In conversation with an Architecture and Development company

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/in-conversation-with-an-architecture-and-development-company/

Culture is still well and alive in Oranjestad

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/culture-is-still-well-and-alive-in-oranjestad/

Culture is still well and alive in Oranjestad, II

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/culture-is-still-well-and-alive-in-oranjestad-ii/

Daycare, no inspection, no follow up.

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/daycare-no-inspection-no-follow-up/

Restaurant Child Policy

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/restaurant-child-policy/

Boldly Empowered Women’s Day Event

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/boldly-empowered-womens-day-event/

At Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, every day is Women’s Day, but on March 8, the celebration takes center stage. Aruba’s premier adults-only resort proudly honors the remarkable women on its team whose dedication, strength, and compassion shape the heart of Bucuti & Tara every day, while also going above and beyond in their communities and home lives. This International Women’s Day, the resort shines a spotlight on several inspiring team members whose leadership and community impact truly embody the spirit of the occasion.

International Women’s Day 2026 Themes Focus on Equality and Action

International Women’s Day 2026 is guided by two global themes that highlight both action and advocacy for women worldwide. The campaign theme, “Give To Gain,” encourages individuals and organizations to contribute time, knowledge and resources toward advancing gender equality, recognizing that investing in women creates broader opportunities for communities and future generations.

Complementing this message, the United Nations theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” aligned with the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, calls for strengthening legal protections, addressing barriers to justice, and advancing equality for women everywhere, including migrants and displaced persons.

At Bucuti & Tara, these ideals have been the reality since the very beginning. the resort has championed equal opportunity, equal pay and an inclusive workplace where women are empowered to grow and lead. Women have long held key leadership roles across departments, and in many areas, they represent the majority of management positions. This commitment reflects the resort’s broader dedication to responsible leadership and to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring equality is supported and actively practiced every day.

This longstanding commitment is reflected in the women who shape the culture and success across every level of the organization. From leadership roles to frontline guest service, women are integral to the personalized hospitality and heartfelt care that define the Bucuti & Tara experience.

While the team celebrates women every day, International Women’s Day offers a meaningful moment to spotlight extraordinary individuals whose impact reaches far beyond the workplace. Each year, departments nominate women whose dedication, resilience, and compassion extend to their families and communities.

This year, Bucuti & Tara proudly recognizes several outstanding team members whose stories embody the strength, leadership, and dedication that define the resort’s entire team.

“At Bucuti & Tara, we are fortunate to be surrounded by women whose dedication reaches far beyond their roles at the resort,” shares Crescenzia Biemans, Managing Director of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba. “When you learn about their lives, you see the many ways they care for others and support their communities while continuing to give their best at work each day. Their example is what makes our culture so special.”

Bucuti & Tara’s nominees who exemplify International Women’s Day 2026 are:

Long before the first light touches Eagle Beach, Josette’s day has already begun. Each morning at 4:30 a.m., she rises to first provide as a caregiver. She then arrives at Bucuti & Tara, ready to deliver the meticulous care and attention to detail that help define the resort’s Forbes-level standards.

What sets Josette apart is the spirit she brings to her work. Her reliability, humility, and genuine pride in her role uplift the team around her and contribute to the warm, welcoming environment guests experience every day. Through her resilience and steady commitment, Josette reminds those around her that true strength often speaks softly, showing itself through dedication and grace with an impact that is felt everywhere.

“Josette inspires those around her every day through her dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment to excellence,” shares Amanda Gordon – d’Aguiar, Housekeeping Manager.

Since first joining Bucuti & Tara in 1998, Nakarid Ochoa has been known for her calm leadership and warm hospitality.

A proud mother of three, Nakarid brings the same dedication to her family as she does to her team. Her leadership has earned recognition across Aruba’s hospitality sector, including a nomination for the AHATA Awards. Nakarid is also the proud “Mama” of Paco, the resort’s rescued yellow-headed Amazon parrot, who is a beloved family member of the Bucuti & Tara family.

Outside the resort, Nakarid is a certified local artisan and serves on the board of the Arts & Crafts Foundation, where she advocates for sustainability and the preservation of Aruba’s creative culture. She also supports local animal shelters, helping relocate stray dogs and encouraging community involvement in animal welfare.

