Editorial
Family Planning means healthier families
(Editor’s note: Traditionally, the term ‘Family Planning’ has meant ‘contraceptive method’. However, in its expansive and more complete definition, Family Planning encompasses parenting and life skills, in general, as well as, choosing the conditions under which persons would like to become parents. This issue of ‘Joining Hands for Health’ explores issues involved in Family Planning.)
Would you buy a car or a house without giving serious thought to all that is involved? One may be relieved of the responsibilities of a car or house by simply selling them. However, it is not so easy to relieve oneself of the responsibility of children, as they are not returnable
Many residents in the Bahamas continue to have unplanned, and sometimes, unwanted pregnancies. As the official guardian of the nation’s health, my ministry is always concerned about the wellness of all children, and by extension, their families. We encourage family planning as a part of an overall National Strategic Health Plan, to help all persons have equal opportunity to greater security and overall wellness.
The medical Journal Lancet declares: “Millions will spend their lives uneducated, unemployed, ill-housed…and unchecked population increase is a major casual factor.” Genuine love for their children should help all residents to be realistic regarding the times and world we live in, today. When planning a pregnancy, it is recommended that both partners assess their ability to provide life’s necessities for their children. Surely, you would not want your children to be either undernourished or a burden to others. Moreover, besides food and shelter, children need good education, moral values, love, attention, and time, among others.
Some questions that residents may want to consider are: If you are employed, what is likely to be the impact what is likely to be the impact of pregnancy and parenthood on your job and productivity? Have you been working long enough to earn maternity benefits? If you are employed, how will pregnancy and parenthood affect your ability to provide for yourself and your family? Would this change affect your ability to find employment? Who will care for your child while you are at work? Are you prepared to come home from work to spend time with your child? Do you attend to go back to night school or some form of job training programme? What does freedom mean to you? What will be required to secure your child’s health? Do you want to have children to please your partner, family or friends? Do you equate having children with “manliness” or “womanhood”? Dou you merely wish to “test your seed”?
In addition to calculating the physical, mental, and emotional needs of the child, the mother’s health must also be considered. The UN publication “Facts of Life- A Communication Challenge” states: “After a woman has had four children, further pregnancies bring greater risks to the life and health to both the mother and the child. Especially if the previous pregnancies have not been spaced more than two years apart, a woman’s body can easily become exhausted by repeated pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and looking after small children.” In other words, wise timing of pregnancies save lives and promotes better health of the entire family.
The Bahamas Health & Family Life Resource Center maintains a non-judgmental atmosphere that empowers open communication of the values and goals of clients. In the same way, lifestyle issues are clarified and a family plan is developed that reflects the clients’ desires and values. Counselors avoid “self-righteous” and judgmental attitudes. All clients are afforded privacy and dignity. A similar atmosphere exists in Family Planning sessions at local clinics.
For some, contraception implies that they are “interfering with God’s work” or hindering a natural process. These erroneous ideas and others are openly discussed so that clients feel comfortable with their family plan. Clearly a balance view of procreation, as well as a consideration for each other and for children, will help all residents to plan their families.
Many contraceptive methods are available, each having both advantages and disadvantages. In deciding what method is best for you, remember that contraception is vital not just to avoid pregnancy, but, also, to avoid sexually transmitted infections. Persons should also enquire about potential side affects. (With newer and improved technology, much of the side affects have been reduced and sometimes even eliminated.)
I encourage all residents to take control of their reproductive health and fertility by understanding contraception, knowing the choices available and taking positive steps to acquiring needed protection.
(For a detailed discussion and information regarding specific contraception methods, please contact The Bahamas Health and Family Planning Life Resource Center, East Avenue, New Providence, at telephone 325-1663 or P. O. Box N-9071. You may further contact the Ministry of Health’s Health Education Division at 502-4836
“Joining Hands for Health” is presented each week by the Health Education Division as a public service of the Ministry of Education and the Long Island Mail.
Long Island Gals
Always known for their beauty, Long Island Gals have a well-established reputation for their poise and grace as well. Many young men in years gone by aspired to have a Long Island Gal for a wife.
The recent Beauty Pageant to crown Miss North Long Island once again proved that Long Island Gals are still beautiful, poised and graceful, not to mention talented. Congratulations to all the competitors who performed well in an evening tense with the thrill of competition and the challenge to be victorious.
