The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is pleased to announce that after a successful trial period, it will continue to provide students with e-certificates across the region.
While CXC will still be offering the traditional paper-based certificate, students who have registered unique and valid e-mail addresses, will now have the option to acquire their official certification through Blockcerts or blockchain based credentials as a FREE downloadable E-Certificate in a digital format, immediately available to students on their electronic devices once the certificate is ready and available.
The CXC ambitiously kicked off the first regional blockchain-based credential project last October, by issuing E-Certificates to a select group of 24,000 students from Barbados and Trinidad who sat the 2018 May/June examinations. Now students from across the region will be able to download their certificates conveniently, securely and quickly onto their devices, once available.
CXC Registrar/CEO Glenroy Cumberbatch said, “Serving 19 countries – this is the first explicitly multi-national implementation of digital credentials designed specifically to maximised cross-border employability and transferability of skills in the region. From inception, our primary goal was to empower students to have ownership of their records and be able to share them in a secure way, with whomever they choose”.
“The move was also to boost security and transferability of official examinations records. It also helps to prevent loss of official records. The blockchain, combined with strong cryptography, provides a new security infrastructure that guarantees the authenticity of these records and enables convenient verification,” he added
CXC E-Certificates will be offered for Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam (CAPE), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC).
Mr. Cumberbatch said E-Certificates add value to students and to the recipients of the E-certificate: “Students can now have their original record in their possession and control how it is used. They can choose to share their CXC E-Certificate publicly, like on a social media, or send it privately by email or text message. They can even link it to their resume, public portfolio, or applications, so that people like potential employers can verify their qualifications with the click of a button”.
“E-Certificates are tamper-proof and registered on the Bitcoin blockchain, so they can be shared to Colleges, University, and Clearing Houses as well. Once received the recipients of the E-Certificates can be independently verified it anywhere. This is all free to our students receiving their e-credentials as well as to the colleges, university and potential employers who can now verify certificates immediately. Verification only requires a mobile device or web browser,” Mr. Cumberbatch explained further.
CXC partnered with Learning Machine in June 2018 to collaborate and develop this open-source standard for blockchain based records for Caribbean students, Kausar N. Samli, Learning Machine Senior Vice President of Global Services, said, “CXC is among an elite group of institutions that are leading the charge globally for the issuance of secure, portable, and shareable digital credentials. CXC is now building upon last fall’s successful launch of Blockcerts for issuance of official student records. From this March, the next batch of students will be receiving Blockcerts that will empower them with individual ownership of their official records in a digital format that is portable and easily shareable.”

– Press Release

Signing with BITT Inc – SEATED: L-R: Governor, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank – Timothy N. J. Antoine and CEO of Bitt Inc., Rawdon Adams; STANDING: L-R: Deputy Director, Legal Services Department, ECCB – Gillian Skerritt; General Counsel & Company Secretary, Bitt Inc., Sade N. Jemmott at signing of the contract to conduct a blockchain-issued Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot within the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union – 21 February 2019

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and the Barbados-based fintech company, Bitt Inc. (Bitt) have signed a contract to conduct a blockchain-issued Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot within the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU).

The watershed contract was signed on 21 February at the ECCB’s headquarters in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.
This ECCB CBDC pilot is the first of its kind and will involve a securely minted and issued digital version of the EC dollar (DXCD). The digital EC dollar will be distributed and used by Licensed Financial Institutions and Non-Bank Financial Institutions in the ECCU. The DXCD will be used for financial transactions between consumers and merchants, including peer-to-peer transactions, all using smart devices. For example, an individual in St Kitts and Nevis will be able to send DXCD securely from his/her smartphone to a friend in Grenada in seconds and at no cost to either party.

The Governor of the ECCB, Timothy N. J. Antoine, emphasised that in contrast to previous CBDC research and experiments, the ECCB is going a step further.

“This is not an academic exercise. Not only will the digital EC Dollar be the world’s first digital legal tender currency to be issued by a central bank on blockchain but this pilot is also a live CBDC deployment with a view to an eventual phased public rollout. The pilot is part of the ECCB’s Strategic Plan 2017-2021 which aims to help reduce cash usage within the ECCU by 50 per cent, promote greater financial sector stability, and expedite the growth and development of our member countries. It would be a game-changer for the way we do business”.
CEO of Bitt Inc., Rawdon Adams, said, “I thank the ECCB for choosing Bitt. Our mission is the practical application of cutting edge technology to solve persistent financial problems. It is about a successful currency union building on its impressive record of financial stability, development and integration to deliver a quantum improvement to the lives of all its 630,000 citizens. Enhancing economic growth and the quality of life of ordinary people is the aim.”
The ECCB is now poised to embark on the DXCD pilot from March. The pilot will be executed in two phases: development and testing, for about 12 months, followed by rollout and implementation in pilot countries for about six months. As part of pilot implementation, the ECCB will ramp up its sensitisation and education initiatives to facilitate active public engagement throughout all its member countries.

The ECCB is being technically supported on this Project by Pinaka Consulting Ltd.

– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)

Mrs. Susan Smith

Education Officer, Mrs. Susan Smith, who has responsibility for Preschools and Primary Schools in Anguilla, is being given some additional duties to improve the care and learning system.

This was announced by Minister of Education, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, while addressing the opening ceremony for Early Childhood Month on Tuesday, March 5.
“Looking forward this year, our Education Officer, Pre/Primary, Mrs. Susan Smith, will be taking the lead in introducing a Care for Child Development Programme to Anguilla with the assistance of UNICEF,” the Minister disclosed. “This stimulation and social support programme, aimed at parents, careers and health workers, will show them how to use ordinary household items to engage children in stimulation exercises, and through play and communication, to learn how to be responsive and sensitive to their needs.”

The Minister added that it was believed that this was an important step in ensuring that children have a good foundation and can benefit from early life experiences.

Chief Minister Victor Banks

The following is the text of an address delivered by Anguilla’s, Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks in Tahiti, French Polynesia.

Mr. Chairman, I am grateful for the opportunity to make this intervention on behalf of the British Overseas Territories on the occasion of this the 17th OCT-EU Forum here in beautiful Tahiti, French Polynesia. And having used that adjective to describe your country, Mr. Chairman I must also proceed to commend you and your team for making our experience here both enjoyable and memorable.

Indeed you have exceeded your promise made to us in Brussels last year that, 2019 in Tahiti would be exceptional. To use a colloquial expression in our region: “You have certainly wowed us!” It has been awesome.

