THERE COULD be big bucks in that bothersome and at times smelly Sargassum seaweed Barbadians are trying to get rid of at every opportunity.
Pastor Michael Holford of Abundant Life Assembly says that around the world seaweed is regarded as “a commodity” and “you can make money from seaweed”.
He made the comment yesterday while delivering a sermon in the Cathedral of St Michael And All Angels, where Harrison College was holding its Founder’s Day service.
He told the WEEKEND NATION afterwards: “I just believe that we need to be more innovative, keeping our eyes open to see where opportunities can come. That is where the world is heading basically, in terms of not seeing something as a detriment, trying to see whether it can be used instead of being discarded.
“Right now we know that there is information that in China and other countries seaweed is something that cash is being made from. It’s just for us to do the research.
Utilise Sargassum
“I’m not saying that you will necessarily be able to produce those
right away but at least we know that if seaweed is coming in there is something that we can do with it instead of seeing it as a burden.”In his sermon, he made the point that leaders in any field needed to be constantly learning, doing research and asking questions to be able to provide the best solutions to problems.
“Leaders must submit themselves to lifelong learning,” the former Harrison College student said. He added that the biggest problem was leaders thinking “they know it all”.
According to Holford, leaders must also be “good followers” and “must submit themselves to God’s guidance”. One of the worst things to happen was leaders starting to worship themselves, he remarked.
The theme of the sermon was Reflecting On The Legacy of Harrison College and Holford said “the core legacy” of the school was leadership, after having produced five Barbados Prime Ministers and an array of leaders in other fields.
Harrison College was founded in 1733 by Thomas Harrison, a Bridgetown merchant who intended it to serve as “a public and free school for the poor and indigent boys of the parish”.
Principal Juanita Wade, named last year as its first female head, said it was the “leading secondary school in Barbados” with an “ever expanding curriculum”.
Of the students, she said, “We expect so much of them because we think they have so much to give back.”
She pointed out that to address problems such as an ageing plant and “ever-dwindling resources”, the management of the school knew it had to try to forge new partnerships while maintaining old ones, rather than depending solely on Government for funding. (TY)