Empowering People, Transforming Lives!

Issue 37 | 29 Nov, 2019

Empowering People, Transforming Lives!

Focus on the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment 1

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Shifting Towards Transformation!

The Department of Social Transformation

Noteworthy

Activities and Works in Gros Islet

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03.-)5 Leading the Charge in Transforming Saint Lucia!

06-07 The Department of Social Transformation

08-09 The SSDF Poverty Reduction and

Assisting the Indigent Among Us!

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Noteworthy

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Belfund- Providing More than just Financial Assistance

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For Conservation and Protection

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The Basic Needs Trust Fund Report Card

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The Division of Human Services

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Projects and Activities in Gros Islet

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Notice From the Department of Health and Wellness

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News Bites

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n this issue of “Our Saint Lucia” we zoom in on the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment. It is quite an extensive Ministry, with several departments forming part of the portfolio.

These include the Social Transformation Department, the Division of Human Services, the National Conservation Authority (NCA), the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund, (SSDF) and the James Belgrave Micro Enterprise Development Fund Inc. (BELfund).

The role of the Ministry and by extension the intertwining departments, is not simply to foster temporary change in our Saint Lucian society, but to engage in sustainable interventions which will ultimately lead to positively transforming the lives of citizens by empowering them, thereby transforming the nation. Social transformations it is said, are such when they sustain over time, where attitudes and values are held in a completely new context based upon different assumptions and beliefs.

And whereas “change” uses external influences to modify actions, transformation modifies beliefs so actions become natural and thereby achieve the desired result.

Transformation does not require any external influence to maintain, and because of its fundamental nature, transformation is more likely permanent.

And this is the overarching thrust of the Ministry, as it seeks to create a more equitable playing field for Saint Lucians, placing emphasis on reforms and interventions such as Juvenile Justice Reform, the Youth Empowerment Programme, Afterschool programmes, Micro Enterprise and small business financing (through the SSDF and Belfund) and conservation of our beaches and protected areas and spaces. In this issue of “Our Saint Lucia” we take you inside some of the agencies and report on some of the programs and success stories.

Empowering people and transforming lives means teaching a person to fish as opposed to handing them a fish and this the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment has been doing, while the vulnerable and those among us who cannot fend for themselves are not left behind either.

Editor, Toni Nicholas

Hon. Lennard Montoute receives the humanitarian award from Dr. Clyde Rivers of “I Change Nations.”

Leading the Charge in Transforming Saint Lucia!

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on. Lennard Montoute is the elected Member of Parliament for the Gros Islet constituency, one of the largest constituencies on the island. In Government, he also holds quite an extensive portfolio, that of “Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment”. Under this ministerial umbrella are a number of agencies, including the Social Transformation Unit, The Welfare Unit, the Department of Gender Relations, the National Conservation Authority, The Saint Lucia Social Development Fund (SSDF), the James Belgrave Micro Enterprise (Belfund), the Upton Gardens Girl Center, New Beginning Transit Home, The Boys Training Center and Comfort Bay. The Minister also has oversight for the constituency councils, under Local Government.

“Our Saint Lucia” spoke to Hon. Lenard Montoute about this mandate and the steps his Ministry and the various agencies are taking to truly achieve social transformation change in Saint Lucia.

Q. How would you describe your portfolio?

A. I believe that it is at the heart of everything Government does. Along with all the capital projects and providing some of the basic needs like healthcare and education, there must be a transformative process in people’s lives as well as the way they think

and see themselves as Saint Lucians.

And so we are trying to create greater synergies, to serve more people more efficiently by pulling our limited resources together.

Q. How exactly do you plan on doing this?

Juvenile Justice Reform Partnering with UNICEF

A. What we want to do is work in closer collaboration with our various agencies and departments, to harmonize the various programs. We now have the SOCIAL SAFETY NET UNIT, where a registry will be established, to collect data that will guide how we assess and target persons in need. The idea is to become more efficient and at the same time one agency would know what the other is doing. For example, you have SSDF providing assistance for bursaries for schools, Ministry of Education does 3

Q& Laptop donation to the BTC. Pictured L-R: Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet, Taiwan Ambassador Douglas Chen, Hon. Lennard Montoute and Wang Sonson General Manager of BTC

it as well, Social Transformation does it and even some parliamentarians do it and there are people who are very skillful at manipulating that system unknown to the agents providing the assistance. However, if you can go into a data base, you can pull up a name and recognize who has already received assistance, thereby minimizing abuse and maximizing the use of the limited resources that we have.

Q. What would you say are among the successful flagship programs under your watch right now?

A. One of them that easily come to mind is the COMMUNITY AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM. So you have a single mother who has to go to work. What happens, between the hours of 2:30 and say 5 pm when she is still at work and the child is alone at home after school? We have started this program to address this need. Not only does it ensure that the children are in a guided controlled environment, but they get assistance that they would not otherwise have gotten like help with homework and exposure to other facets like music, theatre arts, sports and so on. We know all too well what they say about idle minds, and so having the children in this supervised setting has an impact on taking them away from the temptations that may lead to a life of deviant behavior.