Mr. Chairman, the UK Overseas Territories represented at this forum participated in all the discussions over the past week with as much enthusiasm as when we began seventeen years ago. The specter of BREXIT that has been creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for our territories over the last two years did not deter us from focusing on the important issues that impact all of our countries; nor from committing ourselves to strategic planning that would provide viable solutions.

It is obvious, Mr. Chairman, that this stubborn adherence to the principles on which our partnership was founded transcends any considerations of the outcome of the BREXIT negotiations. The issue is not how to deal with BREXIT — but rather how to deal with the common challenges we must confront as highly vulnerable communities on a daily basis, BREXIT notwithstanding.

However, Mr. Chairman, despite our proximity to the ostriches in Australia, this must not be interpreted as “burying our heads in the sand” with the hope that BREXIT will go away. On the contrary, we must realize that the outcome of BREXIT is beyond our control and we must therefore focus on what we can control, namely, creating sustainable and resilient environments for our people. The issue then becomes how do we continue to engage the partnerships that have been working for us in an architecture that may quickly change.

It is important at this juncture to put into perspective the historic ties that exist between the British OCT’s and the EU as well as those between the OCT’s themselves. Of particular mention is, the relationship between Anguilla and St. Maarten/St. Martin; Pitcairn and French Polynesia; Montserrat and Guadeloupe, and so on.

These ties run the whole gamut of relationships including cultural, social, familial, commercial; economic; and even existential in the case of medical and health support.

Indeed, all OCT’s are linked by common challenges and situations whether as a direct result of our geography; our size; remoteness and isolation; diseconomies of scale; scarcity of developmental options; vulnerability; exposure to devastating natural disasters; as well as the pervasive impacts Climate Change. And there are many more.

Many of these real situations are not constrained by borders or other sovereign constructs and agreements. They will remain long after our administering powers decide on their national agendas and future direction.

But even amidst the uncertainties surrounding these deliberations the British OCT’s find an element of comfort in the fact that in the new draft Association of the Overseas Countries and Territories with the European Union on the one hand, and Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark on the other — provision has been made for the possibility of cooperation with ACP’s, OR’s and other Territorial arrangements. This represents a subtle acknowledgement of the importance placed on continuing our present engagements in the face of a redesigned architecture.

It needs to be repeated here that the British OCT’s fully respect and understand the democratic process that brought us to this place — as well as the right of the electorate in Britain to decide on these issues. However, we strongly believe that since their decision has greatly impacted us as members of the British family there must be some consideration, even a moral responsibility, to help us to navigate the resulting challenges that may attend us. We sincerely believe that despite the silence with regards such concerns during this period of negotiations — our administrative member will not let us down.

We were very grateful when the Head of the Delegation from New Caledonia at the OCTA Ministerial Conference on Wednesday tabled his support for finding a way for British OCT’s to remain within the OCT framework even after BREXIT. Indeed his remarks began a refrain that I am certain warmed the hearts of every single member of the British OCT family in the room.

We believe that these expressions of solidarity indicate that our seventeen years as an association will not been squandered. And that the importance of cooperation and building strategic alliances, in confronting our several challenges, have been clearly established and recognized.

We must accept that any arrangement post a possible BREXIT must include the UK Government. We therefore call on the UK leadership to live up to its promise of a Global Britain defined as a nation that will continue to be concerned for the plight of vulnerable associations like OCTA in a challenging world environment. This includes its (the UK’s) stated commitment to ensuring that ongoing projects involving its OCT’s in any new arrangement are maintained.

Equally, we expect that the EU must also understand that its global agenda demands that it does not ignore the importance of the British OCT’s to the sustainability and success of OCTA projects now on the drawing board as well as those already being implemented.

Indeed, it would be foolhardy to expect that regional and thematic issues now being managed inclusive of British OCT’s will remain viable without their participation. The concept of Oceans, as an example, flies in the face of any such thinking. To go a step further let me acknowledge the adage from the head of delegation from Bonaire that a close neighbour is better than a distant family.

I also would like to offer into evidence the statement made by a Caribbean historian when he wrote: “The dilemma of many Caribbean islands is that we often turn our backs on our neighbours and our faces towards Europe.”

I would hope that our European friends do not misinterpret this quotation as a suggestion that we do not appreciate their generosity — but rather as a recognition of the fact that all solutions for our challenges requires a clear understanding of the realities of the space we occupy as OCT’s. And most importantly that we cannot create sustainable projects without regard for all the territories that are a part of the universe we are addressing. I am using the term universe deliberately because I am not only speaking about geographical proximity but thematic concerns as well.

The kind words of the EU Commissioner Mimica today have been extremely encouraging for the British OCT family at this time of uncertainty. I acknowledge his sincere assurances that even in the worse case scenario British OT’s as well as the United Kingdom will never be regarded or treated as an ordinary third party. We wish Commissioner Mimica well as he now moves on from this tenure of service to the Community and its family.

Mr. Chairman, I want to close with what I believe is the objective of this relationship between the European Union and the OCT’s. It was stated in the original OAD decision in 1991 as well as those that followed. To paraphrase it briefly, the objective is to assist the OCT’s into developing robust and sustainable economies to meet the needs of our people.

It is therefore not about ongoing “welfarism” (to coin a term) but rather a respectable and mutually beneficial relationship that will lead to the ability of the OCT’s to maintain themselves without handouts.

Let me on behalf of the British OCT’s thank the European Union for living up to this mandate and continually getting better at it.

This sustainable and resilient development is what we seek. But we cannot achieve it without strengthening the bonds of cooperation and understanding that we have begun to cherish. We appreciate the contribution that our administering power and the European Union as a community has made to assist us in that enterprise — but we continue to strive to advance the cause of our own development in the face of the possible challenge of a changing architecture over which we may have no control.

Let me take this opportunity once more to reiterate our thanks to our hosts and the organizers of this Forum for the excellent arrangements they have made. And thank you Mr. Chairman for so ably chairing these deliberations and providing me the opportunity to make this statement on behalf of the British OCT family.

I thank you all for your kind attention.

In today’s world it is hard to determine what is real and what is not. We are bombarded by images on television and social media that have been altered in some way but presented as being authentic and real. The term fake news, though made popular by US President Trump, has taken on new significance as there are in fact a growing number of seemingly real media outlets worldwide that earn profit by peddling false, mostly sensational, information. Deciphering truth from fiction in the written word, or even what is fake from what is authentic in photographs, now requires detective type investigation. When you add to this the growing trend of body enhancements, or what I would call fake body-parts, things start to get ridiculously confusing.

