Advocate Wins CIBC Unsung Hero Award for Disability Rights Work

Joshuanette Francis, a teacher and founder of Good Humans 268 Inc., has been named the 2025 CIBC Antigua Unsung Heroes Award winner for her transformative work in disability advocacy and environmental sustainability.

The recognition comes after Francis’s organization achieved significant milestones, including diverting one million items from landfills and installing accessibility ramps at local schools throughout Antigua and Barbuda.

“Today I have the distinct pleasure and honour in announcing the CIBC Antigua Unsung Heroes Award winner for 2025,” said Ladesa James Williams, CIBC Country Head. “The winner is a true advocate for inclusion, empowerment, sustainability, and community transformation in Antigua and Barbuda.”

Francis’s journey into advocacy began unexpectedly. “If you told me five years ago, I would be on a mission to change the lives of individuals with disabilities, I think I would have laughed at you so hard,” she reflected.

Unlike many nonprofit organizations, Good Humans 268 emerged from personal experience rather than charitable intentions. “Good Human Success is a personal journey,” Francis explained. “It wasn’t one of those nonprofits that started with a, oh, I have money and now I want to give back.”

Williams highlighted Francis’s remarkable transformation of personal challenges into community action. Diagnosed with osteoarthritis at just 24, Francis “transformed her personal experience into a powerful mission. Rather than allowing her condition to define her, she uses her story to inspire others and to challenge the discrimination and barriers faced by people living with disabilities.”

The impact of Francis’s work extends beyond individual success stories. “There’s a ramp up at primary right now because of this work. We’ve diverted a million items from the landfill,” she noted, demonstrating the tangible changes her organization has created.

Williams praised the comprehensive scope of Good Humans 268, describing it as “a beacon of hope, offering training programs, employment initiatives, and sustainable projects that open doors for some of the most marginalized members of our society.” The organization’s mission encompasses environmental awareness, recycling initiatives, tree planting, and youth engagement programs.

“Her advocacy extends beyond disability rights,” Williams added. “Joshuanette has championed environmental awareness, recycling, tree planting, and volunteerism, ensuring that young people and communities at large see themselves as stewards of both people and planet.”

Francis uses her platform to challenge fellow Antiguans to become agents of change. “I would say to any Antiguan, if you see a problem, become the change you want to see,” she urged.

The award holds special significance for the broader disability community. “The award is for me, but it’s really for the entire disability community,” Francis emphasized. “We have put a mark. We have begun getting recognition for the work that we can do to transform the lives of individuals within our community.”

Francis views this recognition as just the beginning of a larger movement. “This is only the beginning. Change will happen. And together we are going to make Antigua and Barbuda great.”

Williams concluded the ceremony with congratulations, “Joshuanette, we congratulate you on your work thus far, and we are proud to call you a CIBC Antigua Unsung Hero. We wish her every success as she moves on to represent Antigua and Barbuda in the regional CIBC Caribbean Unsung Heroes competition.”

Francis will now compete against other Caribbean winners for the regional title. Accepting the honor, she emphasized the collective nature of her mission, “Today is a great day, not for Joshuanette Francis, but for individuals with disabilities. We are going to change Antigua and Barbuda.”