Prime Minister Gaston Browne is getting a big ‘thank you’ from the Antigua and Barbuda students in Jamaica for the manner in which he responded and ensured their safety during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
In a letter dated November 1, 2025, penned by President of the Antigua and Barbuda Students’ Association, Jewel Moore, captioned: Expression of gratitude for support during Hurricane Melissa, the association extended ‘deepest gratitude’ to the prime minister and his team for the support and care provided during the passage of the storm.
“Your swift and thoughtful intervention, in arranging accommodation at the Pegasus Hotel, ensured our safety and comfort during an extremely challenging time for us, and for that, we want to say thank you. We are also especially grateful to you for arranging a possible mode of departure, with LIAT Air, to allow for our safe evacuation from Jamaica, should the need arise.
“Though it was not utilized, we truly appreciate the efforts made to [provide us with transportation away from impending danger when our safety was not guaranteed,” the correspondence stated.
It showered praise on the prime minister for his ‘passion and commitment’ to the welfare of the students studying abroad which it said reflect the very best of the nation’s values. “It also showcases how invested you are in molding the future of Antigua and Barbuda through the nation’s youth,” it declared.
Prime Minister Browne made arrangements for the students – 53 in all – to stay at the Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston for approximately one week as Hurricane Melissa threatened the island and during its passage.
All told, the students who stayed at the Pegasus and those who sought shelter elsewhere have emerged unscathed by the storm.
A similar letter was also dispatched to Director of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister, Maurice Merchant, who chairs the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme, and who was deeply involved with the prime minister to make the arrangements for their accommodation at the Pegasus.