Q. What is happening with the Home Caregivers Program for the elderly?

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A. We have revised this program

and in last year’s budget there was an increase in the allocation, leading to an increase in the number of caregivers. What we have discovered is that more and more people are requiring that kind of assistance, even where there are households with capable persons, who see themselves as being able to go out and earn a living. However, they may not be earning enough to pay for the kind of care and service required for their elderly family member. We have also gone further in assisting the elderly with housing and medical services so that the EC$200 sustenance they are given, can go towards other needs.

Q. The Boys Training Center has been a sore thumb for years. What corrective measures are being taken to ensure that the issues are addressed?

A. First of all we have to admit

that the physical structure itself has served its time and we need a new home for our boys who are in protective care. We have therefor presented a proposal to a funding agency for a new home. This home will adequately cater to the needs of the wards who are there for protective care and those who have been in conflict with the law.

In the interim we are embarking on programs that will adequately

speak to the needs of the wards, so that when they leave they can adequately function normally in the wider society. We have improved programs such as auto mechanics, agriculture, music and IT and they also do the CVQ assessments, which are showing good results.

Youth Empowerment Project Launch

Q. Alongside all of this we are also talking Juvenile justice Reform. Tell us a little about that.

A. This is a very diverse program and it entails diversion program - giving support to existing court diversion programs and providing alternate dispute resolution methods and training for Juveniles. This project is administered by the Ministry of Social Transformation along with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Justice and the Ministry of Education. It is very comprehensive and again it harmonizes our efforts at meeting the needs of our young people.

Q. Are we going to see the continuation of the stimulus program?

A. While we are focusing on more sustainable forms of employment and creating opportunities for our people to become self-employed, we are going ahead with the stimulus program as a stop gap measure. And so three times a year; at Easter, before the start of the new school year and ahead of the Christmas season, the intention is to offer small projects to do some beautification works in the various constituencies, while providing temporary employment at these critical times of the year.

&A Launch of Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS)

Q. And then there is the Youth Empowerment Project?

A. Yes, the Youth Empowerment Project YEP, is something that I am very

confident will have a great impact especially in the urban areas of the Castries basin where the pilot project is targeted. It is aimed at mitigating risk factors that trigger criminal and anti-social behaviors and focusses on the individual, family, community and societal levels. The program will also cater to high-school dropouts and unemployed persons. This project is funded by the Caribbean Development Bank.

Q. Have you seen these interventions making a dent on unemployment, particularly youth unemployment?

A. Most certainly. You would realize that for the first quarter of this year we moved from about 40% youth unemployment in 2018 to about 26%.

Quite apart from creating opportunities for our young people by offering training and helping them become employable, we also offer microfinancing through Belfund as well as the SSDF. These agencies have been very useful in assisting persons become self- employed.

Q. I understand that the SSDF has also been a source of support to several community based projects.

A. In addition to some of what they are known for, this year they were

also able to offer assistance for Micro-businesses in the form of grant funding. Beyond that the SSDF recently commenced a successful social program aimed at boys called “Boys Matter”. This private/public sector collaboration assists secondary schoolboys who may be facing issues at school.

Under the SSDF we also have the “Koudment Ste Lisi” which offers housing assistant and also has a psycho-social assistant component and a training component while assisting families in need of housing.

We also have HOPE, which was designed to deal with small community projects, done by people in the community, where small skilled workers who may not be qualified to meet the requirements to get a contract are assisted by the SSDF. In the end, you find that we are building capacity and the economic situation of the individuals and their families improved while the community also benefits from whatever infrastructure is improved, giving a sense of pride to the community.

Q. Finally, your overall assessment of all that your Ministry is doing?

A. The difficulty we have very often is quantifying or in any tangible way demonstrating the impact of what we do. It is hard to say that there was not a stabbing today because of a certain social program, for instance.

However, I think it is universally accepted, that those social interventions go a long way in preventing certain social ills especially among young persons.

If we intervene early enough and they are provided with guidance, jobs, housing, training, the building of selfesteem - you remove the conditions that will give rise to the deviant behavior and the need to engage in criminal activity and the positive social impact happens.

We cannot ignore people’s diminished self-esteem, self-pride and self –worth and how these contribute to our social ills. And so, with a return to focusing on values and self- worth and a greater community spirit; when all of those things come into play, you have a better individual resulting in a better society.

But I have to say, that quite apart from the social interventions, there are a number of institutions in society that we have to recognize, as playing a vital role in supporting what we do. They include the churches, the NGOs, the teachers, schools, sports and social clubs - all go a long way, along with the family, in helping bring about the societal change.

The role of the family and the extended family (which seems to be disappearing) is crucial. While it may be true that with poverty there is a greater propensity towards crime, we know of cases where people are poor and do not engage in criminal activity and that is because of the values that are inculcated by family members. And so while Government cannot be excused from its important role, we all have to see ourselves as playing our part in transforming Saint Lucia into the better society that we all wish and hope for.

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Facilitators workshop CASP

Jim Xavier with Social Transformation staff and officers

The

Department of Social

Transformation Jim Xavier is the Deputy Director of Social Transformation, in the Ministry of “Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment.” “Our Saint Lucia spoke to Mr. Xavier about his role and the function of the department.

