BNC2016_pallative_care_cheque

Professor Cardinal Ward presenting the cheque to BACA Chairman, Patrick Toppin, while Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean, and members of both charities look on. (C.Pitt/BGIS)

The Barbados Hospice and Palliative Care Initiative received a much needed injection of cash during the recently held Barbados Network Consultation (BNC), also known as the 4th Biennial Diaspora Conference.

After a session on Philanthropy which looked at matching local needs with diaspora capacity, Professor Cardinal Warde, a professor of Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the United States-based Barbados Diaspora Collaborative (BDC-USA), handed over a cheque for BDS$100,000 to Chairman of the Barbados Association for Cancer Advocacy (BACA), Patrick Toppin.

The monies will be used in the establishment of Barbados’ first freestanding hospice and palliative care facility, which will be built on land owned by the Living Water Community (LWC) in St. David’s, Christ Church. The initiative is a joint venture between BACA and LWC.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean, noted that the presentation of the cheque was a fitting end to the session and a true example of one of the ways in which the Diaspora could help in the development of Barbados. She added that she hoped that more persons would contribute to that particular venture as well as other initiatives on the island.

Professor Warde said he was pleased to be able to make the presentation on behalf of the BDC-USA, and pointed out that the members of that organisation were committed to “giving back” to Barbados and Barbadians.

The 14-bed hospice will cost approximately BDS$5 million dollars to construct. Persons in Barbados who wish to make a donation to this project may write cheques payable to the BACA. Those in the US can visit www.bdcusa.org and make payments by cheque or PayPal, while individuals in the United Kingdom and Canada may visit the aforementioned website and transfer monies by financial instrument or PayPal.

kim.ramsay-moore@barbados.gov.bb

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