The world seems to be obsessed with image. More important than spending time with your family and interacting with friends, seems to be how many Facebook friends you can accumulate, how many likes your pictures on Instagram can attract, and what people (who don’t even know you) think of you. I witnessed the other day a toddler and his mom and dad walk into a restaurant. The toddler called his mom over and over, but his mom paid him no attention whatsoever. Instead, she held her phone high in the air while she turned her face, fixed her hair and puckered her lips to get the best angle for her selfie. For several minutes she worked on getting her photo right and paid no attention to the child, except for a brief moment when she pulled him into the picture, along with his dad, for a ‘happy’ family photo. Once that was accomplished, the toddler went on calling her while she ignored him and busied herself with her phone.

The sad thing is that social media obsession, for many persons, is getting in the way of building meaningful relationships with the people who should truly matter. While social media posts may get persons the attention they crave — from people they hardly know — the picture they paint of themselves is hardly ever real. Mostly, we get a snapshot of their seemingly perfect lives but never the full story. They use their posts to create an image of themselves that they want the world to believe exists. Some people need this for validation, but it is unhealthy.

What was intended as a platform for social interaction has turned into a race for attention, a competition for who has the best life, idea, children, social cause and the list goes on. While there are many positive uses of social media, it has sadly become a breeding ground for feelings of envy, inadequacy and low self-worth for those who do not have a large following, or who believe all the hype posted by others. This, coupled with the reality that an increased presence on social media results in a corresponding decrease in face to face human interaction, is troubling. Social media is a tool and should never have such prominence in our lives — and take up so much of our time — that we become slaves to it to the detriment of other things. If both parents and children are absorbed with social media, when is there time for bonding, teaching the importance of family, imparting morals and values? How are social skills being taught: how to get along with others, how to demonstrate kindness and compassion, how to communicate orally? When are children taught to be less self-absorbed and to be of service to others in the community?

Perhaps if we took our eyes off the screen for a moment, we would recognize that our time is better invested in building strong families and friendships the old-fashioned way. How much more meaningful our lives would be if, rather than focusing on taking selfies, our focus was on building better communities.

L-R Harris Richardson, Valarie Hodge, Horace Brooks,
Gloria Kelsick & Ralph Hodge

Following a preview in The Anguillian newspaper, several weeks ago, the unique octagon-shaped Crocus Bay Gazebo was officially opened on Sunday, March 3, in the presence of a large gathering.
It was a well-organised and proud event for the self-help group, the executive members, and persons from the neighbouring communities who, in some way or another, even by residency, were all involved in the making of the gazebo.

The Treasurer, Mr. Ralph Hodge, one of the main speakers at the event, and the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Harris Richardson, were among a number of persons who declared that the colourful, spacious and multi-purpose gazebo was “a must-see for tourists”. Further, to accomplish that, they called for the building, which replaced the Hurricane Irma destroyed old tamarind tree – a former place of relaxation and domino games – to be placed on the Tourist Board’s list of tours. They were not disappointed because, on the following day, a group of tourists from the cruise ship, Odyssey Seabourn, were taken by Lively Island Tours on a guided tour of the historic beach where the gazebo is nestled.
The high-beach-ground gazebo, attractively painted in the national colours of Anguilla, and with several of the island’s official flags fluttering aloft at its eight sides, was dedicated by retired Anglican and Methodist Ministers, Reverends Menes Hodge and Dustan Richardson respectively. They represented the twinned north and south communities where the residents are predominantly either Anglicans or Methodists.

Ms Ruby Reid Connor cutting ribbon assisted by David Lloyd

The ribbon, at the entrance to the community gazebo, was cut by 98-year-old Ruby Reid-Connor, mother of Ralph Hodge, who lived and worked in the area all her life. She was assisted by Mr. David Lloyd, one of the family proprietors of the nearby daVida Restaurant and other surrounding properties.
Mr. Hodge, known for his long financial experience and ability in the Anguilla Public Service, was regarded as the right person to be the Treasurer for the gazebo project. With its financial records at his fingertips, he reported that the cost of the building amounted to some 100,000 EC dollars; and that the donations collected from many persons, ranged from 13.40 to 6,000 EC dollars.

Both he and Mr. Harris Richardson took much pleasure in mentioning the names of many persons (risking inadvertently missing others) who had contributed financially and otherwise to the project. Among those singled out were Mr. Horace Brooks, who largely carried forward the project; Mr. Carl Brooks, the architect; Mr. Sutcliffe Hodge; Mr. David Lloyd; Mr. Will Richardson, whose company provided the paint; the ownership of the hillside CeBlue tourism development – and many other persons.

Ms. Valarie Hodge, of North Side, the President of the Executive Committee of the Crocus Bay Gazebo project, chaired the opening ceremony. Mrs. Gloria Kelsick, another Committee Member delivered the Vote of Thanks. She was preceded by her son, Mr. Romero Kelsick, who spoke about the Crocus Bay area from a new generation perspective.

It was a memorable occasion and the hope was expressed by the speakers that the project, not necessarily an exact replica, would be manifested in other community areas in Anguilla.

L-R: Mr. Gershwin Lake, Mr. Ben Gravy, Ms. Jordon Verni with
Mr. & Mrs. Joe & Sue Polak

Consideration is being given in Anguilla to the possibility of creating a new niche in the island’s up-market tourism industry in terms of water sports for visiting surfing adventurers.
It is an idea being promoted by Mr. and Mrs. Joe & Sue Polak, owners of Almond Tree Villa at Sea Feathers, who have made the suggestion to the Anguilla Tourist Board which is now working on the matter.
In order to prove that surfing can be a way to diversify the island’s tourism product, the villa owners have brought to Anguilla a highly experienced and well-known surfer, Mr. Ben Gravy, from New Jersey, in the United States, to explore the island’s waves. Having done some pleasurable surfing at Windward Point and Sandy Hill Bay, two breezy easterly areas of Anguilla, and viewed other places, Mr. Gravy is convinced that there are enough surfing possibilities to promote adventure tourism in several locations on the island.
Mr. Polak explained in an interview with The Anguillian newspaper how the proposed water sports project came about. “My wife Sue and I built Almond Tree Villa eleven/twelve years ago. We have been promoting Anguilla as a destination on our own, and my main job is President of the Henderson Sport Group in New Jersey. We have multi-brands of water sports that we promote, and are the largest manufacturers of wet suits and water sports apparel in the United States. We are involved in multi markets – diving being one, and in this particular case we thought it would be good to explore Anguilla as a possible surf destination.
“Ben Gravy, here with us, is a professional surfer and also an influencer and blogger with about 75,000 followers. He produces videos every other day. He got out just a snippet of one on Instagram on Monday [of surfing in Anguilla] and it wasn’t two hours before he got 17,000 people. So it had a big impact. We thought that would be a great way to expose Anguilla from another direction. This is not from typical people who are necessarily looking to stay at resorts and so forth, but looking for a possible water sports destination.”

