My Barbados and its Future

By

Shaylon Franklyn

January 20, 2022

This essay was written by Shaylon Franklyn, prize winner in the NIFCA Essay Competition.
Shaylon Franklyn

When I think of my country, Barbados, many different things come to mind. There are good things, some not so good things, but overall it’s a fantastic place to live!

There are a plethora of things I love about Barbados. I love waking up to the sounds of the waves and making a mad dash to dive into the crystal clear water. I also love that family time and togetherness is cherished here. You can always find a family picnic, lime, party or a bus crawl. Barbadians always include tourists into our festivities; making the world a part of our family too! There is so much more of my country I love, but, for every up there is a down.

An old time, open air Bajan bus on an island tour.
An old time, open air Bajan bus on an island tour.

Everyone has heard of this tiktok “Oh No……something is broken!” That brings up two things I dislike about Barbados. The POTHOLES! There are so many of them and they are so deep! I bet if my car ever dropped into one, I would end up in Australia!

The thing I dislike the most is that I can never make it through my entire two scoops of Chefette ice-cream without saying “Oh No, my Chefette spoon, it’s broken!”

Nevertheless, the future of Barbados is as bright as the yellow on the flag. In the future I’d like to see healthy foods cost less money. I’d rather eat corn on the cob than corn curls. In the future I’d also like to see less homeless people. Less trash on the ground would also be great!

I hope to see more people treating Barbados and its own people like the treasures they are. I would really love to see our educational system use way more technology! The days of pen and paper, I hope will change! I see the future of Barbados being more modern, caring and high-tech – keeping up with the Cumberbatches’ if you will.

Mother and son walking along Pebbles Beach
Pebbles Beach

Even though I never make it through my Chefette ice-cream with my spoon intact, I could never picture myself anywhere else. I love Barbados and can’t wait to be a massive part of its bright future because
IZA BAJAN!

Things to do

From swimming with sea turtles, partying under the stars, exploring the rugged east coast to enjoying the island’s duty free shopping, Barbados has something for everyone.

My Barbados and its Future