“Nakarid actively promotes healthy living within her team and her community, demonstrating that leadership is not only about performance, but also about wellbeing,” shares Nicolas Nemalceff, Director of Food & Beverage.

Each evening at Elements restaurant, Ettel Boyce stands at the heart of the guest experience. With precision and calm leadership, she orchestrates reservations, supports her team, and ensures every guest’s arrival unfolds seamlessly, knowing that each guest is experiencing making a memory for a lifetime.

Outside Elements, Ettel is a national champion weightlifter representing Aruba internationally, earning multiple medals for the island. She also maintains an active lifestyle through running and community fitness events.

She meets every aspect of her life, both professionally and personally, with determination and discipline, inspiring those around her to pursue their goals with strength and confidence.

“Ettel’s example is especially meaningful for young women in the community, showing that women can be powerful, resilient, and ambitious in every arena,” says Nicolas Nemalceff, Director of Food & Beverage.

Jennifer Teixeira’s journey to Bucuti & Tara spans continents and cultures. Originally from Canada with Brazilian roots, Jennifer Teixeira quickly became known for her warmth and supportive leadership within the Bucuti & Tara dining team.

Outside of work, Jennifer expresses her love for Aruba through photography, capturing the island’s landscapes, wildlife, and natural beauty. Her compassion also extends to animals in need. Jennifer regularly volunteers with local shelters, encouraging pet adoption and spending her free time taking rescue dogs on beach outings with her daughter.

Through creativity, compassion, and a positive spirit, Jennifer uplifts both her colleagues and the community around her.

“Through her lens, she gives back by inspiring others to appreciate and protect what makes the island so special,” shares Nicolas Nemalceff, Director of Food & Beverage.

For many returning guests, Madeline “Madi” Gower-Fernandez is a familiar and welcoming presence who helps transform a stay at Bucuti & Tara into a lasting connection. She is a trusted friend who remembers their stories, their favorite spots on the island and sometimes even the snack they cannot live without. This thoughtful attention to detail and genuine care make each guest feel truly at home.

Within the resort family, Madi supports the resort’s internal community through her involvement in the Bucuti Associates Association (BAV) and the Savings & Loans program, helping strengthen professional development and financial well-being for colleagues.

At home, she is a devoted mother with a busy family schedule filled with sports, activities,  her own gym workouts, and the Bucuti team hikes she loves.

Madi’s generosity and quiet courage remind everyone around her that true strength meeting life’s challenges while continuing to lift others.

“Madi embodies the spirit of Bucuti & Tara. She balances caring for guests, supporting her colleagues, and being a devoted mother, with resiliency and kindness inspiring everyone around her,” shares Natalie Brandts, the resort’s Wellness Specialist, who nominated Madi.

In addition to customizing wellness care for Bucuti & Tara’s guests, Natalie plays an important role in supporting the well-being of Bucuti Associates. For many team members, the first step into the gym can feel intimidating, yet Natalie transforms that moment into one of encouragement and possibility.

Natalie helps foster a culture of wellbeing across Bucuti & Tara by encouraging associates to build confidence, develop healthy routines and prioritize balance in their lives.

Understanding that wellness is holistic, Natalie is also an active member of the BAV, connecting colleagues with opportunities for professional development, team engagement and shared success.

“Natalie’s impact is both professional and personal, as she continuously supports the health and well-being of those around her,” shares Björn Brandts, Wellness Specialist.

With women represented across every level of the organization, Bucuti & Tara continues to foster a culture that values empowerment, equality and opportunity.

By celebrating International Women’s Day each year, the resort recognizes both each woman’s professional achievements and their personal strength and community impact, which makes these women true role models.

“All year, these women embody the spirit of hospitality and humanity that defines Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort,” shares Crescenzia Biemans, Managing Director of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba. “Their stories remind us that what truly defines Bucuti & Tara is the remarkable people who lift others up.”

Learn more at Bucuti.com.

We were offered a holistic approach to self-development at La Cabana Beach Resort, in the ballroom, in honor of Women’s Day, by means of four panel discussions of four building blocks of a successful life, finding purpose, building a supportive community, making the right moves, and finally sharing what we learned along the way.