Mr. Ben Gravy Surfing the Waves in Anguilla
(Photo courtesy Louise Fayet at anguillabeaches.com / @anguillabeaches)

Mr. Gravy said that, in addition to surfing at the Windward Point/Junks Hole area and Sandy Hill Bay, he drove around the island looking at possible seascape areas for surfing with a lot of breaking waves. He explained that it was necessary to see whether the reefs are safe to surf, if the water is too shallow and the quality of the waves. “We have to do a lot of looking, and if everything is okay then we go out and do some exploring to see what we find,” he stated.
The 30-year-old well-known surfer said he was surprised to find some good surfing opportunities in Anguilla, and that he was delighted with the many comments he had received from his social media followers. “Most of the comments were: ‘I had no idea that there were waves in Anguilla.’ Before I came here many people were telling me that they thought I was just going on a romantic vacation with my girlfriend [Jordon Verni, the photographer] but I told them I was going to find some waves. So far, I am very surprised that there is actually surf here.”
Mr. Polak concluded the interview with The Anguillian newspaper by saying: “Ben is showing that he is on Anguilla, is surfing and, so far, as of Tuesday, 23,000 people saw that. Anguilla is getting that exposure so it is good for Anguilla; it is good for Ben. It is good for my company that does the hyperflex brand. Ben rides for us and it helps everyone. It also helps Almond Tree Villa because we are trying to get more guests to come to the island.”
Mr. Gershwin Lake, of the Anguilla Tourist Board, commented: “What this does for Anguilla is that it opens up a whole new market for surfers. We know that social media is the way to go now, so we have posted some pictures on our website showcasing that we can be a surfing destination.”
Surfing is described as “the sport or pastime of riding a wave towards the shore, while standing or lying on a surfboard”.

Over the course of recent years, our western civilization has designated special months for noteworthy causes. The coming of March brings into focus Early Childhood Education Month, and local childhood educators opened the observance of this month with a church service at the Church of God of Prophecy in West End on Sunday, March 3rd.

The service was moderated by Pastor Evan Brooks who gave the visiting teachers, and junior-school officials, a cordial welcome and, on behalf of the membership, expressed his delight in having them join the Sunday morning service.
He then called the service to order with an inspirational worship session led by Lynn Reid and her worship team. Lively songs such as Hosanna in the Highest, How Great is our God, and Jehovah is His Name, served to set the stage for a heart-warning, soul-searching sermon preached by Dr. Samuel Daniel on the theme: “Favour and Increase: Blessed to be a Blessing”. The gist of the sermon, however, was a focus on “Forgiveness”.
Dr. Daniel challenged the congregation to be dedicated to the task of portraying the attributes of Christian love by practicing the instructions of Christ. He admonished Christians to follow their Master’s example, who did not just advocate the idea of forgiving a neighbour’s offense seven times a day, but rather “seventy times seven”. He made reference to Romans 12:10 which states, “Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another.”

At the end of the service, Mrs. Juliet Simon, President of the Organization of Early Childhood Education, expressed her appreciation for the sermon and she also gave a brief address on the mission and aims of Early Childhood Education with this month’s theme being: “Early years are learning years; make them count.” She then led the visiting teachers and officials in a spirited song of declaration entitled “God is Greater”.
All of the visiting childhood educators were delighted with the pleasantries of the Sunday service.

Tiffany Moore

TIFFANY MOORE is Miss Kool FM’s Valentine 2019. The contest was opened to ladies eighteen (18) to thirty-five (35) years of age who would have called KooL FM Radio Station to answer questions relating to the contest. All winners during the period would have automatically become semifinalists. Three names were drawn on Monday February 11th from among seven semifinalists and would emerge as finalists. The finalists would then have to go through the testing period, each answering the same question to the best of her ability.
Tiffany’s points scored top ahead of the first runner up Miss Severine Pradel and second runner up Miss Nikeisha Davis. She was then crowned by the 2018 Miss KooL FM Valentine winner Miss Simonia Williams.
Tiffany was awarded a full Valentine’s Day Outfit (including shoes, hat, bag, clutch, necklace and earrings,) perfume set, hairstyle, manicure, pedicure and make-up, a Lunch and Dinner for 2 at a Four Star Restaurant with Limousine Service, Champagne & Roses at the Table, a Sash and a Photo Shoot.
The first runner up Miss Miss Severine Pradel and second runner up Miss Nikeisha Davis also received prizes which included Shades, Shoes, Lunches and Dinners.
Kool Fm would like to thank all the participants in this year’s Miss Kool FM Valentine 2019 and do hope for a bigger and better Show next year.

During the month of November, last year, the Ministry of Health and Social Development, in collaboration with UNICEF and the Anguilla Red Cross, conducted a rigid course of training in the program, “Stewards of Children: Darkness to Light.” The training focused on the signs and implications surrounding sexual abuse in children. On Wednesday, February 27th those who participated in those sessions were awarded with certificates.
Some 129 adults benefited from the program that was geared towards educating them on ways of dealing with children who may be experiencing child sexual abuse and learning how to prevent it. The course was facilitated by Ms. Jennyville Smith, Certified Trainer for “Stewards of Children: Darkeness to Light”.
The ceremony was chaired by Mrs. Kiesha Gumbs-Bibby, Social Development Planner, and the event opened with prayer by Pastor Elmead Allen.
Mrs. Gumbs-Bibby mentioned that, on behalf of the Ministry, she was indeed grateful to Ms. Heather Stuart of UNICEF who was instrumental in acquiring funding for the support of the program.

“UNICEF’s Deputy Representative for the Eastern Caribbean, Ms. Muriel Mafico addressed the awardees by saying: “First I would like to thank Anguilla for reaching out its hand to UNICEF and for embracing this partnership which aims at strengthening social protection systems of this country.
“I would like to let you know that 2019 is a special year. It marks the 30th anniversary of the Rights of the Child, and it gives us an opportunity to reflect on the gaps. One of the gaps that is glaring is the aspect of the protection of our children, our most resourceful asset. There is nothing that is more horrific than child sexual abuse. It is a negative life-changing experience, with life-long impacts. Two out of every five girls in the Caribbean experience sexual abuse, and one out of every four boys in the Caribbean experience child abuse.

