How do you measure the worth of a community? Is it in the size of its buildings, the wealth of its businesses, or the kindness it shows to its most vulnerable? In Antigua and Barbuda, one small act of generosity has grown into something much bigger — a movement of people and partners determined to change lives. At the heart of this transformation is Diana, an 11-year-old student from Potters Primary School, and the Giving Syndicate, a circle of givers who decided that accessibility is not a luxury, but a necessity.
Diana’s story is one that both inspires and challenges us. For years, she navigated a school not built with her in mind. Simple acts that her classmates took for granted — walking to the bathroom, moving from one classroom to another, joining friends in the playground — required adult assistance. Independence was not hers to claim. How often must she have wondered why her world seemed so much smaller than everyone else’s? How many of us have walked past schools, offices, or government buildings without stopping to ask: who is missing from this space because it was never designed for them?
It was this question that drove the creation of the Giving Syndicate. Conceived by Nadia Dyson of Luxury Locations, the Syndicate was formed to provide not just charity, but visible, measurable impact. Nadia explained it this way:
“We are all in positions of privilege. We make a good living in a country where poverty is still very present around us. Giving back shouldn’t just be about charity — it should be about measurable impact. When giving is done right, it becomes a ripple effect of good.”
The Syndicate’s very first project centered on Diana. Luxury Locations pledged to purchase an electric wheelchair for her — a gift that would transform her daily life. For the first time, Diana could imagine moving around without needing to wait for someone else. But one truth quickly became clear: what is the use of mobility if doors remain closed and stairs remain unyielding? The project expanded. Potters Primary, like every other school in Antigua and Barbuda, had no ramps. None. To make Diana’s chair meaningful, the school itself had to change. And that is when the power of community came alive.
Thanks to the incredible support of Luxury Locations ($5,000), Elims Bridge ($5,000), CIBC and Sky Tiger (both pledging $5,000), Earl’s Heavy Duty Equipment (digging), Antigua Masonry Products (concrete), Antigua Port Authority (drawings), L French Construction (labour and estimates), and Builder Merchant’s Mr. Fleming — who not only provided continuous material support but also suggested placing a corner to prevent the chair from slipping — the ramp was made ready for Dianna’s to return to school on September 8, 2025.
Imagine that moment: Diana wheeling herself into class on the first day of the new school year, no longer dependent on others to carry her, no longer limited to one part of the building. Independence, at last, hers. And beyond Diana, the ramp will serve countless other students, teachers, and visitors who might need it in the years to come.
But this project has also highlighted a sobering truth. Why has it taken until 2025 for our country to build its first fully accessible primary school? The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), ratified by Antigua and Barbuda in 2016, makes accessibility a basic human right. Article 9 calls on nations to ensure access to the physical environment, transportation, and public facilities. Yet, nearly a decade later, our schools remained unchanged. Diana’s ramp is more than concrete and steel — it is a mirror reflecting how much further we still have to go.
The ramp, however, is just the beginning. To truly complete the transformation at Potters Primary, a roof is needed to shield students and the chair from weather conditions. Without it, accessibility remains vulnerable — exposed to rain, sun, and the challenges of a tropical climate. The Giving Syndicate is still raising funds to finish this final stage. Will you pledge your support? Will you stand with Diana and every child who deserves to move freely through their school without barriers?
The significance of this project extends far beyond Potters Primary. It is a symbol of what is possible when businesses, organizations, and individuals come together. Each donor played a role, from financial contributions to materials, design, and labor. It is proof that change does not require one hero — it requires many hands.
Total Imports Supplies also played a critical role by assisting with the logistics of getting Diana’s wheelchair onto the island. Their contribution was less visible than a ramp or a cheque, but no less essential. Isn’t that the beauty of true community? Each person plays a part, whether seen or unseen, and together the outcome is extraordinary. The Giving Syndicate wants the nation — and the region — to see what is possible when communities unite for inclusion.
But perhaps the most powerful part of this story is not the ceremony or the recognition. It is the ripple. The ripple that Nadia spoke of. The ripple that began with one girl in one school, but that now challenges all of us: what about the other schools? What about workplaces? Government offices? Public spaces? If we could do it for Diana, why not for every child?
And so, the work continues. The Giving Syndicate is already looking toward its next projects. There are more ramps to be built, more barriers to be broken, more lives to be changed. Each pledge, each donation, each act of kindness is a brick in the foundation of a more accessible Antigua & Barbuda.
The question that remains is one only the community can answer: Will we continue to build? Will we take Diana’s story as a single exception, or as the start of a new normal? Accessibility is not charity. It is justice. It is dignity. It is the difference between being carried and moving freely. Between waiting and belonging. Between exclusion and equality. The Giving Syndicate has shown us the way. The rest is up to us.