Long Island is a progressive place and our gals have achieved good things in sports, in academics, in business and in the public sector. Yes, Long Island Gals are proving that they have substance beyond their beauty.
Long Islanders have to be sensitive however to the changing times in which our little girls and boys are growing up. We need to be sure that they are prepared for the world of today. We have a responsibility to ensure that they are taught not to be easy victims of child abuse, rape, other violent crimes, or kidnapping.
We need to be sure that they understand what to do when they are approached in the wrong way, asked to do, or go places that are unsafe. We need to know that our children are well informed about date rape, drug and alcohol use, grass and hard drug sales, and we must bridge the gap and talk to our children about sex.
Yes, children are becoming parents and kids are being infected with sexually transmitted diseases. It is true that the largest group of new HIV/AIDS cases is being found in teenage girls.
Certainly more can be done in our homes, schools, churches, clubs, teams and through community projects to educate our children and help them to walk a path that gives them the best possible chance to survive, as healthy and well adjusted adults.
So, let’s call out the troops. Organize the schools, meet with the police, the nurse, the doctor, the coaches and the social, fraternal, and political leaders and make our kids our highest priority.
Don’t let it be said that Long Island was far behind in the fight to save the nation’s youth!
Commentaries/Opinions
'Angel Wishes'
Recently I have come into contact with a number of people who have express some degree of dissatisfaction with their lives, their surroundings, their jobs, or their family. Usually, they end their talk with a statement something like this: “wish it could be better; or, I wish things would change or, I wish I could have a few weeks without problems”.
Wishing for something to change does not make it happen. We can wish for many things. To give an example of how wishes go, we can wish for gas in our car but unless we do something about, it our car will stop unless we drive to the gas station and pay for gasoline. We can wish for the rain to stop but unless we take an umbrella with us in the middle of a down pour, we will get wet.
Sometimes our wishes are for the wrong things. For instance we may wish for fewer problems. Wishing will not make our problems go away. A more practical and workable wish can be a wish for additional skills to handle and deal with our problems.
Some of us wish that life would become easier for us. Maybe a better wish can be that we will better be able to cope with life as it meets us.
We may wish for less challenges but a better wish may be a wish for more wisdom.
So often our problems are not about what life turns up on our path but rather what we do with what turns up. M. Scott Peck begins the introduction to his famous book, ‘The Road Less Traveled’ with the words ‘ Life is Difficult’. These are very true words. Most of us know them to be true, but however much we wish for life not to be difficult the fact is that sometimes life is difficult for us. It is difficult for others as well. Maybe a better way to live is to change our wish list.
Rather than wishing for fewer problems, wish for more skills.
Rather than wishing for life to be easier, wish that we improve.
Rather than wishing for fewer challenges, wish for more wisdom.
Tragedy's Lessons
By Dr. T. Barrett
It is with a sense of profound sadness that we reflect on the recent tragedy involving the space shuttle Columbia. There is a sense of sharing the loss that is being experienced by the United States and Israel and even India. When we see reports coming from Houston we realize how closely knit the people who work at NASA have become and what this tragic accident means to the families of the astronauts, the co-workers of the astronauts and indeed the space and shuttle programs. Debate continues even now about whether the loss of life was justified in the pursuit of the exploration of space.
Privately, I reflect on the many tragedies that take place in the lives of the everyday man or woman that do not get a lot of press or cause a lot of people to commiserate. Someone's child becomes ill and then disabled or the illness uses up all the available finances and leaves a very uncertain future. Someone in the pink of health develops cancer, has a road traffic accident or some other major illness and dies. Someone may be exposed to very traumatic events like muggings or armed robbery and is not physically hurt but is psychologically scarred for life. And then there are other tragedies, in relationships, in one's finances, in one's education and on the job. This list is by no means complete but you get the picture. Tragedy can strike anyone at any time in any area of life.