“We also know that child sexual abuse happens in the very places that supposed to be safe for children. It happens in the homes and communities. What is also disturbing is that the perpetrators are not strangers, but they are relatives who the children know —some fathers, uncles, cousins stepfathers — all of whom should be providing care, support and protection for the children. This is the ugly reality that we face.
“But I am not here today to focus on ugly realities, but I am here to celebrate with you your achievements. You went through the Darkness to Light Training, and you are now the stewards of children. This is a very significant role, for you are now qualified as part of the protective fabric that children need and deserve so that they can have a healthy childhood which allows them to become productive and balanced adults as they grow up.
“So, on behalf of UNICEF, today I celebrate your achievements. We wish to congratulate everyone who has participated in this program. We celebrate the 129 who have completed the training and we welcome you today as Stewards of Children.”
The Hon. Evans McNiel Rogers, Minister of Health and Social Development also spoke at the ceremony. In part, he encouraged and congratulated the awardees by saying: “ In recent years we have made significant strides in safeguarding our children. We have made strides, but we still have far to go. The Stewards of Children: Darkness to Light training in which you have participated is another important component in strengthening our child protection system.
“It is critical that we sensitize the persons who regularly interface with our children to ensure that they are in a position to identify signs of sexual abuse and to respond appropriately. You are now in a better position to identify signs of child sexual abuse at to report any suspicions to the Department of Social Development.
“So I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of you on the successful completion of the training. I thank you for your interest and willingness to confront this ugly scourge of child sexual abuse. I would like to personally thank UNICEF and the Anguilla Red Cross for their support in executing this training.
“As we continue to endeavour to make Anguilla free of all forms of child abuse, we will need support and commitment from all of you to make this happen. I would like to take a quote from Fredrick Douglas: ‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men and women.’ So let us work towards creating an Anguilla where no child is ever broken.”
Facilitator Jennyville Smith, who conducted the training, came in for some high praises from the Chairperson, Mrs. Gumbs-Bibby. She spoke of her as being cool, calm, collected, organized, engaging, and passionate in general and about the subject at hand. “Teamwork with Ms. Smith to conduct the training,” she said “was like clock-work. She was certainly on point during the planning and execution phases, and she is to be commended for volunteering her time energy and expertise.”
Ms. Smith presented an overview of the training, and Red Cross Representative Ms. Mervette Bryan made remarks pertaining to the Red Cross work in the program. In addition, a participator’s feedback was given by Mr. Olivia Hodge-Gumbs, who shared a brilliant account of her learning experiences during the course of her training.
Overall, the “Stewards of Children: Darkness to Light.” Training program was hailed as a resounding success.

L-R: Ms. Drea Kelly and Dr. Ronya
Foy-Connor

The Department of Gender Affairs in the Ministry of Social Development, this week, welcomed to the island Ms. Drea Kelly of Atlanta, Georgia. She had been in Anguilla, over the past few days, engaged in a program of motivational meetings particularly designed for women. The meetings formed part of Women’s Week 2019, under the theme: “Women of Faith, Hope and Love”.
Ms. Kelly is the former wife of R&B music celebrity, Robert Kelly (R. Kelly), who has been a prominent figure on American media lately. The Anguillian was invited to join Ms. Kelly over dinner, last Sunday night, at the cozy Madeariman Restaurant at Shoal Bay. There, she spoke of her life, not just as a celebrity, but as one who is being used as God’s instrument to bring healing and empowerment to battered women in broken relationships.
She spared no effort in stressing what such instrumentality entails as she spoke of her faith and her work: “Being a celebrity is my fake life — but being a mom and touching the lives of others for good is my real life. I only use the celebrity status to allow me to open up doors to serve others. Celebrity should not be about the perks or what you get out of it. It should be about enriching the lives of your fellowman, and that is what I do.”
When asked what is her vocation or profession in life, Drea answered: “I am a dancer by profession, and I do what is called motivational speaking, but I do not really regard it as motivational speaking. Rather, I call what I do transformational conversation. I seek to facilitate women with the empowerment that would transform their lives, rather than just to motivate them. Transforming women is my passion and my calling, and I would choose to do this over any high budget movie. Yes! I would choose this over riches. I love to share my life story with people so that their lives can be transformed and changed.”
She continued to place a high premium on her service to others by saying: “Everybody is so celebrity-obsessed these days. They use social media as a means of showing a fake life on Instagram. But they’re not really living by showing a façade to live up to a standard. Life and service is about how we interact with other human beings. It is what you do to help to transform people’s lives.
“We are placed on this earth for a purpose. There is a dash [—] between the day we were born and the day we die. That dash is important because it defines what you do between birth and death to affect other people’s lives — not just your own. So that is how I live my life.”
On that note, Ms. Kelly was asked about the spiritual aspect of her life and how her faith influences the kind of work that she does. She responded: “Actually, I see my life as being God’s vessel. I believe that I was chosen for my journey and for the work that I do. But I did not always think that way. One day, however, I was praying and I asked God ‘why’ I was facing such trauma and pain in my life. God asked me ‘why not’. From that moment I knew that I was chosen to impact the lives of others.”

She noted that often God allows tragedy and pain in our lives so that He can be glorified by the work that He prepares us for. “He takes us through tragedy and pain and He becomes real in our experiences,” she said.
Dr. Ronya Foy-Connor, Gender Development Coordinator, was Ms. Kelly’s dinner host. She, herself, has great passion for women’s issues and the plight which abused women face. She was elated over the fact that Drea had accepted the invitation to come to Anguilla, and spoke of what motivated her to invite her here:
“For this Women’s Week, the theme is ‘Women of Faith, Hope and Love’, and as I was researching on programs and projects about building women’s self esteem, I came across a video of Ms. Kelly and I was excited about not just her story of being an over-comer and a survivor, but I noticed that she has such a light and a grace about her. She is a true testament that if a woman has faith in God she is able to have hope for a better future.

“After seeing the video, I decided that I would reach out to Ms. Kelly, and I invited her to come in person to share her story and her experiences with the women of Anguilla. So I contacted her manager. She readily agreed to come, and so we made arrangements for her visit.”
Dr. Foy-Connor said that at a women’s “hats and heels” event earlier Sunday, Ms. Kelly touched many women’s hearts and emotions as she related her remarkable story. She said that she was looking forward to Monday night’s event at the CuisinArt Ballroom where Ms. Kelly would have met the women again and seek to empower them as Women’s Week continued.

Dr. Foy-Connor wishes to thank all the businesses and individuals who played a part in making the visit of Ms. Kelly a possibility and a great success.

Anguillian Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon, Dr. Ellis Lorenzo Webster, has led a team of various medical and health specialists to Anguilla for the second time.

