In a display of its commitment to the US Embassy’s “President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief” (PEPFAR), the Temple Christian High School Red Cross Link launched its own AIDS education program with a National Speech Competition on November 16, 2012 at the Red Cross Headquarters, John F. Kennedy Drive.

 

Grade eleven student Lonelle Sweeting, the Temple Christian High School representative, emerged the winner of this competition and walked away with the top prizes of an iPad and a trophy.

 

The outstanding speakers in this national competition on the subject of HIV/AIDS were the representatives of Temple Christian High School and eight other schools in New Providence and the Family Islands: Jordan Prince William High School, C.R. Walker High School and Kingsway Academy in New Providence, and North Eleuthera High School (Eleuthera), N.G.M. Major High School (Long Island), Harbour Island All-Age School (Eleuthera), Sunland Baptist Academy (Grand Bahama), and Cat Island High School (Old Bight, Cat Island).

 

Temple Christian High School had been recently awarded a US Embassy grant to provide AIDS education in The Bahamas after proposals submitted by the Temple Christian High School Red Cross Link were accepted by the PEPFAR Committee. The November 16 competition was the initial program on the Red Cross Link’s agenda.

 

Among the special guests at this speech competition were Rev. Dr. Vaughan Cash, Chairman of Temple Christian School’s Board of Governors, Dr. Celestine Williams, Chief Administrator of Temple Christian School, Mr. Alexander Sokoloff, Political-Economic Chief at the US Embassy in Nassau, Mrs. Sally Sternal, Political-Economic Officer at the US Embassy in Nassau, Mrs. Judy Chasse, World AIDS Education Roving for Secretary Economic, Commercial and Political Affairs, Mrs. Caroline Turnquest, Director-General of the Bahamas Red Cross, Mrs. Marva Jervis, Director of the AIDS Secretariat, Mr. Tyson McKenzie, National Youth Director, Bahamas Red Cross, and Mr. John Darville of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Project.
 
The competition judges were Mrs. Sally Sternal, Political-Economic Officer, US Embassy; Ms. Denise Roker, Caribbean HIV/AIDS Project; Mrs. Genevieve Richards of the Ministry of Education, and Mrs. Ramona Farquharson-Seymour, attorney at law and notary public.

Officials & Guests - Among the officials and special guests were (seated, left to right) Mrs. Romona Farquharson, attorney at law and competition judge, Mrs. Caroline Turnquest, Director General of the Bahamas Red Cross, Mrs. Sally Sternal, Political-Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Mrs. Genevieve Richards of the Ministry of Education, and Dr. Celestine Williams, Chief Administrator of Temple Christian School.

 

Standing in the second row are (left to right) Ms. Denise Roker, representative of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Project, Dr. Vaughan L. Cash, Chairman of Temple Christian School Board of Governors, competitors Rameka Rolle, Lonelle Sweeting and Travis Robinson, Miss Claudette Thompson, Faculty Adviser for the Temple Christian High School’s Red Cross Link, Mrs. Iesha Sweeting, mother of competition winner Lonelle, and Mr. John Darville, representative of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Project. (Photo by Jevette Bullard)

 

 

Proud Medalists. Pictured from left to right are third place winner Rameka Rolle of Kingsway Academy, speech competition winner Lonelle Sweeting of Temple Christian High School, and second place winner Travis Robinson of C.R. Walker High School. (Photo by Jevette Bullard)