Akiba Reid is executive director of the AIDS Foundation of Barbados Inc. (AFBI).
Q: Are you where you’ve always wanted to be?
A: I am not there yet, but I certainly am close.
Q: What is your biggest professional challenge?
A: The prevailing economic environment. To a large extent, it is slowing down the AFBI’s progress towards enlisting every single private sector organization into our membership base.
Membership is important because it allows direct access to workers, where AFBI can influence behaviour change, encourage prevention and non-discrimination – workplace intervention tactics have proven to successfully reduce the impact on lives as well as a business’ bottom line.
Q: What is your biggest life challenge?
A: There is no one particular challenge that causes me any undue stress. I always adopt a positive attitude towards life and roll with the punches as they come (if I haven’t already anticipated and planned for them).
Q. When you look to the future, what do you see?
A: A more tolerant and human rights-focused world.
Q: What is your favourite pastime?
A: Going to the movies.
Q: What is your favourite meal?
A: I often joke with friends that I don’t always have a very sophisticated palate. I thoroughly enjoy any meal that has rice and fried plantains.
Q: On Saturday nights where are you likely to be?
A: With friends, at the movies, or on the couch with a good book.
Q: What upsets you the most?
A: Lack of follow-through.
Q: What is your guiding philosophy?
A:?Someone famous once said, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” I abide by that.
Q. If you had the chance to manage Barbados for a day, what would you do?
A: I would ensure that disease management (preventative and curative) and healthy lifestyle programmes are standard in the corporate cultures across the private sector work spaces. Law of the land.