The physicians provided services to scores of patients, at the Vivien Vanterpool Primary School, over the weekend of March 1 and 2. Prescriptions were written for many of the patients for follow-up arrangements at Dr. Ellis Webster’s Anguilla office at the Mason Mall on the Stoney Ground Road. The visiting medical team also included another Anguillian physician, Dr. Paul Webster.
A number of the school’s classrooms were transformed in clinic-like settings, thus creating a comfortable working atmosphere for the doctors and privacy for the patients. The majority of the doctors were on the island to begin their voluntary service on Friday, March 1, and were joined the following day by additional medical personnel.
Dr. Eilis Wester spoke to The Anguillian newspaper about the team’s work on the island. “I want to see all Anguillians healthy,” he replied, when asked what motivated him to bring the medical team to the island. He continued: “Back in 1979, when I finished sixth form in Anguilla, I got a scholarship from the Anguilla Government to go to Trinidad to study dental therapy. I was there for two years and came back home to work. Later, I went off again and became an Ear, Nose and Throat Physician. I always felt that I wanted to give back to Anguilla for taking care of me. When I came back I saw that we lacked specialty care here in Anguilla and I wanted to make sure that this was a possibility. So with the help of my cousin, Dr. Paul Webster, who is Anaesthesia and Pain Management, we put this visit together so that we can give back something to Anguilla for being good to us, and to help to take care of our people.”
Asked what were some of the specialties among the team of physicians, Dr. Webster replied: “Today, we have orthopaedic surgery, endocrinology (a doctor who takes care of thyroid problems, diabetes and certain brain tumours). A dermatologist is coming later today and will be here tomorrow. We have paediatrics, pain management, vascular surgery – and we also have a trauma surgeon who also does urology.”

About the cost of travel and accommodation, Dr. Webster explained: “It is costly but the good thing is that the doctors have paid for their own flights and accommodations, and we are taking care of the hospitality things on the ground like transportation, food, etc. The thing about it is that the doctors are committed, and have sacrificed their time away from their offices and where they could be making money. But they are paying their own way to help us here in Anguilla. That is something commendable because the medical community is a close-knit one.
“If you ask Paul, he will also tell you that. We work with the doctors sometimes when they need help. We go in the Operation Room and help them if they have a patient that is difficult and they need our services and vice versa. So we get to know each other and when I told them I need their help in Anguilla, because there is a need for specialty care, and there are people who cannot afford to go abroad, they are willing to jump the cause and help us.”
Questioned as to how the Health Authority of Anguilla responded to the work of the medical team on the island, Dr. Webster replied: “The persons I have spoken to have been very supportive in terms of knowing that this is a deficiency we have. There are concerns about the costs to bring in specialists, find offices for them to work in, and to provide equipment for them to work with. The Health Authority has been supportive, has always been helpful and has offered what it can to us. I have worked at the Princess Alexandra Hospital doing ear, nose and throat surgery and consultations. The Ministry of Health has also been helpful in terms of giving us the necessary permissions to be here.
“The one thing I have found is that we have not accepted healthcare in Anguilla as a national crisis. I think it is more so as our older people are getting these chronic non-communicable diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes needing dialysis. I feel that we have to look at this as something that is essential to the care and wellbeing of our people. Once we take that as a priority, then I think that the monies we spend can be used appropriately so that we can get the necessary things done. Based on that, I think it is just a matter of educating our politicians, permanent secretaries, those who are in the policy-making business and our people in general. They should know that if this is seen as a national crisis, then we can make it happen. Anguillians are a very resilient people. We saw that after Hurricane Irma when we bounced right back, became unified that it was a country-wide issue, and this is something that healthcare has to be seen as.”

Dr. Webster who has his main practice in Palm Beach, Florida, added: “I apologise that we could not do this every year as sometimes the logistics don’t allow it – and then Hurricane Irma came and put a damper on the work and getting access to Anguilla and accommodation, but now we are back. Members of the public have been very supportive and were prepared this time with their complaints, medical records and x-rays to facilitate the doctors in taking care of them. It means the public has been listening, waiting and now very supportive.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Paul Webster, who is currently practising interventional pain management in Orlando, Florida, since 1994, regretted it was not possible for him to have been in Anguilla during the team’s first visit in January 2015. “Unfortunately, I missed out on that one so I made it my duty to be here this time,” he commented. “It is an excellent team. The quality of these professionals is top-notched and they are ready and willing to help everybody with the specialties they need.”

L-R Tiffany Rogers, Thecla Woolcott
& Ashley Paoli

Anguilla (AXA) Cares, which has been donating food supplies to some 150 deprived families across the island since its formation in 2011, has received a significant boost from a United States incentive group, BriovaRx.
Two representatives of the company, Ms. Ashley Paoli and Ms. Thecla Woolcott, spoke to The Anguillian newspaper at Santorini [Restaurant] at the Club House, part of the Resort and Residences by CuisnArt. There, an abundance of displayed grocery items, purchased by the company from various Anguilla supermarkets, were later packed in bags for distribution to AXA Cares for the families.
Ms. Paoli, the company’s main spokesperson, told The Anguillian: “BriovaRx is a specialty pharmacy and we have come to Anguilla to give back to the people of the island. We have three headquarters in Minnesota, Kansas and Chicago and operate just in the United States.”
Referring to the large stacks of grocery items, valued at several thousand US dollars, Ms. Paoli said: “This is a corporate services responsibility project for a charitable organisation that was in need of assistance. We identified the AXA Cares Food Bank, and a representative from that organisation will be here this morning to talk about the Food Bank. After that members of the group will break up into small teams. They will first participate in a small quiz, a final interactive session, and then they would be tasked with filling up grocery bags with the food staples we have here, and were identified by the AXA Cares Food Bank for the families registered by that organisation. This is a considerable contribution that BriovaRx is making not only to the AXA Cares Food Bank, but to Anguilla in general as a way of giving back to the community. This is an incentive programme for the BriovaRx employees for a great year of performance. While they are here enjoying the beauty, splendour, and all the activities in Anguilla, they also recognise that the island has gone through a difficult period, and they wanted to do something to give back to the community.”

Ms. Paoli said the group, comprised a hundred award-wining persons, as well as fifty employees to do the community service work.
Ms. Mimi Gratton, Director of Blue Sea, Anguilla, a destination Management Company, and her team were on hand, as the on-island partners, to assist the BriovaRx group with their logistics.
The representative, of whom Ms. Paoli spoke, was Anguillian community worker, Mrs. Blondell Rodgiers. Blondell told the group that she was the Coordinator for the AXA Cares School Food Bank. It was started on December 23, 2011, by Claudette Bryan and the late Charlotte Berglund and a few other persons. She told the visiting group that some of the families being assisted could not afford to send their children to school due to a lack of food. As a result the AXA Food Bank was started once a week with a food box for every family. Later on the Food Bank became financially strained resulting in the assistance being provided every two weeks. Since then it is now once a month. “At present, we have one donor who contributes on a monthly basis. So I am really happy to be here to see what is happening because your assistance is a great help to us,” Mrs. Rodgiers stated.