Xavier says that one of the major hurdles which were overcome when he took up the post was the establishment of a proper structure and training of the social transformation officers.

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“We now have a very clear work plan and are now better able to understand communities by developing profiles and establishing a scientific basis for the work of the officers. For instance in Micoud, our research and parental meetings indicated a rising trend of school delinquency. So we were able to put in place the necessary interventions,” he further explained.

“Now that is quite broad. Their mandate can involve a wide range of activities including working with vulnerable people. It also involves working with various organizations and organized groups to ensure that the lives of people.

They also work on education programs, employment programs as well as with a number of sectors in the communities including farmers and fisher-folk,” he stated.

Xavier stated that he is also considering an intervention for Anse La Raye/ Canaries in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Agriculture for a more effective response to incidence of snake bites in those communities.

The Deputy Directorship involves the supervision of Social Transformation Officers deployed across the island in all constituencies,” Xavier informed us.

He went further to explain that the task of the Social Transformation Officers is to work with the various communities to empower them and help with social development.

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The Community After School Programme (CASP) however, remains one of the single largest and most successful programmes of the department.

Community After School Program

“This is where we have made the greatest strides, in terms of revamping the afterschool programme. One of the first things that we did was get a new coordinator in the person of Ms. Antonia Marius. She then went on to meet all the centers to assess their needs and make recommendations that were implemented. We have also strengthened the screening and training of facilitators as well as the placing of greater involvement with parents,” Xavier says. The programme also has on board a clinical psychologist who is able to address cases where students exhibit behaviours beyond the capacity of facilitators.

The CASP now boast 15 centers across the island, with Laborie /Augier coming on board recently.

Ministry of Equity Host Social Life Skills Training Workshop for CASP Facilitators The Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment held a one day workshop at the Chateau

PS Velda Joseph presents award to student

Heritage in Dennery on October 31st, 2019, to sensitize Life Skills Facilitators of the Community After School Programme (CASP). The training focused on various ways to deal with the growing challenges of child care at the various centers.

Workshop facilitator Virginia Joseph stated that the training involved child behavior and intervention solutions.

“With the Community After School Programme what we have realized is that behavior modification is very important and we felt that facilitators needed to be sensitized in that field. At the various centers we have noticed that children lack social skills and we see a lot of this being displayed through aggression and bullying. They also lack interpersonal skills and communication skills,” she said.

She went on to say that there was the realization that children adopt the cultures of their home and even those of their peers. “We are in the process of getting to know more about social skills. We also shared information from our colleagues on how they dealt with various issues at their centers,” Joseph says.

The CASP coordinator Antonia Marius stated that due to this workshop facilitators are now better placed to examine behavioral issues and plan intervention solutions.

Monchy Community School Band

The Monchy Community After School Programme Among the many success stories of the CASP is the Monchy programme.

In April of this year, as part of the closing celebratory event, the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment hosted an Awards Ceremony to honor students, parents and facilitators who helped make the programme the success that it has been.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment Mrs. Velda Joseph expressed gratitude to the facilitators and parents who came forward to complement Government’s efforts in that regard.

“I want to thank all the facilitators who were there before and those who are still involved in the programme. I know that this job is not a high paying one and so I would like to thank you for your contribution which has impacted the lives of vulnerable people in the community,” she said.

She went on to emphasize the need for the parents of enrolled students to become actively involved in the programme.

Deputy Director in the Social Transformation Unit, Mr. Jim Xavier echoed similar sentiments. “The successful programmes are the ones in which the parents become involved and so I am encouraging all parents to be more involved in what is happening at the center,” Xavier said. He also complemented the dedicated facilitators of the Monchy CASP who according to him “go above and beyond to make the programme interesting and unique.

One participant testified saying; “If it wasn’t for the programme I would be another lost child in the ghetto. I had begun doing bad things until I joined the Monchy Community After School Programme.”

The school band which was formed under the programme through the tutelage of retired Inspector Sealy of the RSLPB is another component of the Monchy CASP that has come in for much praise. Not only has it engaged students in doing something positive, but the band has received gigs for performances in the community, activities of the Department of Social Transformation as well as at various hotels in the north of the island.

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Executive Director SSDF Allison Mathurin

The SSDF

Poverty Reduction and Assisting the Indigent Among Us! Part of the mission of The Saint Lucia Social Development Fund (SSDF) is to assist in building a Saint Lucian society, where socio-economic vulnerability and imbalances in communities and families are reduced.

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he SSDF’s mandate is also to provide services that will facilitate the highest social and economic wellbeing of disadvantaged citizens and marginalized communities, through beneficiary involvement, the efficient use of resources, fostering social integration, towards social cohesion and national prosperity.

Alison Mathurin is the Executive Director of the SSDF. He takes us through some of the programmes of the institution.

