✨Important Summer NEWS ALERT!

📣 WE’RE CELEBRATING OUR COUNTRY’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE AND OUR RECENT LEADERSHIP TRANSITION 🇧🇸

This month is a fitting time to examine and appreciate the triumphs of the past while looking with great expectation to the important milestones of the future!

We are ecstatic about our strides in food security, food production, and local farmer training as we continue to provide access to affordable, nutritious produce for families across Eleuthera. We are proud of our CTI students as they springboard into personal success and entrepreneurship, proving that education has the power to change people, communities, and entire generations.

In the spirit of Independence, we hope that you also feel a tremendous sense of joy and pride in our partnership and the impact we are making TOGETHER in Eleuthera and The Bahamas. Thank you for your faithful and generous support of our mission!

– Your Friends at OEF & CTI –

Our approach will remain ‘locally rooted and globally minded’.  The world around us is constantly changing, demanding innovation, adaptation, and collaboration to find sustainable solutions for our communities.

I am committed to leading OEF in addressing these growing needs and ensuring that our organizations remain progressive and effective. Collaboration and collective action will be key to our success.”
– Keyron Smith, President and CEO – 

have partnered to facilitate the training of local instructors and the expansion of the program’s dryland education and water safety component.
 
“This team has been instrumental in elevating our swimming program and empowering our local instructors to make an impact. Their passion for this cause and love for the students is evident in every interaction,” explains  Yolanda Pawar, OEF’s Chief Communication Officer.

“In addition to investing many hours in the pool with students and in the pre-planning, and curriculum assessments, the group also generously supplied free resources, including swimsuits, kickboards and swimming gear for students and lifesaving flotation devices. We are grateful to have their expertise and support, as well as the dedicated service of our local volunteers, instructors, and coaches who continue to make this program a success!”
 

OEF’s “Learn to Swim” Team
was proud to participate and
represent our organization
and The Bahamas during the
World’s Largest Swimming
Lesson.

We were privileged to be among only a handful of programs spotlighted in a live interview during the NDPA’s social media coverage of the day’s exciting events.
 

British High Commissioner H.E. Tom Hartley, accompanied by a delegation of officials including British Trade Commissioner for Latin America and the Caribbean Jonathan Knott and Regional Director for the Commonwealth Caribbean at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in Barbados D’Jamila Ward, toured the CTI campus on June 6th.

The tour provided insight into our state-of-the-art, climate-controlled Oasis Grow House and sustainable agriculture farming techniques. The team observed our “training model,” where local farmers and students have access to hands-on training working alongside our experienced farm team. 

BHC Hartley expressed, “It was fantastic to visit One Eleuthera today. We’ve been talking in the UK and hearing in The Bahamas how important food security is and how difficult it is when the environment is getting more and more harsh. Here at OEF, you are taming it in a way that is very easy to pass on. There’s engineering and science, but it’s actually very practical and very simple at the same time. That’s probably where the secret is. It’s using age-old techniques in a controlled environment.”

Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas, H.E. Dai Qingli, accompanied by Commercial Officer Eva Ren, toured the CTI campus on June 15th.

They got a first-hand view of CTI’s projects, facilities, and social enterprises housed at the Rock Sound campus, including The Retreat Hotel, Farmer’s Table restaurant, and the CTI Farm. They learned that as part of OEF and CTI’s mandate to provide education and training for Eleutherans, each entity also operates as a “live lab” for experiential learning and vocational and technical student training.

Showcased on the tour was the 1-1 acre Oasis Grow House with its expansive rain collection system and storage tanks, which can hold a million gallons of water, and the campus’ solar-powered “Honey Shack. ” The Honey Shack is a dedicated honey processing facility offered free of charge to local Beekeepers to extract, process, and bottle their honey.

Ambassador, Dai Qingli was pleased to see the developments taking place at the CTI Campus and excited to meet and visit with the OEF/CTI leadership team responsible for driving the various projects on the ground.

FRESH NEWS

• Mixed Baby Greens
• Crystal Head Lettuce
• Jalapeno Peppers 
• Scallions
• Kale
• Beets

• Carrots
• Cilantro
• Tomatoes 
• Mint 
• Cucumber
• Onions

CLASSES ARE IN SESSION AT CTI-HITS!🏆

Our future CTI-HITS Electricians are getting trained to enter the field with confidence! In a few short weeks, this cadre will be certified and better equipped to pursue their dreams! SPARKING positive change and entrepreneurial opportunities is a big part of our mission. 

Farmer’s Table Menu Spotlight 🍽

Our community and staff are also able to enjoy a healthy eating alternative from Mon. to Fri.  8:30 am to 4:30 pm, thanks to Farmer’s Table!

This month the menu will feature many of our traditional Bahamian dishes and delights, made with a tasty twist and infused with the freshest produce from our farm.

😎 Visitor’s Guestbook 📸

STAY SAFE WITH THESE
SUMMER HEAT SAFETY TIPS☀️

Wear Appropriate Clothing: Choose lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.

Stay Cool Indoors: Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library—even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. 

• Keep in mind: Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, they will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off. Use your stove and oven less to maintain a cooler temperature in your home.

Drink Plenty of Fluids: Drink more fluids, regardless of how active you are. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.

Stay away from very sugary or alcoholic drinks—these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.

Monitor Those at High Risk: Although anyone at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others:

• Infants and young children
• People 65 years of age or older
• People who are overweight
• People who overexert during work or exercise
• People who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation.

         Beat the heat and stay in optimum health this summer!