Two Jamaican crafters from the Sandals Foundation’s Caribbean Artisan Collection Programme will take center stage at this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, April 23 to May 3, showcasing the island’s artistic expression on a global stage.
Westmoreland natives Dana Baugh and Omar “Sheldon” Daley are part of a 5-member local craft team that will spotlight the island’s rich creative heritage within the Festival’s Cultural Exchange Pavilion, which is sponsored by Sandals Resorts and the Jamaica Tourist Board. The move comes as Festival organizers have selected Jamaica as the country of focus to celebrate through music, food, and art.
Building Local Craft
Dana Baugh, founder of BAUGHaus Design Studio handcrafts porcelain tableware, planters, and sculptural forms that capture the quiet beauty of everyday Jamaican life. Having spent over a decade refining a practice that merges functional design with cultural storytelling, purchase of her products under the Sandals Foundation’s Caribbean Artisan Collection, enables proceeds to be reinvested by the philanthropic organization into the development of other artisans and their crafts.
“When people experience my work at the festival, I want them to feel a Caribbean that is both elevated and deeply rooted. Pieces that are elegant, well-made, and grounded in who we are. My work invites people into our way of life—where memories are made around the table, and food, stories, and laughter shape everyday moments. From Saturday soup to patties, I translate those experiences into heirloom pieces that carry warmth, joy, and culture. It’s about showing that our story goes beyond sun, sand, and sea—it is rich, layered, and beautifully expressed through what we make and use every day”.
Omar “Sheldon” Daley, founder of FIRSTSTRAW Company, is one of the first crafters under the Sandals Foundation Caribbean Artisan Programme, gaining key product and business development training from Sandals Resorts’ retail team in 2018. A thatch straw weaver trained by his mother, Daley’s work is deeply rooted in traditions carried from our Taíno and African ancestors. Today, he reimagines that heritage into contemporary designs, weaving bags, baskets, trays and more that utilize resources and skills from a robust value-chain ecosystem in and around his community.
“Even as basketry declines, there are still artisans committed to keeping the craft alive. Through my work, I blend traditional techniques with modern design and materials to create pieces that reflect Jamaican creativity and identity. It’s a reflection of who we are—‘Out of many, one people’—where different elements come together to form something unified and meaningful. Being at the festival is not just about me; it represents the many people and forms of support that made this journey possible. While each piece I create is different, the story behind them remains the same”.
Rebuilding after the Storm
The journeys of Dana and Sheldon are not without challenge. Following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, damaged infrastructure and loss of access to raw materials impacted Daley’s livelihood. However, through targeted intervention by the Sandals Foundation, the installation of a solar energy system enabled the artisan to restore production and re-enter the market.
“This is what meaningful investment in people looks like,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation. “When we support artisans, we are not just preserving craft—we are protecting livelihood and strengthening communities. We are extremely honoured to be part of the stories of Dana and Sheldon, who will share their expressions of Jamaica at the upcoming Jazz Fest to a whole new market.”
Since its launch in 2018, the Caribbean Artisan Programme has supported over 30 artisans across the 9 islands in which Sandals Resorts operate. The initiative has resulted in members experiencing expanded production, up to 30% increase in sales, and a stronger and more stable livelihood.
For Baugh and Daley, the upcoming Jazz Fest, which will be attended by some 500,000 patrons, is a signal of what is possible when creativity is supported with intention. Both, through their active mentorship of emerging creatives, set the stage to ensure the knowledge, skill, and vision are passed on.
For the Sandals Foundation, the crafters are a representation of a broader mission of investing in people, preserving culture, and building pathways so that communities not only survive—but thrive.
Over 300 children across eight Caribbean islands stepped out of the classroom and into nature this Earth Day, as the Sandals Foundation rolled out a guided mindfulness programme designed to build environmental awareness and support mental well-being.
Spanning multiple ecological spaces, students aged 9 to 11 across Antigua, Barbados, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Curacao, and Jamaica engaged in breathing exercises, nature walks, sensory observation and discussions within national parks, mangrove forest, the gardens at Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort, and national conservation areas, allowing time to decompress and connect to observed biodiversity.
The activity, which fostered disengagement from digital devices, highlighted the role of nature in physical and mental wellbeing. The programme also reinforced the everyday actions young people can take to protect these resources.
“By combining mindfulness with environmental education, we wanted to encourage students to slow down, be present, reflect, and appreciate the beauty of nature which is around them,” says Heidi Clarke, Executive Director at the Sandals Foundation. “We also wanted to share with students that sense of responsibility and power they each have to protect their communities’ natural resources and the services those resources support.”
Across the Caribbean, the Sandals Foundation implements in a wide range of conservation work – engaging 177,526 people in environmental education, planting 28,117 trees, outplanting 38,156 corals, investing in programmes that see to the safe hatch of 221,392 sea turtles, and supporting 23 marine and terrestrial protected areas.
The Earth Day initiative forms part of the Foundation’s ongoing work to support sustainable development—ensuring that environmental protection, community well-being, and economic stability advance together.
In a meaningful investment in people and possibility, the Sandals Foundation has committed EC$135,000 to the Circuit & Chill Rehabilitation Skills Project in Saint Lucia—an initiative designed to equip incarcerated youth with industry-recognized skills and a pathway toward productive reintegration.