Miss Tiffany Rogers of Blue Sea, Anguilla, conducted a quiz competition for the group with various questions. Two of them were in what year was Hurricane Irma, and name five hurricanes that hit Anguilla since 1995.
It was after the quiz that the excited group packed the bags of groceries for the 150 families.

Officers from the Dutch St Maarten Coast Guard, headed by Captain Robelto Levenstone, on Saturday 2nd March 2019 paid a courtesy call on Captain Charles Richards and officers from the Royal Anguilla Police Force Marine Department. The purpose of the visit was to showcase their brand new marine assets which comprise four 41ft vessels built to specification for the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard. The vessels are fitted with 2 inboard engines and can maintain speed up to 35 knots, and are equipped to be operated for 300 miles continuously. Each vessel is manned by a 6 – man crew in sitting position.
The officers from the RAPF Marine Department got a firsthand experience of the vessels’ capabilities which included navigational equipment and special capabilities when out at sea. Each vessel is large enough in size for sea support, but is also small enough to be trailered and launched from anywhere. The Dutch St Maarten Coast Guard and the RAPF have been sharing support services with each other over the years especially in areas of search and rescue, border patrol and narcotics interdiction. Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Morrison, and Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Elliott Forbes, were also on hand to witness the exercise.

Monday, March 4, was a public holiday in Anguilla in honour of the birthday of the late James Ronald Webster, Father of the Nation and Leader of the 1967 Anguilla Revolution.
Mr. Webster’s birthday fell on Saturday, March 2, when he would have been 93. He died on December 9, 2016, at the age of 90 and was accorded an Official Funeral on February 13, 2017.
There were no official events to commemorate his birthday holiday in accordance with his desire, during the closing period of his life, that the Government should discontinue the celebration of his birthday.
Mr. Webster’s body was interred into a specially-built Mausoleum on the hillside area overlooking the Ronald Webster Park – that bears his name – and The Valley.

He was remembered with a single Official Flag of Anguilla, now flying at the Mausoleum which remains open for visitors.
Meanwhile, the newly-built Crocus Bay Gazebo was decorated with Official Flags both in observance of the National Holiday on Saturday, March 2, and its opening on Sunday, March 3.
A East End, on the grounds of the old East End School, the Committee for the re-election Mr. Jerome Roberts held a breakfast session to raise funds. He took the opportunity to pay tribute to Mr. Webster, and his leadership, in brief commentary to The Anguillian newspaper.

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson

A United States couple, Stan and Donna Anderson, engaged in the printing and publishing business, in Manchester, Pennsylvania, since in 1995, has ended what for them, was an enjoyable and restful holiday in Anguilla. They were guests at Frangipani, Resort at Meads Bay.

They took the opportunity to pay a courtesy call at The Anguillan newspaper on Tuesday, March 5. Mrs. Anderson is the main business person involved in the Online Publishers. Her husband serves as the Consultant and Chief Financial Officer.
“Annually we publish the 50-Plus Life which is a newspaper for the mature population and we also publish Business Woman Magazine,” she stated. “All our publications are on online so people can read them there and we also have the print editions. In addition we hold events including large tradeshows for the mature population called 50-plus Expos. We host women expos and veterans’ expos and job fairs for people who have served in the military.”
She continued: “It has kept me going for almost 25 years. My husband is a consultant and is also the CFO for the company. “I enjoyed it greatly because we are obviously a husband and wife who have spent a lot of years together with 40-plus years of marriage and we have the opportunity to work together day in and day out. She is very creative on the front end of the business and innovative on the direction of the company; and I like the role of keeping things together; keeping an eye on the finances, paying the bills; and making sure that we are steady and solvent through the ups and downs of business. We have four children and seven grandchildren. We are blessed to have two of our daughters –the younger and older of them working in the business with us.”

Mrs. Anderson was aware of the challenges facing the print media from the social media. “It is definitely a challenge compared with what it was 25 years ago,” she remarked. “We find our strength and salvation sometimes in the fact that we are reaching a more mature audience that is used to reading the newspaper.”
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are booked to return to the United States on Frday, March 15, after an enjoyable visit to Anguilla.

Artesha Richardson, a track and field athlete and a Social Work major and a Psychology minor at the University of North Texas, recently made the University President’s List, as she earned a perfect 4:0 Grade Point Average for the 2018 Fall semester. Artesha, hails from Roaches Hill, Anguilla, and is the daughter of Arte Richardson and Rosmond Henderson.

Artesha is a proud member of the Black and Gold track club that is coached by Rollins Richardson and Winston Duncan. The Black and Gold track club would like to extend congratulations to Artesha on her achievement and wishes her the best in all her academic and athletic endeavours. We wish her the best as she begins her out door season on March 14th at Abilene Christian University.

– Contributed

Duquaine

The Royal Anguilla Police Force has announced the appointment of Duquaine Brooks, formerly of the Department of Information Technology & E-Government Services (DITES), as its new head of forensics. This appointment will coordinate the activities of Digital Forensics, Scenes of Crime and Ballistic Examination. It took effect from 1st March 2019.
The Commissioner and officers of the RAPF would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mr. Brooks as part of the RAPF family and look forward to working together.
Randy Dick, B.Sc.
Public Media Relations Officer
Royal Anguilla Police Force

The University of North Texas women’s 4x400m relay team, which included Anguilla’s Artesha Richardson, vanquished a twelve year old record. The 4×400 relay squad ran a time of 0:3:44.03 to eclipse the prior time of 3:44.16 to earn fourth place honors; consequently they missed third place by two hundredths of a second. The Mean Green website of University of North Texas reported “the 4×400 meter relay team of Lauryn McCollum, Artesha Richardson, Lyric Choice and Aneesa Scott accomplished this feat on the final day of the 2019 Air Force Reserve Indoor Track & Field Championships, on Sunday 17th February, 2019, hosted by UAB inside Birmingham Crossplex”.

Congratulations are in order to the University of North Texas Track team, especially the 4x400m relay team and to the many coaches especially coach Sheffield.

Many of us in Anguilla are aware that many of our children are overweight or obese. We cannot continue to ignore this issue and pretend that it would not have negative effects for individuals, and the entire island, in the near future. The incidence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and other complications of obesity, will continue to increase if we do not develop new strategies in dealing with childhood obesity.