“Over the last few years we have taken a critical look at the mandate of the SSDF and how we do things. One of the things that struck me was that over a period of several years we were seeing some of the same persons coming in for assistance. And it hit home, that maybe we were not really helping these people, if they were caught up in the same cycle of poverty. And so we started looking at ways in which we could truly achieve our mandate of poverty alleviation and elimination. In the past we were demand driven and reactionary, trying to help as many persons who came in to us. There seem to have been no coherent plan as to how we would help get these persons off of welfare or dependent on the services. And so right now the progarammes we have started implementing are designed to deal with that”.

mother of seven by just giving her a home? So we have to look at things like offering counselling, education and even family planning as well as training where possible so such persons can benefit from micro-financing and maybe start a small business, of their own.

MICRO-ENTERPRISE FINANCING “In light of what I have just mentioned, we have grown partial to a micro enterprise programme for which we have received an allocation from finance.

For this programme we teamed up with Belfund who assist with the training and monitoring of applicants. The difference between our Micro-Enterprise loans is that we do not require any guarantors and it is a maximum of EC$10,000. So far we have assisted several persons in this area, who are now running successful businesses in different parts of the island.

HOUSING ASSISTANCE

Anya Edwin Resource Mobilization Officer interact with young men given assistance

by SSDF

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“Last year for the first time finance gave us in our budget money for housing assistance and we are really excited about that. But again we have to ask, are we really helping a single unemployed

PRIVATE SECTOR RESOURCE MOBILIATION “We recognized very early that Government does not have the money to put into all of the social agencies as they

Interior Design for Thrift Store

An outing with young boys

used to before. And so we had to find ways to fill the voids, because we have seen more people coming for assistance.

We now have in place a resource mobilization officer, who goes out to the private sector for assistance with funds for some of our programmes. Out of that was born “Our Boys Matter.”

secondary school who cannot cope with the academics and so with the parent’s consent we have placed 45 of the boys at the Center for Adolescence Renewal and Education (CARE) for specialized attention in vocational areas.

OUR BOYS MATTER “Two of our private sector supporters have been Massy Stores and Lucelec, sponsors of the “Our Boys Matter,” initiative. We came up with the concept to target vulnerable boys and with a mentorship component, Massy Stores agreed to come onboard, having been part of a similar programme in Trinidad and Tobago. Lucelec was also eager to partner with us for the programme.

Through this initiative, we are targeting nine secondary schools in the first instance, where we take one hundred boys who are in vulnerable situations, with behavioural issues and are not performing very well at school. We assist with transportation and meals and offer guidance counselling too. Since we started the programme we have seen an improvement in their attendance rate.

Ms. Fortuna Anthony is the consultant on the project . She is very passionate about the programme and has been doing an outstanding job. We knew also that going in there are children in

Saint Lucia. So after our meeting they are thrilled to know there was a Government agency they could work with.

We have since proposed that we set up a thrift store like Goodwill in the United States and the idea is that the associations will donate new and used items for sale at the thrift store. Then at the end of each year the profits will go towards various social interventions.

The thrift store will also be an avenue to create employment.

KOUDMAIN STE LISI

Our Boys Matter Sponsors Presentation

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE “The educational assistance we do every year is still ongoing. However once again we are reviewing our approach to this, taking a more critical look at the nonperformance of some of the students we assist. So we now look at their report cards, their school attendance, the conditions at home, learning disorders and psycho-socio issues to determine if there is need for any further interventions.

THRIFT STORE “We recently had a meeting with the Union of Saint Lucia Overseas Associations who we discovered has had a challenge over the years to do something meaningful collectively for

“This is a two year programme given support by the Chilean government.

Among the pillars of support is housing assistance, psycho social assistance, employment and income. The idea is that after two years the clients from Koudmain Ste Lisi should graduate out public assistance as we empower them to take care of themselves.

This intervention seeks to eradicate extreme poverty, implement comprehensive social protection programs and reduce poverty and vulnerability in Saint Lucia specifically in the communities highlighted by The Country Poverty Assessment as being highly vulnerable and indigent.

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PS Velda Joseph shares a light moment with one of the centenarians

Governor General Sir Neville Cenac and Lady Cenac with one of the celebrants

NoteWORTHY The Human Services Department Celebrates Saint Lucia’s Centenarians

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n Saturday October 26th 2019 the Human Services Department hosted an afternoon tea party to celebrate centenarians around the island.

The event was held at the Governor General’s residence Morne Fortune.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment Velda Joseph commended the Human Services Department for hosting the ceremony and emphasized the need for more Saint Lucians to embrace inclusiveness of the Elderly.

“In Saint Lucia there is no place for negative stereotypes of older persons.

The thinking that older persons should remain home should not be entertained in our island paradise. We must reorganize our community and national planning, to ensure that we have adopted a whole society approach. This speaks to inclusiveness, where everyone is involved and has a contribution to make. ” Director of the Human Services Department Beverly Ann-Poyotte expressed her gratitude to the centenarians who attended the event and made it a success.

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“I want to thank you for making time to be here with us and for allowing us to celebrate you and your accomplishments,” she said.

Boys Training Centre (BTC) Partake in Soccer Tournament in Grenada The football team from the Boys Training Centre (BTC) traveled to Grenada to partake in the 2019 Caribbean Children Charity Shield Soccer Tournament from August 17 to August 24. The BTC team consist of 16 boys and five members of staff.

