This was no ordinary walk. Students arrived dressed in a vibrant range of Disney costumes, whose outfits aligned with their house colors. Students truly cared about the Whole School Walk as seen by the variety of costumes, such as a dinosaur, Snow White’s apples, and even Chip and Dale.

This cause is both ambitious and profoundly meaningful. This year, the school community aims to raise a remarkable $300,000, in support of the Nicola and Kenneth Bursaries. Achieving this target will be a new milestone, surpassing last year’s incredible fundraising total of $245,000. This new target will be achieved if every member of the school community donates $250. 

The walk was thoughtfully staggered across iconic Hong Kong locations, creating a combined walk of all students across the city. Years 7 and 8 walked around the usual cross-country grounds of Borrett Road. Years 9, 10, and11 left the comfort of school grounds for the Harbour Front, while our senior students in Years 12 and 13 traversed the iconic Peak. 

The bursaries we support represent the very heart of Island School’s values. The Island School trust runs an annual bursary scheme in memory of former Islanders, Nicola Myers and Kenneth McBride, whose lives were tragically cut short. The bursary was started up in 1985 by ESF (English School Foundation). It recognises and supports local school students in Hong Kong who, despite facing significant financial hardship, demonstrate extraordinary tenacity, perseverance, and dedication in their pursuit of academic excellence. 

Each bursary awards each local school student 4,000 HKD to crucially support their funding for textbooks, exam fees, and forms of assistance in education. The Whole School Walk aims to support over 40 students with bursaries with the $300,000 raised. 

This event could not possibly be completed without the student volunteers who acted as marshals to take photos, direct lost students, and take photographs of form groups.

Edited by Kailey Chan

In a shocking turn of events, Haiti is now grappling with one of the most severe gang revolts witnessed in recent history. With around 33,000 gang members controlling over half of the country, they have issued a firm demand for the current prime minister, Ariel Henry, to resign from office. During the crisis, the prime minister was attending a peace negotiation in Kenya when the gangs infiltrated two major prisons, freeing the 4000 inmates. A shocking 7.5% of prisoners remained, refusing to join the violent uprising. To address this turmoil, the Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency, as the violent onslaught by the gangs has destroyed an estimated 15,000 homes, leaving more than 300,000 people homeless. The situation remains dire as Haiti grapples with unprecedented levels of kidnapping and instability.

Why must Prime Minister Henry resign? 

The Haitian turmoil has escalated since the last election in Haiti was in 2016, which saw Jovenel Mosie elected President, while Ariel Henry was elected Prime Minister a few years later. The nation was thrust into chaos with Moise’s assassination in 2021, orchestrated by a group of mainly Colombian mercenaries, as they believed Moise was involved in terrorist and drug trafficking actions. Ariel Henry stepped up as president during this time, but in January 2023, the supposed election was postponed to 2025 as Henry claimed that, “free and fair polls were not possible”, leading to further civilian instability and resentment. The current crisis reached a boiling point with a massive jailbreak, leaving the gangs incensed. Jimmy Chérizier, a former policeman, now the leader of one of the main gangs,  Revolutionary Forces of the G9,  has demanded the acting President’s resignation, threatening that if this doesn’t happen, a revolution will ensue. 

Terror and Chaos continue in Haiti despite Ariel Henry’s Resignation. 

In the midst of all of the chaos, Prime Minister Henry has been left stranded in the United States territory of Puerto Rico and has not been able to return to Haiti as gang members guard the airport.  However, despite Henry’s resignation, the gangs persist in their destructive rampage, causing widespread devastation by demolishing homes throughout Haiti. Shockingly, they have now seized control of a staggering 80% of Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital. The Haitian Police Force, currently attempting to restore order, are having difficulties as the police force only has 13,000 officers pitted against a staggering 33,000 gang members, each of them armed with ammunition. 

Global Interference 

In a concentrated effort to restore peace and stability in Haiti, predominantly South American countries such as the Bahamas, Barbados and Brazil, have formally approached the UN, offering military support to the Haiti police force, by assembling 1000 special forces to help restore order in Haiti. However, the Haitian Gang leader, Jimmy Chérizier, has defiantly declared that they “will face all the international forces until their last breath”. Despite the challenges posed by Chérizier’s resistance, international collaboration and the United States’ humanitarian support offer a glimmer of hope amidst Haiti’s ongoing turmoil.

Personal Opinions

In my personal opinion, the situation in Haiti is incredibly dire and requires immediate global intervention to restore stability. Without swift and decisive action, the risk of a full-blown civil war looms large, potentially resulting in the loss of countless innocent lives. If we fail to act promptly, Haiti may descend further into chaos, with devastating consequences for its people. It is our moral obligation to intervene and help Haiti navigate this critical period. By doing so, we can offer hope for a brighter future and prevent the escalation of violence that threatens the very fabric of Haitian society.