AfriKa CRY BLOOD

by Ras Simba (Public Relations Officer, ICAR Barbados)

Born into the folds of Rastafari, I’Akobi was an attribute of significance to the movement of Rastafari. Upon his crossover I’Akobi was a student member of the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (B.A.P.E).

In 2001, I’Akobi, who was voted by peers as the most likely to succeed from the Christ Church Foundation School, graduated as valedictory speaker and “Best All Round Male”. The year prior, the Ministry of Social Transformation sent I’Akobi as their Youth Delegate at the 5th Ministerial Meeting on Children and Social Policy in the Americas. At the tertiary level l’Akobi was the recipient of the Scholarship for Academic Merit, Barbados Government Exhibition (2003) and recently was elected as president of the Barbados Association of Students at UWI (St. Augustine).

To his credit, I’Akobi successfully completed the Sunjet Toastmasters public speaking and youth leadership programme and was the recipient of a summer internship at the Arawak Cement Company Ltd. as a Trainee Process Chemical Engineer.

These and a host of other accomplishments including a black belt in martial arts demonstrated an idea of the value of this Rastafari youth and the magnitude of the loss of such an accomplished individual. In addition to his academic achievements, I’Akobi had a great interest in meditational arts and was practicing the art of Capoeira when he started his transition into the esoteric realm.

The life of this 23-year-old Rastafari youth deserves no less than a standing ovation. With this in mind the members of The Ichirouganaim Council for the Advancement of Rastafari (ICAR) and the Rastafari community of Barbados, we wish to express the heart-felt loss of our beloved brother I’Akobi (my first born) Tacuma (alert) Hembadoon (the winner) Maloney born 5:20 p.m. March 17th, 1985 transitioned 5:30 p.m. June 17th, 2008.

To the parents of I’Akobi, ICAR and the wider Rastafari community offer much strength and love at this time. We close this tribute with I’Akobi’s most favoured psalm, “Rastafari, rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;” Psalms 144.

Tags: Arawak Cement Plant, Barbados Association of Professional Engineers, clear name, foundation school, ICAR, Ministry of Social Transformation

This entry was posted on Monday, June 30th, 2008 at 2:00 am and is filed under Press Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.