The team competed against sixteen other teams from the Caribbean region for the 2019 Shield Title.

The Boys Training Centre team made it all the way to the semi-finals, losing to Grenada in that encounter. However, despite the loss, at the conclusion of the tournament the team was judged the most discipline team

Momentous Occasion at BTC Earlier in the year, January to be precise, the wards and staff of the BTC and ministry officials were assembled to view a momentous and historic occasion.

The occasion was to recognize the first young man at the Boys Training Centre to receive Caribbean Vocational Qualification Certificate (CVQ) for successfully completing level one of wielding along with partial completion of Level 1 of Motor Vehicle repairs. His name is Dean Adjodha.

The achievement is shared with instructors and teachers of the BTC and his parents who were very supportive especially his father who ensured his son attended all classes.

BTC CVQ Awardee Centre

Boys Training Center Football

Taiwan Donate Supplies to the Ministry of Equity The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has once again demonstrated its nation’s support by donating an assortment of humanitarian supplies to the Government and people of Saint Lucia.

The handing over ceremony took place on Tuesday October 15th, 2019 at the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) grounds, Bisee.

The donations were made through the Simply Help Foundation, dedicated to relieving poverty by providing Emergency Disaster Vocational Training, shelter and care for the homeless and elderly. The Foundation provided clothing, shoes, toys, baby supplies, suitcases, stationery and kitchenware to Saint Lucia.

Minister for Equity, Social justice, Local Government and Empowerment Hon. Leonard Montoute expressed his gratitude to the Taiwanese Government for providing the much needed supplies.

Photo: Minister Lenard Montoute Minister Lenard Montoute receive receive donations from from Taiwanese donations Taiwanese Miss Independence 2019 Prize Giving Ceremony For the second year the Miss Independence pageant was staged with support from the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment . The event was held in February and in October, the organizers and committee acknowledged and rewarded the participants who took part in the 2019 Miss Independence Saint Lucia Pageant.

The Prize Giving Ceremony was held at the Prime Minister’s Residence on Wednesday October 23th, 2019.

The pageant was won by Miss Soufriere Sancia Charlemagne.

ceremony; “Today is a happy day for me.

I do hope after this facility is completed and opened that it will provide young working mothers with a supervised venue for developing children.”

Signing Ceremony for Monchy Early Childhood Development Centre Construction Sub Project Presently the Monchy community does not offer any Public Early Childhood Educational Service and therefore in response to this urgent need, the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund (SSDF) in collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of Saint Lucia have embarked on the construction of a new Early Childhood Centre under the ninth cycle of the Basic Need trust fund (BNTF9).

On Wednesday November 6th, 2019 the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund (SSDF) hosted the BNTF9 Signing Ceremony for the Early Childhood Facility near the proposed construction site at Monchy.

Executive Director of the (SSDF) Allison Mathurin stated; “Early childhood development is tied to the development of children throughout their life and they are more likely to become productive students and citizens. They are also less likely to drop out of school or engage in criminal activities. We the people must be very grateful for the gift from the Caribbean Development Bank.”

The new facility will be approximately four thousand square feet with five classrooms, administrative area, sickbay, child and adult washrooms with accommodation for physically challenged children, kitchen, open eating area and external playing area.

The building will accommodate approximately 60 students including infants, toddlers preschoolers and physically challenged students.

The facility will be constructed at an estimated cost of EC1.2 Million Dollars.

Contract for Monchy Early Childhood Center signed sealed and delivered

Walkway Completed for Residence of Vieux Fort North Maneuvering over flooded waterways is now a thing of the past for the residents of the Vigie Cacoa community in Vieux Fort North, who recently received a newly constructed mini-bridge walkway donated by the Vieux Fort North Constituency Council.

Chairperson of the Vieux Fort North Constituency Council Mrs. Kate Edmee highlighted the importance of Council’s role in community development.

“The Council’s role is to improve the people’s lifestyle by providing basic needs. The residents of this community had no proper access to the main road for work, school and in times of an emergency. ” The mini walkway will provide a secure path for several families who traverse the route on a daily basis.

Walkway in Vigie Cocoa – Vieux Fort

The walkway is the Constituency Council’s first project in the Vigie Cocoa Community.

Minister for Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment Hon. Lenard Montoute stated at the signing Miss Independence Prize Giving

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he James Belgrave Micro Enterprise Development Unit, has been around since the year 2000. However in recent years, the Belfund as it is called has been reaping greater success on its own as well as through collaborative efforts with agencies such as the SSDF. Camille Paul is the General Manager of Belfund. As a former career banker, she is passionate about what she does and is excited about the role her Unit plays in creating business opportunities for Saint Lucians.

“The James Belgrave Micro Enterprise Development Fund Inc. (BELfund), was established to promote sustainable development through self-help micro enterprise projects for individuals, families and groups,” she started off by telling us. Besides offering financial assistance in the form of loans for small businesses, we offer enterprise training, technical assistance and accounting services”.