Implemented in partnership with the NextGen Skills Foundation and delivered by accredited training provider Shan-Phill Training, the seven-month programme offers Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) Level 1 certification in Electrical Installation and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning—two high-demand trades essential to the Caribbean construction. The initiative currently supports 30 young men, aged 15 to 35, from the Bordelais Correctional Facility and the Boys Training Centre.
Training is delivered through a blend of classroom instruction, hands-on workshops, and simulated on-the-job experiences, equipping participants with both technical competence and the confidence to apply it. Foundational units completed to date include occupational health and safety, tool handling, workplace communication, and basic technical computation—core skills for workforce entry. This is reinforced by a strong psychosocial component, with weekly sessions in life skills, inner healing, motivational coaching, and financial literacy, creating space for reflection and growth as participants begin to reframe their goals and embrace new possibilities.
Ms. Shanel Phillip, President of the NexGen Skills Foundation, emphasized the programme’s holistic impact, noting that the integration of financial literacy and inner healing mentorship is helping to shape more well-rounded individuals. “We’re not just building skills—we’re developing the whole person,” Phillip said. “The young men are beginning to approach life in a more professional way, and the life-skills component is not only making them better workers, but better individuals. There’s a sense of pride, of possibility—and I’m excited to see where this journey takes them.”
At its core, the project speaks to a deeper regional priority—creating real pathways for young men to return to society equipped not only to work, but to rebuild, contribute, and move forward with purpose.
Since the programme began earlier this year, it has maintained full participation, with all 30 trainees actively engaged. Participants have already begun developing their CVQ portfolios, completing approximately 20 percent of the required competency evidence and demonstrating strong commitment and steady progress.
Aligned with CARICOM-approved standards and certified through the Saint Lucia Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (SLCTVET), the programme ensures that participants graduate with recognized qualifications that strengthen employability and support long-term reintegration—contributing to a more prepared workforce and stronger communities.
“We have always believed that when people are given the right support, they can move forward in meaningful ways,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation. “This initiative brings together education, skills training and personal development to help these young men build a future that is productive, stable and rooted in possibility.”
Training will continue through to mid-2026, with participants advancing through additional competency units, assessments, and portfolio development, alongside continued life skills and financial literacy support.
The Circuit & Chill Rehabilitation Skills Project stands as a compelling example of how intentional investment and strong partnerships can open doors—transforming second chances into tangible opportunities for growth, stability, and contribution across the Caribbean.
Young musicians in the Antigua & Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra (ABYSO) are set to take center stage with new percussion instruments and accessories following the provision of musical equipment valued at over $35, 000 EC, made possible through support from the Sandals Foundation’s Caribbean Artisan Programme. The investment strengthens ABYSO’s youth music programme, expanding opportunities for young performers while advancing music education and creative arts development across Antigua and Barbuda.
“We are committed to nurturing Caribbean youth through the creative arts. Music is not only a powerful tool for personal development but also as a thriving cultural industry capable of generating livelihoods, expanding national economies and elevating the region’s voice on the global stage,” says Heidi Clarke, Executive Director at the Sandals Foundation.
“Today’s students are tomorrow’s composers, producers, educators and global performers carrying Caribbean culture onto the world stage.”. By investing in programmes like ABYSO, we are helping young musicians refine their talent, build confidence and see viable futures within the creative industries.”
Through weekly lessons, rehearsals and performance opportunities, ABYSO provides young people with mentorship and structured training in orchestral music while fostering discipline, teamwork and creative expression.
“The sustainability of the ABYSO is dependent on the support of corporate partners and donors. This donation of instruments from the Sandals Foundation has not only impacted our musician’s ability to continue their training, but it has provided us the opportunity to continue our outreach program in several schools in Antigua and on the sister isle of Barbuda. Being able to provide these opportunities directly link to our vision of maintaining a sustainable and inclusive programme where any young person with an interest in learning, the instruments can do so”, Managing Director of ABYSO Claudine Benjamin shared.
With the new instruments now in hand, the programme will deepen its engagement with schools, introducing students at Pigotts Primary, Potters Primary and Holy Trinity School in Barbuda to introductory instrument instruction while creating pathways for emerging musicians to progress into ABYSO’s junior and youth orchestra programmes. The initiative also includes a teacher-training component aimed at strengthening the capacity of music instructors, ensuring that orchestral music education can continue to grow sustainably across the island. Together, these engagements expand the reach of music education while cultivating a vibrant pipeline of future Caribbean musicians.
For McKuelan Morris, percussion coordinator within ABYSO he shared, “The percussion instruments we received were not only timely but greatly welcomed additions to our percussion section. As we continue to develop our young musicians the complexity of the music deepens. Having these instruments at our disposal now allows us to strengthen the depth of our sound with the rest of the orchestra while giving the opportunity to the percussionists to learn several percussion instruments simultaneously and for this we are immensely grateful.”
The Sandals Foundation has long championed youth engagement through music across the Caribbean. In The Bahamas, its support has strengthened programs such as the Exuma Community Youth Band and the LN Coakley Music Programme in Exuma. In Jamaica, the Foundation has supported the Skyliner Marching Band, delivered specialized brass music education workshops with Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, and invested in the island’s renowned Alpha School of Music—collectively nurturing the next generation of Caribbean musicians and preserving the region’s rich musical heritage.
