The Tribune

CHILDREN at the Nazareth Centre received haircuts, hair-braiding services and care packages as the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas joined forces to help them prepare for the new school year.

The boys received professional barbering services, while the girls had their hair braided. Organisers said the services were intended to boost the children’s confidence and self-esteem.

The outreach was held in August and organised by the RBDF’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Unit and Family Readiness and Support Office in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas.

The initiative was coordinated by RBDF Chief Petty Officer Antoine Adams and included the distribution of care packages to the children.

Commander Defence Force Commodore Floyd Moxey commended the effort, noting that these community-centred initiatives demonstrate the RBDF’s dual role of safeguarding national security while also building trust, resilience, and unity within the society it serves.

The Nazareth Centre for Children is a residential care facility in Millennium Gardens that provides protection, stability and care for vulnerable children from infancy to age 11.

The centre was established in 2001 through a partnership between the Government of The Bahamas and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese.

The Catholic Church managed the day-to-day operations of the centre for more than 20 years before full management transitioned to the Department of Social Services in December 2023.