General Manager of Belfund Camille Paul

BELFUND Providing More than just Financial Assistance SUCCESS STORY TESTIMONY

Belfund offers financing for service and trade, retail and distribution, in a wide range of areas including manufacturing, wood-work, tourism, animal husbandry and more.

And anyone from any part of Saint Lucia can qualify.

“To qualify for a loan at Belfund, you do not need the fancy business plans that the other financial institutions may require. All you need is a viable business idea and if it is considered, then we would assist the client in developing a business plan. Once we are satisfied that it will bring income for you we proceed with the loan,” Camille Paul says.

The Belfund loans range from EC$5,000 minimum to a maximum of EC$30,000. The terms range from 1 year to 5 years.

“We also cater for persons already established in business but who see a need to expand,” Paul further explained.

Belfund over the years has been able to create employment for the less privileged who normally would not qualify for such loans through the main financial institutions. The entity also provides business support for clients throughout the term of the loan.

SSDF Collaboration

Gaysha Lionel is a young entrepreneur who is disabled. She runs Zindagi Design Café World, a small business in Choiseul offering internet services, laminating, binding, scanning, photocopying, faxing and graphics. Its doors were opened earlier this year, thanks to support from the Department of Social Transformation who assisted with building material.

“The assistance I received, helped me to open my own internet café and mini shop in my community. I must say the Department was very accommodating.

This is like a dream come true for me, especially seeing that it would not have been possible for me to find gainful employment giving that I am in a wheelchair.”

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In March of 2018 the SSDF was able to secure funding for a Micro Enterprise Assistance Programme. For this progamme the SSDF has formed a successful partnership with Belfund. “So how this works is that the SSDF provides the funding and Belfund does the enterprise training and we do the disbursing of the loan which is up to EC$10,000, and the monitoring of the business. So far we have been able to disburse 41 loans since we started and I must say the programme has been very successful,” Paul says.

This loan is interest free and also comes with the business support system throughout the terms of the loan. According to Paul, it is critical that the small business sector receives as much support as they can give in order to become successful.

Grant Funding Belfund and the SSDF have also collaborated to tap into grant funding from the Chilean Government under the Koudmain Ste Lisi Project. “We started this in November, and for the pilot programme we are looking at 19 women who we consider to be in difficult circumstances. So we are training them and giving them the funding to start a small business. In this case we are also giving emotional support,” Paul says.

The training exercise is expected to be completed in December of 2019.

Beach activities require permits from the NCA

For Conservation and Protection A

nother entity which falls under the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment is the National Conservation Authority (The NCA). As the name implies, the core activity of the Authority relates to the conservation and maintenance of our beaches, parks and sites.

Jacinta Lee General Manager of the NCA tells our Saint Lucia that the day to day activities of the NCA include tree trimming, landscaping, and maintenance of the sites and beaches. “The NCA is also responsible for issuing permits for use of the beaches for large activities and events as well as vending permits,” she went on to explain. “We have also been doing a lot of training with our venders through the Ministry of Tourism and this has been going very well,” she added.

The GM pointed out that the NCA would like to partner with more private sector agencies to make the beaches more user-friendly, attractive and safe. “We are looking at Pigeon Island for example and the vehicular traffic and parking in that space which is sometimes chaotic.

So what we want to do is cordon off particular areas for parking and restrict parking very close to the waters edge as some drivers do,” she says. The NCA has been working on having designated lifeguards on the more popular beaches as well as more frequent police and ranger patrols. “We did get some support from the Tourism Enhancement Fund for the beach rangers, but this is something we would like to see continue over the long term,” she says.

The NCA also maintains three vending facilities located at Pigeon Point, Vigie Beach and the Morne Lay By. Photo NCA Beach facility at Pigeon Island

PROJECTS SEAWEED CLEAN UP “This year we saw the problems with the Sargassum seaweed and the impact on our fishers and users of the beaches, particularly in the South and East Coast,” Lee said. The NCA embarked on a project of clearing the Sargassum seaweed, working with the company Algas Organics, which converts the seaweed into fertilizer.

NCA Sargassum Cleaning

CONSERVATION SCHOOL CLUBS “Earlier this year the NCA through the United States Peace Corps recruited two Peace Corps Response Volunteers to work with students of Primary and Secondary schools, five of them to form Conservation Clubs,” Ms. Lee said. Those schools were Gros Islet Secondary, Corinth Secondary, Piaye Secondary, Marchand Combined and Anse La Raye Primary. One of the highlighted activities of the clubs was a Garbage bin competition won by Gros Islet Secondary.

The NCA collaborated with a number of public and private sector organizations for this activity, including the Department of Fisheries, Saint Lucia National Trust, United States Peace Corps, Massy Stores, Harris Paints, Caribbean Sea, and Greening the Caribbean.

VENDING and TOILET FACILITY at REDUIT

“We trained several persons in the effective clearing of the seaweed and innitially employed 28 persons, with the company absorbing 50 percent of the cost,” Jacinta Lee said. “Besides Algas Organics we saw the involvement of the Ministries of Agriculture, Finance and Equity, the National Apprentice Program and the Office of the Prime Minister who donated a truck to us,” she added.

