Third time’s the charm for Republic Bank winner

When Tamika Newton got a call from Republic Bank (Barbados) Limited, she immediately wondered whether she might be offered a loan somehow.

Instead, the primary school teacher found out that she received 1, 683 votes in this year’s competition, making her the new Be the One Community Champion and the winner of $2,500 in support of her charitable work.

“I was so excited after they told me I had won, I guess the third time’s really the charm,” she said with a smile at the recent presentation ceremony, referring to the previous two times she had been nominated.

Republic Bank’s Manager, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Mischa Knight said: “Tamika was really a standout contender this year. We were impressed with the amount of work she has done. Her nomination really told the story of a generous, selfless person who is truly devoted to helping as many people as possible, in as many ways as possible. We are honoured to invest in her projects and to put her in the spotlight where others can be inspired by her generous spirit and tenacity.”

Newton is the founder and director of two registered charities – Made It Against The Odds (MIATO) Foundation and the Scarred Not Shattered Charity. It is under the umbrella of the MIATO Foundation, started in 2014, that she operates many of her projects and initiatives. 

She and her team organise back to school drives, food hampers, breakfast programmes and the provision of trophies and awards. She offers free tutoring services to students in her community and this year, she conducted an online reading programme that benefited some 80 children between the ages of four and 11 with reading challenges.

MIATO also recently partnered with another charity, Katrina Endometriosis Fund Association (KEFA) to launch the Rejuvenate Elderly Care Project which offers free manicures, pedicures, massages, hair braiding and barbering services to elderly citizens.

“MIATO is the first of my two charities. We look at helping people to make it against the odds, no matter what – if they are physically challenged. That’s the goal. I do it because personally, I see myself as some person who made it against the odds after leaving school with no CXCs and then getting through in life and becoming a teacher with a bachelor’s degree with first class honours. I believe that shows that people can get from one stage to the next,” she said.

With her Scarred Not Shattered Charity, the focus is on victims of domestic violence.

“We focus on empowerment and advocating for women, men and children who have been victims of abuse and need that sense of hope and reassurance that they can get out of it or things can get better. We do a lot of empowerment sessions and we also try to get them into safe spaces which can be a bit rough when you don’t have the finances. We normally do it out of pocket,” she said. 

Newton said she has big plans for future projects.

Through MIATO, she has partnered with Barbados Secondary Schools’ Athletic Championships (BSSAC) and National Primary Schools’ Athletic Championship (NAPSAC) to provide trophies to athletes who have made it against the odds. They have also provided trophies in honour of athletes like Letitia Gilkes, who ran for Barbados, and Jamarion Mapp, a former standout NAPSAC athlete, who both passed away. 

“We’re now looking to launch a track club in honour of them, where children who cannot afford to pay a track club can be supported by having persons give back, through our ‘Operation Giveback 2022 and Beyond’ slogan which is under the MIATO Foundation,” she said.

Regarding her advocacy with Scarred Not Shattered, Newton says while they mainly provide moral support, empowerment coaching and food items, she is often contacted to assist young mothers who are being evicted and other people in peril. She dreams of one day being able to provide housing or a shelter for victims of abuse and other people in crisis.

The prize money has provided a much needed and appreciated injection of funds and Newton said the board members of her charities will ensure that it is put to good use.

The new Be the One Community Champion thanked the bank for creating the Initiative.

“From the first time I saw it I was really excited, I was like ‘wait, this is a good thing’. Then when I got nominated, I was even more excited. Even when Ms. Peters became the first person that won, I was still really excited for her because I simply said, ‘it wasn’t my time’. The second time they ran it, I was behind Sluggy who won it last year and again I was excited. I really want to thank Republic Bank for coming up with such a great initiative so that a lot of people can benefit from it – not just those of us who win but the people who we aim to help,” she said.

The #BETHEONE initiative originated in Trinidad & Tobago and was adopted by Republic Bank (Barbados) Limited in 2019. Along with a community champion there is also a staff champion for Bank employees. Shenika Hinds was named the Be the One Staff Champion for her work with the Centralised Credit Unit’s Back to School Drive. (PR)