CIBC FirstCaribbean helps Girl Guides HQ completion

CIBC FirstCaribbean helps Girl Guides HQ completion
Dr Ruth Sumner, president of the Bahamas Girl Guides Association, places a first-of-its-kind, friendship pin on CIBC FirstCaribbean Managing Director Dr Jacqui Bend after the bank gave a donation to the organization in January 2022. (ASHLEY@SERENAWILLIAMS-PR.COM)

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas Girl Guides Association (BGGA) is a step closer to providing an empowerment and training hub for their girls throughout The Bahamas and around the globe.

CIBC FirstCaribbean recently donated $5,000 to the BGGA to assist in completing the interior of its $1.5 million, West Bay Street headquarters, which will feature meeting rooms, office spaces, training areas, accommodations for Girl Guides visiting from other countries and other essential working areas.

Elma Garraway and Dr Jacqui Bend. (ASHLEY@SERENAWILLIAMS-PR.COM)

During a walkabout of the unfinished headquarters, Dr Jacqui Bend, CIBC FirstCaribbean’s managing director, said the bank recognizes BGGA has contributed significantly to the development of young women throughout The Bahamas.

She confirmed that CIBC FirstCaribbean will continue to support organizations that mirror the bank’s promise to assist women and girls in the communities it serves.

Elma Garraway, chairman of the Bahamas Girl Guides Properties Committee, led the walkabout, noting that she trusts a tour of the building shows the extent to which the bank’s contribution will be used and will serve to inspire other corporate citizens to give their support to the good of the girls of The Bahamas.

“CIBC FirstCaribbean is really a friend of the Girl Guides Association. The bank has contributed significantly to the development of our environment at the campsite and the trees are growing beautifully,” she said. 

“This donation again assists in bringing us a step closer to the realization of our goal. We thank CIBC FirstCaribbean for being a good corporate partner and we look forward to their continued support.”

Bend added: “CIBC FirstCaribbean’s commitment to the empowerment of women throughout our organization is evident. I am proud to say that we have many female employees working at our bank, in every area and at all levels.

CIBC FirstCaribbean, Bahamas Girl Guides Association (BGGA) and other representatives affiliated with the construction of the $1.5 million BGGA headquarters on site for the bank’s much-needed donation toward the completion of the West Bay Street building. (ASHLEY@SERENAWILLIAMS-PR.COM)

“In fact, from our chief executive officer right on down, there are female executives making us proud here in The Bahamas and across the region.

“Our hope is that this $5,000 will help them complete this lovely new headquarters so that they can impact even more girls, who will one day become nation builders and, perhaps, executives at CIBC FirstCaribbean.”

Prior to this donation, CIBC FirstCaribbean donated several native trees to BGGA, which were planted at its campsite, Camp Discovery, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Housing’s Forestry Unit last year.

Construction of the BGGA headquarters began in early 2018 to replace a building less than a third of its existing headquarters’ size.

Following a slow-down in donations and construction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bank’s $5,000 donation was made through its charitable arm, the FirstCaribbean International ComTrust Foundation, which mainly focuses on improving communities in the areas of youth and education, health and wellness, community and the environment.