What is childhood obesity?
Although the definition of obesity and overweight has changed over time, it can be defined as an excess of body fat (BF). There is no consensus on a cut-off point for excess fatness or overweight or obesity in children and adolescents.

Causes of childhood obesity
The mechanism of obesity development is not fully understood, and it is believed to be a disorder with multiple causes. Environmental factors, lifestyle preferences, and cultural environment, play pivotal roles in the rising prevalence of obesity worldwide. In general, overweight and obesity are assumed to be the results of an increase in caloric and fat intake. On the other hand, there is supporting evidence that excessive sugar intake by soft drink, increased portion size, and steady decline in physical activity, have been playing major roles in the rising rates of obesity all around the world.

There is increasing evidence indicating that an individual’s genetic background is important in determining obesity risk. However, genetic susceptibility often needs to be coupled with contributing environmental and behavioral factors in order to affect weight.
Dietary factors have been studied extensively for their possible contributions to the rising rates of obesity. The dietary factors that have been examined include fast food consumption, sugary beverages, snack foods, and portion sizes.
Foods served at fast food restaurants tend to contain a high number of calories with low nutritional values.
Sugary drinks are another factor that has been examined as a potential contributing factor to obesity. Sugary drinks are often thought of as being limited to sodas, but juice and other sweetened beverages fall into this category. Many studies have examined the link between sugary drink consumption and weight, and it has been continually found to be a contributing factor to being overweight. Sugary drinks are less filling than food and can be consumed quicker, which results in a higher caloric intake.

Another factor that has been studied as a possible contributing factor of childhood obesity is the consumption of snack foods. Snack foods include foods such as chips, baked goods and candy.
Portion sizes have increased drastically in the past decade. Consuming large portions, in addition to frequent snacking on highly caloric foods, contributes to an excessive caloric intake.

We here in Anguilla have a high carb, high fat and high protein base of regular eating that is causing a greater negative epidemic in this country than we could imagine. We experience this every Sunday. For some, it is almost every day. Understanding what is on your plate can have a greater affect (positive or negative) towards your long-term health than you think.

Activity level
One of the factors that is most significantly linked to obesity is a sedentary lifestyle. According to one study, each additional hour of television per day increased the prevalence of obesity by 2%. Television viewing among young children and adolescents has increased dramatically in recent years. The increased amount of time spent in sedentary behaviours has decreased the amount of time spent in physical activity.

Environmental factors
While extensive television viewing and the use of other electronic media have contributed to the sedentary lifestyles, other environmental factors have reduced the opportunities for physical activity. Opportunities to be physically active, and safe environments to be active in, have decreased in the recent years. The majority of children in the past walked or rode their bike to school. I seldom see children walking to school in The Valley area.

Socio-cultural factors
Socio-cultural factors have also been found to influence the development of obesity. Our society tends to use food as a reward, as a means to control others, and as part of socializing. I am often amazed over the amount of sugary foods. These uses of food can encourage the development of unhealthy relationships with food, thereby increasing the risk of developing obesity.

Family factors
Family factors have also been associated with the increase in cases of obesity. The types of food available in the house, and the food preferences of family members, can influence the foods that children eat.

What are some consequences of childhood obesity?
Overweight and obesity in childhood are known to have a significant impact on both physical and psychological health. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood – and more likely to develop non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age.
Childhood obesity can profoundly affect children’s physical health, social, and emotional well-being, and self-esteem. It is also associated with poor academic performance and a lower quality of life experienced by the child.

Medical consequences
Childhood obesity has been linked to numerous medical conditions. These conditions include, but are not limited to, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, asthma, hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease), cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, cholelithiasis (gallstones), glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, skin conditions, menstrual abnormalities, impaired balance, and orthopedic problems. Until recently, many of the above health conditions had only been found in adults – now they are extremely prevalent in obese children. Although most of the physical health conditions associated with childhood obesity can disappear if weight is brought under control, some children continue to be overweight and obese in adulthood. In the worst cases, some of these health conditions can even result in death.

Socio-emotional consequences
In addition to being implicated in numerous medical concerns, childhood obesity affects children’s and adolescent’s social and emotional health. Overweight and obese children are often teased and/or bullied for their weight. They also face numerous other hardships including negative stereotypes, discrimination, and social marginalization. Obese children are often excluded from activities, particularly competitive activities that require physical activity. It is often difficult for overweight children to participate in physical activities as they tend to be slower than their peers and contend with shortness of breath. These negative social problems contribute to low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and a negative body image in children – and can also affect academic performance. All of the above-mentioned negative effects of overweight and obesity can be devastating to children and adolescents.

Academic consequences
Childhood obesity has also been found to negatively affect school performance. A research study concluded that overweight and obese children were four times more likely to report having problems at school than their normal weight peers. They are also more likely to miss school more frequently, especially those with chronic health conditions such as diabetes and asthma which can also affect academic performance.

What can we do?
The growing issue of childhood obesity can be slowed, if society focuses on the causes. There are many components that play into childhood obesity – some being more crucial than others.

We are doing ourselves an utter disservice by not educating ourselves and our young ones about proper nutrition and exercise.

It simply starts with conversation. If we can start discussing it, then we can begin educating ourselves and our loved ones about the importance of health and wellness in our country.
Personally, I believe food and health nutrition should be a pre-requisite course in every school in Anguilla. If our young ones are taught about nutrition at an early age, the likelihood of us having an obese culture should decline.

Let us take a look first at ourselves and start the process. Have the health discussions with your loved ones and your doctors. We here in Anguilla love to talk. Just how we love to talk, let us do something about this obesity epidemic.

Now is not the time to chastise your neighbours for their lack of knowledge. It is time to uplift one another with positive dialogue about the seriousness of long- term health effects of our country. We must do something about our stagnant lifestyles. We seldom take our children to the beach to swim. Many of us are reluctant to encourage our children in various sports. We have to encourage our children to ride their bicycles more. All these activities would increase their physical activity and help in improved health.

Conclusion
Childhood obesity is a public health problem in many countries including Anguilla. The exact cause of this epidemic is not fully known, but we must continue our efforts to deal with childhood obesity if we are going to avoid the serious consequences that will occur if the incidence of this disorder continues to climb. Preventative measures are crucial in dealing with the public health issue. Let us all join hands in this matter. All of us can play a part.

Ask Your Dr is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field are ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.

Dr Brett Hodge MB BS DGO MRCOG is an obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor with over thirty-six years in clinical practice. Dr Brett Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 497 5928).