Elesha George, Author at Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network

Elesha George

Elesha George is an award-winning investigative journalist who has been practicing for over 10 years across various platforms to include television, radio, online and newspaper publication in the region. She began her career as a script editor and later as a news anchor at Digicel Play, Dominica. She currently practices in Antigua and Barbuda, operating two online websites – Island Press Box and Wadadli Unplugged. The latter is solely dedicated to publishing environmental impact stories that will help Eastern Caribbean member states achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In 2021, she won an award from the “Best Journalist” in Antigua and Barbuda presented by Antigua Barbuda Gospel Music & Media Award. She is also a 2023 fellow of the Young Leaders of America Initiative (YLAI) – a US Embassy program that helps young entrepreneurs develop their businesses.

Climate-Proofing Education: How Antigua & Barbuda is Tackling Rising Temperatures

Elesha George | October 23, 2023

Thousands of students who have headed back to school in Antigua and Barbuda since September, are being impacted by severe heat as global temperatures continue to rise. The heat is putting young learners in an environment that is not only uncomfortable but it affects the quality of education they receive. If they cannot stay focused, they’re not getting that information that is communicated. It affects their ability to perhaps even recall or even do the exams sufficiently because the body is already under pressure to get rid of that heat.Climatologist, Orvin Paige

Our research found that the heat is not uniformed all across Antigua and Barbuda. Orange Valley and Five Islands tend to record the highest temperatures, creating additional challenges for students in these areas, while Freetown experiences comparatively milder conditions.

Caribbean CBIs

Dominica

Unanswered Questions Undermine Credibility

By

Richie Ferrol and

Elesha George | May 20, 2022

The Commonwealth of Dominica is one of five countries in the Eastern Caribbean that allows persons born outside of the state to obtain a passport for a one-time fee or real estate investment through its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme. The programme began in 1991 to support areas like tourism, manufacturing, low-cost housing, infrastructure, agriculture, and healthcare. The Caribbean Investigative Journalist Network (CIJN) found that Dominica is heavily dependent on the CBI programme and that more than half of the government’s projected growth in revenue for the fiscal year 2021/2022 is expected to be financed by the CBI. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit in his latest budget address declared that CBI will contribute 58% percent of Dominica’s capital budget for the Public Sector Investment Programme. The Public gets a glimpse of some of the CBI earnings during Dominica’s annual National Budget presentation.

This table depicts the reported contributions for CBI’s Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) over the last five years:

CBI Total Yearly Revenue for the Period 2017-2022

YearCBI Revenue in USD2017-2018$148,146,7762018-2019$83,086,5172019-2020$67,538,9022020-2021$109,841,9092021-2022$171,612,697Figure 1.1 (This figure does not include monies collected under the real estate option of the CBI)

Between 2017 to 2022, the country collected more than USD$580M from CBI applications and investments from its Economic Diversification Fund – one of two options to gain citizenship via the programme.

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