According to Ms. Jacinta Lee vending and public toilet facilities is something that the NCA is eager to see move forward in 2020. The TEF has promised to assist in funding the construction of the facilities, with the NCA requesting additional funding from the Government of Saint Lucia. It is expected that the construction will commence in the next budget cycle of 2020/2021.

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water harvesting for use on the lawn and washrooms; Solar PV systems and battery back-ups will be used and installed where possible.

The Basic Needs Trust Fund Report Card

Status Works are expected to begin in early December and completed in August 2020.

The Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) is another critical component of the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment.

The following is the report card of the BNTF over the last year.

Water and Sanitation La Bourne Water System Upgrade The scope of the project comprised connection of the Paix Bouche water tank to the La Boume water tank and installation of a new connection to the existing distribution lines. WASCO has recently completed upgrades to the intake and treatment plant at Babonneau.

Status All work expected to be completed before proposed completion date of December 25, 2019 Patience Water Supply Upgrade The sub-project proposes the replacement of the 189 m3 water tank at Lumbard with a 378 m3 glass fused water tank, repairs to the 189 m3 water tank at Patience and upgrade of the intake and treatment plant. These enhancements to the water system will provide improved water flow to 188 households in the Patience community.

Vieux Sucrieux Water Upgrade The proposal is to connect Vieux Sucre to the neighboring 200 mm municipal water mains at Monchy. When completed the sub-project will provide a sustainable supply of potable water to all residents of Vieux Sucre.

Status Work should commence in early December and completed by August 2020.

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Monchy Early Childhood Center

La Papel Embankment Stabilization/ Re-enforcement The sub-project scope entails the construction of 3.4 meters (m) high x 48.8 m long retaining wall on both sides of the stream from the culvert to the outfall.

Status Works are expected to commence in Early December, 2019 and project is expected to complete by April 2020.

Education and Human Resource Development Maritime Training for Yachting Sector (Soufriere) The proposed sub-project is expected to address the identified problems, through training of thirty-two beneficiaries - 30 males, 2 females, in the areas of boat handling, yacht mooring installation, small power boat training, customer service, marketing, boat operations, basic yacht maintenance, first aid and the Boat Masters certification. In addition, the establishment of the Soufriere Yachting Association will legitimise the beneficiaries and build lasting relationships with the yachting, tourism and business community.

Training is being undertaken by SLASPA and Marine Police.

Jacmel Early Childhood Center The proposed sub-project entails the construction of a six classroom block early childhood centre to accommodate an enrolment of 45 children (21 males, 24 females) with a staff complement of 7 (1 male, 6 females). The Green Schools initiative will also be used to include rain

The proposed sub-project entails the construction of a six classroom block early childhood centre to accommodate an enrolment of 45 children (20 males, 25 females) with a staff complement of 7 (1 males, 6 females). The green Schools initiative will also be used to include rain water harvesting for use on the lawn and washrooms; Solar PV systems and battery back-ups will be used and installed where possible.

Status Works are expected to begin in early December and completed in August 2020.

Music Studio The proposed sub-project comprises retrofitting of the existing 73 m2 and the addition of 28m2 space at the Gros Islet Human Resource Centre. The newly renovated Studio will provide access to recording artistes and producers who require the use of the studio for music production.

Status Works are expected to begin in early December and completed in August 2020.

Micoud Early Childhood Center The proposed sub-project entails the construction of a six classroom block early childhood centre to accommodate an enrolment of 45 children (20 males, 25 females) with a staff complement of 7 (1 males, 6 females). The green Schools initiative will also be used to include rain water harvesting for use on the lawn and washrooms; Solar PV systems and battery back-ups will be used and installed where possible.

Status Works are expected to commence in December 2019 and be completed by August 2020

The Division of Human Services Our Saint Lucia spoke with Beverley Ann-Poyotte who in February of 2019, was charged with the responsibility to serve as Acting Director, Division of Human services.

The mission of the Division is to enhance the psychosocial functioning of children, families, older persons, individuals, and other vulnerable groups with a focus on family preservation and the provision of skills for self-empowerment.

Q. Take us through the day to day running of the Division of Human Services?

A. On a day to day basis, we look at ensuring that staff is in place, including our field officers. We have a roster so that persons on the ground do not affect our office staff and that everyone is on the same page. Our intake officer is our first point of contact for our clients, who then refers to the relevant social worker for the region, the particular case.

Q. How many regions and social workers are there?

A. We have 8 regions and we have one social worker per region ensuring that all is in place to deal with emergency clients; responding to the police, concerned citizens and individuals. Recognizing that these individuals had to deal with a variety of issues and complaints, in 2018 we got some new officers to expand the Division and stream line the task of social workers. And so we now have a foster care and development unit with six workers, another unit dealing with elderly care (two workers) and child protection services has about ten to twelve persons.

Q. What are some of the agencies that you work very closely with?

A. The Family court, The Attorney General’s Office and the Probations department. We also embark on programmes at the community and schools level.

Q. Has there been any new legislation to strengthen what you do?

CREATING A HOME AWAY FROM HOME FOR OUR GIRLS!