Hosted by Christie’s International Real Estate and its Aruba affiliate Bold Properties Aruba, the event brought together an impressive number of women for a morning of connection, growth, and empowerment. The program began with a warm welcome and small bites, followed by a mindfulness moment led by Claudine Wever.

The first segment, “Women Rising: Connecting with Your Higher Self – I Am One,” featured a panel discussion by Jennifer Figaroa, Xina Tromp-Giel, both of Bold Properties and Evelyn Wever Croes, our former Prime Minister, sharing insights on personal growth and leadership.

I enjoyed the experiences shared by Xina Tromp Giel, an authentic, spontaneous speaker, full of life, and spunk, and the well-thought-out words of EWC, who was our prime minister during the pandemic — and we are thankful for that. Jennifer Figaroa, the third leg on the panel, the co-founder of BOLD, shared from her experience, of making a bold move to bundle ten educated, accomplished women, most of them mothers, and bring them together to create a business, a good vibe real estate company.

The second segment was a bit more emotional, “Leveling Up Through Friendships” which highlighted the power of supportive relationships with experienced broker Aileen Kelly, Sulaika Kelly, the President of the Aruba Timeshare Association, and Joueny Croes. Aileen and Sulaika are sisters and great supporters of each other. They are a ying and yang pair, and they share an envious bond. Joueny is one of their closest friends. She is the communication officer at a risk management consultancy. We all shed quiet tears, as she expressed her appreciation of the friendship, especially in hard times.

The third segment, “From Passion to Purpose: Women Making a Difference,” showcased inspiring journeys by Joase-Ann van der Biest, and Tessa Pietersz, which I found most impactful.

These two entrepreneurs have reinvented themselves fearlessly, especially Tessa, a single mother of four who looks like a super model. She went from a stellar TV career, enjoying fame and fortune to a gourmet baker, in her journey of self-discovery. She is the only one who talked about financial security and economic independence, and I am inviting event organizers to flavor next year’s edition with some more financial/economic tips, because sometime hard work is not enough. Women must be taught to be financially sustainable from an early age.

Tessa, more than ever, you are my hero.

The poster child of reinventing herself, Joase-Ann, she transformed numerous times, from a gallery director to real estate agent, holistic life coach, woman’s empowerment advocate, and Lieverd Less Café operator.

The final session, “Empowering the Next Generation – Branding,” features Shekainah Daal, a real estate agent and model, Glendeline Maduro, a wellness guru and Alexlindy Croes a successful entrepreneur now at the helm of Testarosa Motors & Energy. They discussed how to inspire and guide future leaders. They all agreed that being authentic and true to self, walking into the fire, talking a leap of faith, following instincts, and living fearlessly is the key to self fulfilment, personal and professional satisfaction.

Thank you sponsors for helping put the event together, including Swift Distribution, Lieverd Less Café, Royal Aruba Aloe, and The Coach.

Open the door to your authentic self and BOLDLY walk through.

The morning concludes with an opportunity for attendees to connect, engage, and network with one another, celebrating collaboration and the strength of women in the community.

I revisited the subject of child policy at restaurants having been recently assaulted by some hyper kids at a fairly expensive establishment.

On another occasion, I also found it difficult to focus on my delicious pasta with all the Happy Birthday singing and dancing, all night long.

While thinking about that challenge, I noticed online that a disappointed guest felt embittered when Calabria, an Italian eatery in the Mega mall banned children all together. He vowed to never return.

A fast poll among top restaurants in the Palm Beach and Oranjestad areas reveals that to accommodate guests who seek a quiet and relaxing night out in the later evening hours, several restaurants no longer accept reservations for children under the age of 6 after 6:30 or 7pm.

They will not seat guests with small children past 6:30pm.

They continue to welcome reservations for all guests, in the hours prior to 7pm.

Another friendly restaurant offered children till the age of 12 food from their regular menu at smaller portions with 35% off the menu price.

But a ban on small children, in the evening hours, is in effect in at least 50% of establishments polled.

It is an imposition, explained a restaurateur, when wait staff must navigate the dining room around prams and strollers, in a tightly packed space, but I have not made my mind up, yet, as to what to do about it.

