BAMSI Joins the National Relief Efforts
BAMSI JOINS NATIONAL RELIEF EFFORTS, DONATING THOUSANDS OF CASES OF FRESH PRODUCE FROM ANDROS
In the wake of Hurricane Dorian, and the devastating impact it had on the very fabric of the island communities of Abaco and Grand Bahama, the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) is committed to being a part of the national relief effort, yesterday donating more than 10,000 pounds of fresh produce to the Bahamas Red Cross.
The donation, which includes bananas, papayas, cassava, sweet potato, butternut squash, okra and more, will make its way from Morgan’s Bluff, North Andros on the MV Lady Rosalind to Nassau, where it will be sent on to residents of Abaco and Grand Bahama.
CEO of BAMSI Alaasis Braynen said it was important for the Institute to join the relief efforts and provide an abundant harvest for those who survived the terrors of Hurricane Dorian. “In times of national adversity, where too many Bahamians have had their lives turned upside down – homes lost, properties severely damaged and most terrifying, families torn apart and even broken forever, we have an obligation, a mandate even, to do our part in helping them to recover and to return to some level of normalcy as quickly as possible.
“At BAMSI, we are happy to be able to provide some small level of comfort and nutrition through our Andros grown fruits and vegetables and we are hopeful that the produce will in some way help them to continue on and grow from strength to strength as we seek to heal and rebuild as a nation.”
Mr. Braynen said further, he was happy to announce that BAMSI was partnering with Captain Ted Taylor of the Lady Rosalind who is shipping the items free of charge.
Yesterday’s donation comes under the ‘BAMSI Gives Back’ Foundation, which is the brainchild of the Institute’s chairman Tennyson Wells and a multipronged opportunity for BAMSI to positively impact the community and its staff. Started in early 2019, the Foundation is a way for the Institute to help employees connect the dots between the work they do and building a stronger, food secure community, where everyone has access to locally grown, fresh and nutritious foods. Ultimately, the hope is that the experience of donating to the less fortunate and the most vulnerable in society will help build a more productive, more compassionate and engaged workforce.
The Gives Back programme also helps BAMSI maintain a level of accountability and transparency as it stems the tide of wastage, redirecting wholesome, healthy and locally grown fruits and vegetables to Bahamians who need it the most. As part of its new mandate, BAMSI donates quality surplus on a regular basis to agencies and charitable organizations that are on the front lines in the fight against hunger.
Pictured front row from left are McKallan Stubbs, BAMSI Farm Administrator; Dotlyn Treco, president of North Andros Red Cross Division; Emily Miller, president of Central Andros Red Cross Division and Dr. Raveenia Roberts Hanna, Executive Director of BAMSI. Back row from left are BAMSI officials Operations Supervisor Tavey Wallace, Apiculture Officer Raphael Adams, Head of BAMSI’s Aquatic Division Dr. Vallierre Deleveaux and Crop Director Stephen Adderley.
