https://www.shaheinfitzpatrick.com/writings-1 daily 0.75 2023-09-10 https://www.shaheinfitzpatrick.com/writings-1/a-community-for-uwis-aspiring-entrepreneurs monthly 0.5 2023-09-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/d92c90b3-913e-4380-b6dc-d489f772dc7d/IMG_0004.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/d60a0f82-e99e-4c09-8eac-45c4299005d6/IMG_0010.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/0942f7fa-8a75-4ac5-b949-75bb09fbaa3c/IMG_0006.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/329cf771-2c4a-4335-be09-478ca22d0f9e/IMG_0017.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs - Numerous students explored the many clubs the school provides during the club time period, which is held on Thursdays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., eager and ready for the new adventure. President Amarny Anthony spoke about the goals of the school's Entrepreneurship Club, which intrigued many new members. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/ec6f8832-c85e-4769-95bf-9c4fbc31bc00/IMG_0016.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs - Make it stand out President Amarny on the right and PRO Kiara on the left https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/50b4d64e-35d4-441f-983d-602f33d3bc63/IMG_0003.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs - Each new member received a product and a two-minute allotment of time to promote it. Although many of the youngsters were first nervous they all eventually warmed up and took part with excitement. In appreciation for their efforts, they were given cupcakes and finger foods. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/3bdd640d-549e-4618-8018-9d8eda6afe45/IMG_0019.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/e131cc54-1b3f-4451-8a79-4a5ab75773e4/IMG_0009.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/09ef315e-f5ae-4e02-821c-28a57c2023f2/IMG_0014.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/2efa1a39-9c5b-4d87-af85-29b018e1653a/IMG_0015.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/8d2dadb3-18cb-4d29-b5d5-43be892050a5/IMG_0005.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/66761198-bdc8-4629-a926-c162dea1971e/IMG_0002.jpg Writings - A Community for UWI’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.shaheinfitzpatrick.com/writings-1/cityscapes-bigdreams-urbanscenes-jza2c monthly 0.5 2023-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/3a7eb48e-2acb-425b-8d28-7e03893cc2e7/b3.jpg Writings - CityScapes: BigDreams UrbanScenes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/8cf452ae-f566-488d-8e2b-007570b0f659/12.jpg Writings - CityScapes: BigDreams UrbanScenes - “If some ghetto youths sit down and tell you what they want to do and so, what they want to become and so, and they get a little support to do that, I bet you will see the best come out of them,” Charles said. “Some people have only one narrative about youths from the ghetto and it shouldn’t be that way,” Matthew concurred. “You have to have a street mind to live in the streets and around street people.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/7872c591-4b05-46f3-9bdd-524a4686bce7/b2.jpg Writings - CityScapes: BigDreams UrbanScenes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/d94fd000-884f-437a-85b5-909f203e8ab2/b6.jpg Writings - CityScapes: BigDreams UrbanScenes They shared that they are working towards creating an entertainment business, where Matthew will function as the entrepreneur and Charles will function as the artist who will create content and recruit other musicians to join their productions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/6591569f-cc5a-4bc9-a641-692d8d084ab8/b5.jpg Writings - CityScapes: BigDreams UrbanScenes “We are still going through our trials, tribulations, process and struggles,” Matthew explained. “Because of the corona, things slow down, people lose their jobs, we can’t really go to the studio and record much because there are no jobs there, no money there to record.” He said support is a big factor too. “If support was there, things would have already got established, the groundwork would have already been there, we would have already been on our way,” Matthew said. “We have to make it happen regardless; if you nuh risk anything, you risk everything,” Charles said. