Social: Volunteers Wanted at the Bustamante Hospital for Children

Photo: Ms.Marchell Anderson, Trained Special Education Teacher

If you have listened to any presentation by the newly appointed Health Minister Dr.Christopher Tufton, then you have heard his reference to the need for compassionate care within the current health system.

‘I am a believer in compassionate care, we need to develop a program that is non medical but more psychological...we need to establish a volunteerism policy in hospitals’

Dr Christopher Tufton

The Bustamante Hospital for Children is one such institution that is reaching out for volunteers to show compassion to children at the recovery level.

While speaking to La-Toya Latty about her role at the children’s hospital as an educator, she explained that the hospital has a learning and activity centre for children whose injuries do not allow them to leave the hospital and go to school. This centre helps to bridge the gap so that they do not fall behind on their curriculum and the teachers ensure that the kids are up-to-date by following the same curriculum as the Ministry of Education.

Photo: Latoya Latty, Early Childhood Educator

However, she said though the learning centre is equipped to teach up to the GSAT level many of the patients will come to the centre not to learn but to rather keep themselves occupied by reading books, colouring or just by interacting with others outside of their ward which in turn helps to lift their spirits.

Currently, the centre only has two resident teachers who teach the students at all levels. They have up to 15 students at a time of all ages and this makes it hard to give each student the attention and care that they desperately need.

From time to time, Ms. Latty says that volunteers come in from high school institutions across the country and international charities ,but there is much room for improvement where that is concerned and is encouraging people who can to step-up and serve by volunteering at the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

Persons who are interested in volunteering with the Bustamante Hospital for Children can call or visit the Human Resource Department at 968-0300 to fill out a form.

Minister Dr. Tufton (center) with La-Toya Latty (left) and Marchell Anderson (right) of the Bustamante Hospital for Children Learning and Activity Centre

Biz/Brands: After Two Years, Kaluga Kafe has "Hope"

The boosted confidence, sense of reassurance and hope, and the many happy faces of gratitude are some of the reasons that solidified the decision for Adrian Samuda, CEO of the Kaluga Group, to host a second consecutive treat for the boys of Sunbeam Children’s Home.

 

Aptly dubbed ‘Hope’, this year’s event promises to raise the bar higher than the inaugural treat was held at Kaluga Kafé’s 18 West Street location in celebration of its first anniversary. Samuda has added the Yadel Home for Girls to the list and will be treating over 70 wards to a complete fun day on Sunday, April 17, at Sunbeam Boys’ Home in Spring Village, Old Harbour.

 

“When I saw the children last year and how promising and hopeful they were, it inspired me to reach further and help to make their lives a bit better,” Samuda recalled. “An important part of that was to provide a special home-styled Sunday dinner once per month, and we have been doing that for the past year. But I saw the opportunity to give more, and that is how the fun day idea was born.” 

 

Desmond Whitley, Managing Director, Sunbeam Children’s Home said he wishes to congratulate and celebrate with Kaluga Kafé on its second anniversary. He expressed gratitude that Samuda has decided to treat the boys for the second consecutive year. “Such a treat adds value to the social development of our young men, which is an essential part of our holistic developmental objective,” Whitely said. “We appreciate Kaluga's continued support in this as well as other areas of our programme. Kaluga's presence in Old Harbour has completely changed the social landscape of the community through its first class restaurant and community outreach.”

 

Samuda and his team will be treating the children to a taste of Kaluga, games, bounce-about, and rides for the day. He has extended an invitation to his loyal clients - Kalugans – to volunteer to assist at the event. “We would love to have all hands on deck for a day of fun, and excitement,” he said.

 

‘Hope’ is one of several events being organized by Samuda to celebrate Kaluga Kafé’s second anniversary. The casual diner and sports bar which brings urban flavour to Old Harbour, opened on April 12, 2014. Other activities for the month-long celebrations include the recent ‘Blushing Bride’, the first of a series of wedding tasting events to be hosted by Kaluga Gourmet Access, the events and catering arm of Kaluga Group of Companies. Blushing Bride featured potential brides and grooms, and several partners including a wedding planner, florist, pastry chef, makeup artiste, photographers and videographers. Kaluga’s anniversary party ‘Tremendous Two’ will be held on April 30.

