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Think about what’s between your two ears

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By Melissa Martin

Do you ever think about what’s going on in the three pounds of tissue inside your skull that sets on the top of your neck? The human brain is composed of 75 percent water and 60 percent fat. Who knew? The human brain has 86,000,000,000 (86 billion) neurons. Crikey! The brain is miraculous.

The brain is so astounding that it gets its own annual Brain Awareness Week in March. Bravo to the brain. Celebrate your cerebellum and cerebrum. Love your lobes. Nurture your neurons.

The Global Council on Brain Health is a collaboration of scientists, health professionals, scholars and policy experts from around the world that work in areas of brain health related to human cognition. Shazam!

“The brain is the most complex of the human body. This three-pound organ is the seat of intelligence, interpreter of the senses, initiator of body movement, and controller of behavior. Lying in its bony shell and washed by protective fluid, the brain is the source of all qualities that define our humanity. The brain is the crown jewel of the human body.” Are you getting brain strain from too much stress? We only get 168 hours per week to do everything we want and need to do. That’s it. So, stop trying to squeeze so may activities into your week.

“We live our lives as if they were one big emergency! We often rush around looking busy, trying to solve problems, but in reality, we are often compounding them,” wrote Richard Carlson, author of the book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Calm down your brain strain.

Be part of the conversation.

Let us know what you think by adding a comment below. Click here to start now!

Are you getting brain drain from too little sleep? Study after study shows that getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night is necessary for memory, learning, and focusing. So, stop guzzling caffeine and get your zzz’s.

Did you know that falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury overall, particularly in older adults and young children?

Brain Check-Up

Take an online self-assessment (no cost) by the Cleveland Clinic at www.healthybrains.org. You will get your personal Brain Health Index (BHI) Score, Individual Pillar Scores, Brain Health Guide, Memory Score, Dashboard, and Recommendation and Tips Designed For You. Your Brain Health Index is a measurement of lifestyle choices that contribute to your overall brain health. Results are based on your answers. Good news—I am not showing signs of dementia. FYI: Shopping is not considered a cardio exercise—unless you jog from store to store.

How are your treating your magnificent brain? You only get one brain in this lifetime, so treat it with safety and respect.

(Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in U.S.)

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

 

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

 

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal control processes necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk mitigation procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, Banking or related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in lending, inclusive of MSME lending. The initial employment period will be for two years on a contractual basis. Renewal of the contract will be subject to a performance evaluation at the end of the contractual period. The assignment is expected to begin on September 30th, 2021.  The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

 

https://bit.ly/3iVannm

 

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

  • An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Finance, Banking or related field; and
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending. Applicants should also have:
  • The ability to design and implement risk management procedures 
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
  • Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
  • Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
  • Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
  • Knowledge of marketing and communicating with the MSME sector
  • Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
  • Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
  • Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours:

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Brid Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 11th, 2021, to [email protected]

 

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                          Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                  Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                          [email protected]