the Company was pleased to play its part as an extended member of One Family. “We are delighted to contribute to the One Family effort, as freshly baked bread is an essential grocery item for Barbadian families and children who have just resumed the new school year,” Ms. Haynes stated.

CAPTION: Roseanne Keizer, Senior Family Empowerment Officer with the One Family Programme, is assisted by Mrs. Shemim Belgrave Greene, Marketing Coordinator, in collecting another 100 fresh loaves of bread from Purity Bakeries.