Live Muisc; Bent x 2 +1 = Great musical experience

Its not all t hat often that members of a musical family this talented appear in the same venue at once (the title equation refers to Rupert Bent Sr and Jr and Jana Bent (daughter of one, brother to the other), who played to an appreciative audience at Redbones last Wednesday. The "official" occasion was to mark the start of a new Wednesday residency by Bent Sr at Redbones (once a month; he also has regular gigs at Morgan's Harbour and at the Pegasus) and unofficially to join Jr in celebrating 15 years of marriage to wife Michelle. With such a pleasant confluence of occasions, spirits were bound to be high and no one left disappointed

Fittingly, Bent Sr started off the evening, in Marley mode with "Redemption Song" thereafter proceeding amiably through covers spanning the gamut of rock and pop. He hit an early high on Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do (You Do For Love)" and I say this because on that piece, his playing not seemed more robust, but the balance between his guitar and the accompanying track seemd more harmonious than in the earlier selections, when it appeared that he was almost drowned out at times. Bent Sr. would scale even greater heights with a one-two punch of Santana - "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va" that kept him on his feet and had the audience tapping theirs.

After a brief intermission, it was family time. Despite having two full-length albums to her credit, songs placed in international TV shows ('The Hills") and a bonafide hit in "You So Fine", Jana Bent has spent more of her time and energy in recent years in the corporate (or statutory) world, working with gaming regulator the Betting gaming and Lotteries Commission. Musically, she has put her abilities and experience ot a very notable "side project" - the Shaggy Parrot series of enviro-themed children's books, which are proving very popular. So she has been busy. But when Dad asks, one can hardly say no, so there she was, belting out "Natural Woman" with much gusto, this accompanied by Bent Jr, who wento on to his own dynamic guitar exposition (was it Sting's "Fragile"?) before playing in tandem with his father.

Famalail duties of my own called me away at that point, but not after having had a very welcome refresher on the musical gifts of the family Bent.

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Viva la Revolucion?: Habana Station

Its not that often used, but it is growing - the penchant of  directors to use children and a seemingly playful and innocent setting to bring over some hard truths about grown-up life in the modern world. We've seen it with Mark Hermon's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and now Cuban director has used the ploy to equally engaging effect in this deceptively congenial film.

Ernesto Escalona and Andy Fornanis are Mayito and Carlito, two pre-teens growing up in a post-Revolutionary Cuba that is both more and less fervent about its stature than it was when Fidel was the active ruler. The pioneers are still revered and the doctrine is still instilled, but now there's TV magazine coverage of the MayDay observances - the revolution is definitely televised.

But more, there are are class divisions in this 21st century Habana - Mayito, whose father makes a comfortable and travel-filled living as a jazz musician, is chauffered to school (in a Hyundai) and boasts of having the "ultimate" PlayStation 3 game console (from which the film partly derives its title).

Carlos, on the other hand, lives in the Revolutionary equivalent of the ghetto, where dysfunctional payphones stand useless on street corners, and music and trash are equally abundant. In the care of his abuela (grandma) while his Dad serves a jail term, he is rough-and-tumble and street smart where his new friend, who accidentally gets lost in the neighbourhood after the said MayDay parade, is refined and naive.

Of course, the two bond through several seri-comic experiences, one of which involves facing up to a local lgang of bullies. In the meantime, Mayito's overprotective mother and his caring teacher are, along with Dad, mounting a frantic search for their son.

No question, the film is heartwarming, but Padron's deft touch makes both the sentiment and the steely edge easy to swallow. Of course, this being a Cuban production, there is music liberally sprinkled throughout, as well as a good dose of Latin fatalism.

It all adds up to a good time, but one from which the sterner lessons are not forgotten after the show is over.