It is said that we cannot predict but we can prepare. I endorse this statement wholeheartedly. The question is how do we prepare? In my experience, talking to a lot of people about a lot of things, most people are living to achieve some future goal no matter how vague or specific. But they haven't done the most important thing and that is, to begin by providing an answer for their eternity question. In other words answer your eternity question first then live your life based on the answer to your eternity question. Stephen Covey puts it this way, “Begin with the end in mind”. Wouldn’t it be very sad if everyone who was involved in a tragedy that ended with the loss of life did not have his or her eternity question answered? Christians should be very aware of this, as they should realize that in order to answer their eternity question they have to decide to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
The next thing that needs to happen when we reflect on tragedy is to remind ourselves that we need to live life to the fullest, doing the best we can in the time that we have. We need to decide on principles and values, good goals (prioritizing relationships), focus on learning and continuous development and then live fully.
Tragedy by definition is not something that is enjoyable but what is unmistakably present in each tragedy is its ability to start a reaction in those who experience it either directly or vicariously. These are valuable times in life when we are jerked out of routine and forced to take a look at ourselves and the life we live. If we allow the discomfort that tragedy brings to reduce hope and demoralize us, then that is a double tragedy but if we use the energy provided by that discomfort to fuel reflection and introspection and then generate a new creative zest for life we would've learned a good lesson as a result of the tragedy. Don't miss the opportunity to learn the lessons that tragedy can teach.
The Nassau Guardian now 100% Bahamian owned
For the first time in over thirty years The Nassau Guardian became a fully Bahamian owned newspaper on January 20th when the pioneering Florida publisher John H. Perry sold his 60 percent stake in the company to Paned Investment Limited.
The principals of Paned include attorneys Colin Callender and Emmanuel Alexiou, and businessmen James Campbell and Anthony Ferguson. The newspaper’s 40 percent shareholding is widely held by other Bahamians.
The new board of directors is chaired by Mr. Callender and will include Dr. Timothy McCartney a Bahamian professor at Florida’s Nova University and architect Jackson Burnside.
“We regard this as a seminal moment in Bahamian affairs at a time when globalization is challenging us to compete as never before,” Mr. Callender said. Our goal is to present a new level of Bahamian journalism and create significant value for our stakeholders. We will commit the resources and energy needed to achieve this.”
The new holding company publishes The Nassau Guardian and The Freeport News, employing over 100 Bahamians at two locations. The Nassau Guardian was founded in 1844 by Edwin Charles Mosely an English teacher, and remained in the Mosely family for more than a century. The Freeport News began publishing in 1970. Tribune founder Leon Dupuch worked as an apprentice at The Nassau Guardian before starting his own paper in 1903. Many senior and seasoned Bahamian journalists have started their careers at the paper.
Perry Publications acquired majority ownership of the paper in 1968. Former board chairman, John Perry, published a sting of Florida newspapers including the Palm Beach Post. But in recent years, his interests has focused on renewable energy and marine research. In 1984 he founded the $15 million Caribbean Marine Research Centre on Lee Stocking Island in the Exumas.
Mr. Perry is widely recognised for his pioneering introduction of computers for automated newspaper production in the composing room. The new owners say they intend to build on this legacy by applying the latest technological advances in high speed newspaper production to The Nassau Guardian.
“Over the years, Bahamian newspapers have been identified with various special interest groups, but our aim is to make The Nassau Guardian once and for all an independent source for news and information of relevance to all sectors of Bahamian society,” Mr. Callender said.
The Nassau Guardian’s new ownership says it will be “proactive in the pursuit of freedom information, inclusive in terms of community coverage, zealous in the protection of editorial independence, and committed to providing the best customer service for our advertisers and readers.
We will focus on the issues that are important to a developing country like The Bahamas, including all constituents - from small business, from health care to day care, from politics to religion. And we expect this to involve a full-scale makeover of the paper in the months ahead.
“We will use every means at our disposal-including the Internet - to serve our advertisers and readers in the 21st century. This is truly a new era for the Bahamian communications industry and we invite the contribution and support of all sectors of the community.”
Over the next few months, The Nassau Guardian will undergo a comprehensive review to chart the new directions it will take and the resources that will be needed. “ Mr. Callender said: “In the meantime, we will not forget that our most important assets are the people who actually produce The Nassau Guardian. We look forward to their full participation in this new venture.”
In acquiring the Perry interest PanEd Investments was advised by Colina Financial Advisors Ltd., a leading provider of financial services for Bahamians and a member of the Colina Financial Group.
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