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/1ed384c0-8755-4459-97f7-56f15e9d72bd/b7.jpg Writings - CityScapes: BigDreams UrbanScenes The pair shared some lyrics from one of the songs they created, written by Charles. The words encapsulate their experiences so far – and their hopes for the future. “Growing up in the streets wasn’t easy, didn’t have no guidance from nobody, heading for my food when I’m hungry, count me lucky, serving got me money. “Go through a lot of trials and tribulations, too strong, could ah let them put me down, amma climb to the top of the ladder.” https://www.shaheinfitzpatrick.com/writings-1/women-prove-age-is-no-barrier-to-launching-innovate-farming-enterprise monthly 0.5 2023-05-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/e36c8099-4d47-436b-91d2-1a00d17b20ea/5.jpg Writings - Women prove age is no barrier to launching innovate farming enterprise - Story & Photos by Shahein Fitzpatrick Story & Photos by Shahein Fitzpatrick A trio of local women who are making waves in the farming sector have shared how their successful partnership came about, the challenges they face and the importance of local entrepreneurship. Roberta Williams, 72, is proud to be the oldest of the business team, which also includes Carolyn McCoy, 60, and Kathleen Forde. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/042f5cb4-cbaa-4663-be7d-42aba4d515fc/11.jpg Writings - Women prove age is no barrier to launching innovate farming enterprise - “We are a part of Seasonz; that is the name of our business. Roberta and I are agriculturists by training, Carolyn is a banker by training, we are all now into agriculture,” Forde told Observer. She said the farming venture the ladies launched earlier this year in Freemans Village uses the soil-less practice of hydroponics. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/a0b076aa-a30d-4f9b-8e91-a23741aa8668/2.jpg Writings - Women prove age is no barrier to launching innovate farming enterprise - “There are different types of hydroponics; ours is the nutrient film technique. It basically has the nutrients in the water which pass over the roots and provide the nutrients for the plants,” Forde explained. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/51904bfa-1e46-4aa2-9339-8ab71bc5a3b2/10.jpg Writings - Women prove age is no barrier to launching innovate farming enterprise - “We have three different types of lettuce thus far – romaine, green leaf and red leaf. We anticipate that we will go into other leafy products in the future such as kale, arugula, and other sorts of shallow-rooted, greeny leaf products. “The beauty about the hydroponics system is that it recycles the water, and we are helping the environment in terms of conserving water,” Forde said. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/9cfd1348-dd57-4946-be4f-a816612963d3/9.jpg Writings - Women prove age is no barrier to launching innovate farming enterprise - Make it stand out Williams said hydroponics is less physically gruelling than traditional farming. “In terms of dealing with our age, it is much easier on us rather than having to farm in the ground,” she said. She continued that she had been looking for a way to bring in an income when she retired two years ago. The idea came about during discussions with Forde. “The Gard Centre, where I used to work, was actually doing some training and that gave us a great idea of the possibility of us going into this area,” Williams said. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/d8f58b69-02f2-4a9a-a795-864a49cc1d43/13.jpg Writings - Women prove age is no barrier to launching innovate farming enterprise - McCoy said she had retired from Antigua Commercial Bank in November after 35 years. “The timing was right and it provided an opportunity to do something different, something new, something out of doors. “I like the outdoors. Whereas at the bank I was more often inside or with air conditioning, this project suited me,” she explained. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/3f58e94f-8c70-4cf5-b96c-47c7ca963b35/Age+Wisdom+Strenght+%281%29-2.jpg Writings - Women prove age is no barrier to launching innovate farming enterprise - Make it stand out McCoy added, “It is important that we hone our skills as local people and produce and try to get our people to buy and support what is ours. This helps citizenship, it helps who we are as a nation, it helps us to produce our own, eat our own, like our own, appreciate our own.” Williams said the Covid-19 pandemic had increased the need for the country to be more self-sufficient and “serious” about local business. “Having our own local businesses, supplying food, clothing, whatever else it is, is extremely important,” she said. “We need to support our local craftsmen, our local businessmen and women, whatever is local. Good stuff can come out of Antigua if we put our minds to it,” Forde said. “We can do so much if we don’t see the other persons as our competitor, but as building critical mass within our country.” Williams agreed, saying, working together and pooling resources is key. Forde added, “We are happy with what we are doing, that we are able to contribute, we are happy to be producing and not just simply consuming.” https://www.shaheinfitzpatrick.com/writings-1/naturalist-aims-to-encourage-caribbean-women-to-be-their-authentic-selves monthly 0.5 2022-12-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/adc8cb88-82b2-46b9-9447-7866497575cc/m.jpg Writings - Naturalist aims to encourage Caribbean women to be their ‘authentic selves’ - Story & Photos by Shahein Fitzpatrick A local naturalist has shared why she gave up her pursuit of becoming a lawyer to study herbal remedies. Saran Davis told Observer how she uses her passion to bring healing to local women. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/cf735c8e-e8f9-4516-8e54-14517ea056aa/2.jpg Writings - Naturalist aims to encourage Caribbean women to be their ‘authentic selves’ “As women, even though we share the same issues, you might be surprised at how secretive we still are; certain things are very much still taboo,” she explained. “Many women would come into my store with their families and friends and wait until they reach home to reach out to me, to talk about the issues they face.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/6163532c-cf5b-4955-9091-783ecafadaf1/x.jpg Writings - Naturalist aims to encourage Caribbean women to be their ‘authentic selves’ She said many of the solutions to the health issues afflicting women are simpler than they think; it could be as simple as a lack of sunlight or the need to change one’s diet. On Sunday, Davis filmed a commercial at Cedar Valley Golf Course with clients, family and friends to promote her ‘My Herbox’ line of products which includes feminine hygiene items. “Sunday was a celebration of being natural, being our authentic self, being comfortable in our own skins,” she continued. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/d5b4bdbe-44c9-49b6-bea4-6e7ffa8340b5/4.jpg Writings - Naturalist aims to encourage Caribbean women to be their ‘authentic selves’ “Everybody was adorned differently, everybody just shined in their own way. That’s the beauty about it too. When you bring women together, people tend to think that it’s always competitive, but my experience has always been very different and I don’t know if it’s a testament to who I am. “When I interact with women, especially doing business and things of that nature, I find it to be a fellowship and camaraderie as opposed to having to outdo each other.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/87c4cc53-5b2a-49cb-b111-abd65bef4860/6.jpg Writings - Naturalist aims to encourage Caribbean women to be their ‘authentic selves’ Davis said Caribbean women are often influenced by other cultures, which sees them stray from the region’s natural roots. “Part of it is being fed by other people’s culture and trying to embrace it and to fit into that, such as their beauty standards. “Going natural has always been the way for us; that’s who we are, we are natural people.” She explained that she has a law degree which is the path she was previously on but realised she would only be doing it for financial gain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/0fc33555-0425-46a7-984f-90a5ebdb1aef/7.jpg Writings - Naturalist aims to encourage Caribbean women to be their ‘authentic selves’ - Make it stand out “I started trying to decipher what it is that is for me; I was trying to find purpose and calling and things of that nature. “The next year, I lost my aunt to cancer and at the time I had gone to visit her trying to figure out what school to attend and what I was going to do and things like that. “Seeing a functioning woman decline to a shell and come back to Antigua and die was very pivotal for me. “It definitely opened my eyes and … I started questioning things.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/20adda15-2f0a-4863-bfc0-8315b9007330/1.jpg Writings - Naturalist aims to encourage Caribbean women to be their ‘authentic selves’ Davis said she was now on a crusade to encourage others to lead healthier lives. “If we are trying to fight cancer, why are we eating cancerous foods? That is a question that stayed with me and it pushed me directly into this sphere of natural healing,” she added. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/2a17b561-8816-4775-a217-a32014906665/3.jpg Writings - Naturalist aims to encourage Caribbean women to be their ‘authentic selves’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.shaheinfitzpatrick.com/writings-1/heartbroken-mother-cries-for-help monthly 0.5 2023-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/381051ea-5126-4bea-b94d-ed07a6f03aee/1+%282%29.jpg Writings - Heartbroken mother cries for help - Story & Photos by Shahein Fitzpatrick The only photo Jacklyn Hazel owns of her son is the one that appears on his tattered funeral programme. The heartbroken 45-year-old, grandmother of one, and single mother of five, lost her beloved eldest son to sickle cell when he was just 25, on April 26 of this year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/cc52b290-7404-4db3-a388-ffa64a459ba8/1+%289%29.jpg Writings - Heartbroken mother cries for help She added that one of her daughters, Alisha Hazel, also has sickle cell. Jacklyn Hazel, who resides in the village of Ottos, is also facing potential homelessness. In a conversation with Observer media, she divulged, “The people for this place want it by next month. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/9ffbd62e-819f-4f6a-9435-489156f8187c/1+%283%29.jpg Writings - Heartbroken mother cries for help “I have to find a place by next month because they are going to break down here and build an upstairs and downstairs structure. “I am going to have to find a place to stay, and I haven’t found a place yet; they give me until next month to move out. “I am stressed out every day, trying to find a place. “These people are pressuring me to get out because they need their place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/8fe7923d-57d2-4e2c-b4f0-0fc6210d89cd/1+%281%29.jpg Writings - Heartbroken mother cries for help “At the moment, I am trying to find a place to live, I’m also trying to find a job because it’s not easy raising children on your own.” Hazel went on to share how she feels as a single mother: “It’s not easy but I am still trying my best. I am struggling every day, but I am still trying my best with my children and them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/9bc1b6ae-c8fb-4cbb-baef-aa98f09680a3/1+%288%29.jpg Writings - Heartbroken mother cries for help “My mother raised eleven of us, and she didn’t have a father around to help raise us; she raised eleven of us on her own, six girls and five boys. “One of them died, I had a brother who died a couple years ago, he just got a baby and died.” She added, “We were poor, my mother struggled with us, we didn’t have current, we didn’t have a TV, we didn’t have a stove and all that, my mother usually cooked on coal pots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/b4716953-d2a4-452d-8575-b8cf42ecc03c/1+%287%29.jpg Writings - Heartbroken mother cries for help “I want a better life for my children than living in a place and people saying they want their place, and I have to go up and down here and there with them.” Hazel also shared why the owners for the home that she now occupies aren’t taking any rent: “The owner of this place know me as a little girl growing up; and had a friendship relationship with my father. “They used to play domino and all of that; that is the reason why they put me here because of the relationship. “My father was a painter and he had a lot of friends, his name is Oslyn Hazel; this year is going to make it four years since he died; he had a stroke, he was in a coma and he died. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/d0003db9-a5e0-4efa-8491-5aea91ebddb1/1+%286%29.jpg Writings - Heartbroken mother cries for help “I want better treatment for my daughter with sickness, she is sick with sickle cell. “My son wasn’t getting enough care, that’s why he died, I don’t want the same thing happening to my daughter. “She does get a lot of pain, when she gets a lot of pain, she cries and says she wants to die. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/cf330168-bb02-4e1f-bd5e-5023dbbb1ad9/1+%285%29.jpg Writings - Heartbroken mother cries for help Alisha Hazel is presently entering second form at the Clarehall Secondary School. She shared that Integrated Science is her favorite subject. “I want to be a doctor or a nurse, so when I am sick, I know how to tend to myself and tend to sick people,” she said. She and her mom added, “We don’t have light or water and we do not have a stove.” Alisha said, “I feel angry because these people round here, every time we fall out, they always curse us and say we don’t have water, light and so forth. “It’s kind of upsetting and stressing because they are making fun of my children, and I don’t like that. https://www.shaheinfitzpatrick.com/writings-1/youths-find-strength-and-grow-through-adversity monthly 0.5 2022-08-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/e18adcba-c6b6-490d-9d70-c457db89b544/1+%2812%29.jpg Writings - Youths find strength and grow through adversity - Story & photos by Shahein Fittzpatrick Two youths who overcame the odds to graduate from secondary school have spoken about the obstacles they faced, what life is like for them in their communities, and their vision for the future. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/a39f8d8d-06a5-40e7-bfd8-cea5c1be2382/1+%2813%29.jpg Writings - Youths find strength and grow through adversity Isaiah Semple, from Golden Grove, and Jayden Holding, from Hatton, said they have known each other since primary school, have grown up together and are still friends today. Both 17, they recently completed their education at Ottos Comprehensive School. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/ae4553c6-c8b2-4d4b-935e-dc7b3da8a60b/1+%2811%29.jpg Writings - Youths find strength and grow through adversity “Being at Otto’s is alright nuh but people up there they like fighting, drugs at school, some people bring cutlass to school, knives, and all kinds of things,” Holding said. Semple explained, “You have to like, stay away from people at that school.” Both young men said it was a great feeling of achievement to finish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/aaffa78a-8231-466d-a1d5-dfcd2e970951/1+%284%29.jpg Writings - Youths find strength and grow through adversity - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/771ea315-cc60-4dfd-b78b-8a27232a1a2a/1+%2810%29.jpg Writings - Youths find strength and grow through adversity Semple continued, “I always think I wouldn’t finish school nuh. Third form coming up, I had a bad attitude. I never used to like to do work and so, but after a while I changed. I started doing my work and getting grades up.” The teens went on to share that they were often told they would make nothing of their lives because of the communities that they are from and the school they attended. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/edd7fba5-821f-4689-a8d8-02dde75ebc59/1+%2814%29.jpg Writings - Youths find strength and grow through adversity “People such as the teachers,” Holding explained. Semple agreed, saying, “Some teachers would say I not going to finish school.” “They have teachers that already came into our class and call us dunce, just so,” said Holding. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/c5c3111b-7313-4ac1-8f46-8f19edfd0e5d/1+%2815%29.jpg Writings - Youths find strength and grow through adversity - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/757c8970-f92b-4123-86b1-a140e20ee0e7/1+%2816%29.jpg Writings - Youths find strength and grow through adversity The young men told Observer they would cut grass and do odd jobs to make ends meet for themselves and their families. They explained that they work as a team, sometimes walking more than a mile to cut grass and occasionally working on more than three yards a day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/53974811-443c-458d-b5c8-23e9e9624360/1+%2817%29.jpg Writings - Youths find strength and grow through adversity Their evenings are spent catching crabs, going to the pond to swim, catching fish to cook – and dreaming of a brighter future. Holding says his goal is to be a singer, while Semple wants to become a football player and travel the world. https://www.shaheinfitzpatrick.com/writings-1/one-of-the-nations-homeless-tells-his-story monthly 0.5 2022-08-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/3ba9cc8c-495c-4a75-bdf2-9a981d854efb/H2.jpg Writings - One of the nation’s homeless tells his story - Story and photos by Shahein Fitzpatrick Many pass by homeless people daily, but only a few will wonder how they became homeless. Yesterday a homeless man Kelroy Curtis Samuels shared a small portion of his story. Samuels told Observer that he moved to America when he was 13 years old with his mom and lived in the Bronx, including other parts of that country. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/913ad13b-a969-4bbf-899f-95ea462f4eb3/H4.jpg Writings - One of the nation’s homeless tells his story Samuels went on to share that he was only supposed to stay in the US for six months but his mother died and he ended up staying there for 19 years. As a result of over staying in that country, he was deported to Antigua in 2009. The 43-year-old shared that as a child he wasn’t aware or had any knowledge that a person can overstay their visit in a country that requires a visa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/36e87210-f32b-4f5f-a8c1-e9c6e032422a/H1.jpg Writings - One of the nation’s homeless tells his story He shared that he was only a child and therefore had no knowledge of that type of information. When asked about his parents, Samuels shared, that his mother is dead, he did not share whether or not his father is alive, nor did he go into detail about his relatives. When asked what he does to survive and make money, Samuels said, “I go to persons in the work offices and ask them to wash their cars” He uses the money he earns to purchase food, he added. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/036feb32-b0c5-4143-9815-ecff9dc8a495/H3.jpg Writings - One of the nation’s homeless tells his story - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.shaheinfitzpatrick.com/writings-1/defence-force-working-to-boost-food-security monthly 0.5 2023-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/73c18d05-68b3-467e-bf7c-aae12a89e0f9/2.jpg Writings - Defence Force working to boost food security - Story and photos by Shahein Fitzpatrick The Defence Force has gone beyond its duty to protect and to serve through a farming initiative aimed at increasing food security. As a part of their 39th anniversary and overall vision, the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force welcomed Prime Minister Gaston Browne who visited the Crabbs training facility yesterday to see firsthand the project’s progress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/900c5f88-e4ce-4d1d-945b-86a45136734f/1.jpg Writings - Defence Force working to boost food security According to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Telbert Benjamin, four of the force’s 120 acres of land are currently being farmed, and they have an additional five acres which they are hoping to use to expand their production. Benjamin said that Prime Minister Browne had indicated that the force would receive support to construct a dam within an earmarked five-acre site. Benjamin stated, “The idea behind this is to support the overall food security process, inclusive of what we need as a Defence Force and what other entities within Antigua and Barbuda need. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/3cd19ed2-e817-46d5-8f54-e76a80e8faf6/6.jpg Writings - Defence Force working to boost food security “We are looking primarily at being able to support, in the not too distant future, the Fiennes Institute as well as one of the [psychiatric] hospitals, with the produce that we get from here. “The food that has been prepared up here over the past months have gone exclusively to the kitchens of the Antigua Barbuda Defence Force. “During the month of April, we were able to produce somewhere in the region of about 2,000 pounds of butternut squash, pumpkins and I think over 15,000 pounds of watermelons, and all of those went into our resources,” he explained. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/3c730a94-3804-446a-88ec-aeeb321b69d6/5.jpg Writings - Defence Force working to boost food security “Plus, we have been able to make some small donations to the soup kitchen in St John’s and a few other charitable organisations. “That has been a part of our testing phase, we tested it and we have proven that we can actually produce.” Benjamin added, “One of the things we as a defence force do is make sure we build capacity among our individuals, among our soldiers here. “My expectations as CDS is that no one comes in here and leaves empty handed; you must leave with some form of skill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/badb165d-e7b4-4b88-97fa-254853ee954d/4.jpg Writings - Defence Force working to boost food security “What we are aiming to do is ensure that our soldiers and sailors have something that they can take away from here, and not only take away for their own need, but take away for the national need as well.” PM Browne said he was “very pleased” with the farm’s progress. “About two years ago we held discussions with the then commander and the leadership of the Antigua Barbuda Defence Force to broaden the contribution of the Antigua Barbuda Defence Force to include a contribution to food security,” he said. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/a7cc792d-80fc-4d07-8250-ba7ced1518ed/3.jpg Writings - Defence Force working to boost food security - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/d94db2b2-d761-4f27-9f1a-6b89a53daaf3/8.jpg Writings - Defence Force working to boost food security “Our country’s economy would have been desolated by Covid, in fact Covid in essence would have exposed the food insecurity of our country and we would have seen an increase in the production in the last several months as the commander indicated.” Browne added, “They’re not only producing food for themselves but they’re also supplying for various institutions. “The plan now is to expand the facilities here, to expand the farm and also to broaden the extent of the animal husbandry to include the production of eggs and to have broilers as well.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601a1f3d4db70c0088d4d873/defac824-c2e9-4517-962a-ba37f29b612f/9.jpg Writings - Defence Force working to boost food security - 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