On the other hand several restaurateurs explained to me that people come to Aruba to celebrate and bring their families along and they welcome anyone at all hours and will sing Happy Birthday all night long.

That was my second question, do you sing to every birthday boy and girl dining at your establishment.

About 50% do. The other 50% acknowledge birthdays with a free dessert, but their staffers are instructed not to sing – what a relief, since the singing is often abdominal.

(One restaurateur who runs a studio for under 20 dinners explained to me that children are welcome because the gastronomic journey cannot start early enough.)

Many years ago, one of my friends who owns an upscale restaurant, decided to teach his staffers to sing harmoniously. He invited music teacher and pianist Johnny Scharbaay to teach his people how to do it, properly. Even Johnny, a virtuoso, could not teach them anything, they still sounded painfully off-key. True story.

Radio personality Tabitha Fecunda invited me to Magic 96.5FM to talk a bit about day care in Aruba. So I poked around a bit in preparation of her program.

Bottom line: We have all the laws and regulations needed, yet there is no inspection, no follow up.

The story goes the following: A department of Child & Youth was set up by two well-meaning, well-prepared, motivated women, policy advisor, and the motor behind the project, Sue-Anne Ras, and top policy professional, Surella Croese, with another qualified support person. The DMH, Departamento di Mucha & Hoven, was tasked with a mission to supervise childcare centers and daycare facilities, in October 2022.

Both Sue-Anne and Surella set it up to reflect protection for children rights, safety, and wellbeing. They did an excellent job!

About 120 owners of childcare centers and daycare facilities went through an official education process, under SEPA, and received the minimal certification, as required by law, from 2017, that was never enacted.

I do not have to list for you the requirements cited by law for childcare centers and daycare facilities, because you are readers with common sense, but there were quite a few stipulations, besides a green health card for caregivers, a good conduct certificate, and a minimal education. It is all spelled out in the Childcare Ordinance, Landsverordening Kinderopvang. And the supervision and inspections of these facilities must involve the fire fighters, the health department and the department of transport & inspection, DTI, that must issue permits to anyone transporting children against a fee.

Sue-Ann and Surella rounded up everyone, involved them all, explained, and discovered a few bottlenecks.

The MEP minster in charge, Rocco Tjon, did not set up a proper oversight mechanism.

Since the old style Creche was no longer acceptable, investments had to be made to run a legitimate childcare and daycare facility. That met with resistance.

Two prominent obstacles were the ratio of caretakers to children. In Aruba it was set at 6 babies to one caretaker. The owners of the facilities wanted to hire less people, thus asked it to be set at ten per caretaker. (It is 4 in the Netherlands.)

They also did not want to spend the Awg 400 per person it takes to certify each of the workers with a mental health doctor certificate.

The system ended up with hundred of people employed across the island in more than 120 childcare centers and daycare facilities with just one qualified person on staff – the owner.

DMH required everyone to sign up, submit papers, and start the registration process.

Then nothing happened.

The government never got back with the actual licenses, and post elections the DMH was dissolved, annexed to the education department, Sue-Anne and Surella were reassigned.

End of story.

My source said she hope Gerlien Croes, the Minister of Kingdom Relations, Education, Youth, Innovation & Sports hurries up and completes the reinvention of the DMH because hundreds of babies, toddlers, and children are subject to under-qualified care on the island.

About the transport tragedy”

In 2021, a father went to work and forgot his child in the backseat of his car. The baby died. This happened again in late February when the owner of a childcare facility in San Nicolas, left a five-year-old to cook in her car. He was airlifted to Colombia and is still in intensive care.

I watched the interview with the owner/driver online. It was all about her and how much she suffered at childbirth, and how overworked and overwhelmed she is. While she is the owner of the facility, she was driving the kids. She placed partial responsibility on her co-worker, who was in the car with her, to assist her in case she fainted. A woman under such strain and stress, in such poor mental and physical health, should not be entrusted to care for children.

Was she running a certified childcare facility?

Did she have a transport permit?

Did she have insurance?

You know the answer is NO.

Most of our working-class parents cannot afford proper day care and entrust their precious children to whatever they can afford.

Many keeps kids at home, under the care of a family member, which opens the door to more issues of abuse.

I resolved not to have children.

Interview with driver