The Upton Gardens Girls Center at Cedars in Castries, provides quality care to young girls between the ages of 12 and 16 who have been either neglected or abused or are displaying behavioural issues. Staff at the center create an environment of warmth, trust and encouragement for the girls. Apart from offering counselling and self- esteem development, the girls are offered a number of life skills.

In 2017, The Centre was the first ever recipient of proceeds from the inaugural Prime Minister’s Independence Ball, which raised approximately $59,487.54 for the Centre.

COMFORT BAY RETROFITTING The Comfort Bay Senior Citizens Home in Vieux Fort is among five facilities undergoing retrofitting and modernization. The project entails improving the roof, fire safety, energy efficient lighting, ventilation quality, solar water heaters, rain water harvesting, photo voltaic system, handrails along all corridors and etched tiled floors to minimize slippage.

A. In November 2018 we saw the enactment of the “child care, protection and adoption” Act, which really governs the Division of Human Services. We also saw the passing of the Child Justice Act, which governs the probation and parole department and children in conflict with the law.

Q. What interventions and programmes do you undertake?

A. We do a lot more social investigations and as much mediation as we can, bringing

families together to resolve issues. We have reviewed our report writing, based on the changes in the Act and we offer counselling. We do have a clinical psychologist who works with us on some of our cases.

Comfort Bay provides quality care for older persons in a safe and homely environment while maintaining and promoting optimal level of their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.

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Lilèt Award

be a thing of the past. In October the Cas en Bas Road Reconstruction Project commenced.

La Bourne Water Project

Projects

and Activities in Gros Islet

In September the La Bourne water project started and includes digging of trench and laying of 4 inch PVC pipes on the La Bourne road for the Water Project upgrade and road reinstatement project under BNTF 9 Programme.

Top Achievers Rewarded

Lilèt Award.

The 2019 Lilèt Awards ceremony was held at the Gros Islet Human Resource Center.

The awards are held to recognize persons in the community who have blazed the trail, built and inspired the community and others who continue to offer their time and give selflessly for the continued growth of Gros Islet.

Human Resource Development Center Opened.

In September Minister Lennard Montoute and MP for Gros Islet hosted the 8th Annual Gros Islet Top Achievers ceremony to recognize the outstanding academic and cultural performances of students from the constituency. The top achievers were rewarded with laptops and tablets for the exemplary performances.

Books and Supplies for Students

La Bourne Water Project Over the past twelve months there have been a number of projects and initiatives in the Gros Islet Constituency. We take a glimpse at just some of them.

Bid Opening The Bid opening for the Cardinal Settlement Road Construction in Monchy (and La Papel Embankment Stabilization sub-project in Laborie) were conducted at the SSDF Conference room on Tuesday October 22, 2019.

Community Consultation A Community Consultation and awarding of contract for the Monchy Early Childhood development Center. This project is being implemented under the Basic Needs Trust Fund 9.

Cas En Bas Road Project Residence of Cas en Bas were promised that their plight would be addressed and that muddy roads in the area would

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In September the MP also provided children attending school in Gros Islet with notebooks and some school supplies and lunch bags, compliments the constituency office and the efforts of Saint Lucians at home and abroad.

Gros Islet Youth Council Scholarship Programme On Wednesday 28 August, 2019 the Council awarded twenty five scholarships to its NEET Youth Scholarship Programme in collaboration with the National Enrichment Learning Programme (NELP) sponsored by Parliamentary Representative for Gros Islet Hon. Lenard Montoute, 1st National Bank, St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Authority (SLTHA), Meme Bete, Justice Mario Michel, Mrs. Barbara Montoute and the Gros Islet Vendors Association.

Retrofitting of Wellness Center In August, work commenced for the retrofitting of the Monchy Wellness Centre under the SMART Health Facilities project. The scope of works includes repairs and retrofitting; making the facilities more energy efficient; and adaptable to the effects of climate change.

The long awaited Gros Islet Human Resource Development Center is now officially opened. This state of the art Development Center contains office spaces, a conference room, IT Training Lab, a Restaurant and a theater which can accommodate 500 persons.

Vieux Secreiex Water Project The Basic Needs Trust Fund 9th Programme Consultancy Contract was signed for the Vieux Secrieux Water Project. The contracts were signed between the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund (SSDF), the implementing agency of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) funded projects through the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) with the consultant for the respective sub-project.

Completion of the second phase of a community road rehabilitation project in Degazon, Grand Rivière Residents of these areas received much relief with the completion of this project in March of this year.

Notice From the Department of Health and Wellness NATIONAL SURVEY ON RISKS FOR NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

S

aint Lucia, like other countries within the Caribbean region, is challenged by the demands placed on the health care system due to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Increasingly, these diseases are resulting in the loss of many years of productive life, premature death and high costs of care to individuals, families and the state. Currently in Saint Lucia, non-communicable diseases are among the ten leading causes of illness and death and these include diabetes mellitus, cancer, hypertension, and their complications. People living with NCDs form the majority of patients visiting community health clinics around the island. This situation has necessitated national health authorities to strengthen the measuring, monitoring and managing of the risk factors which drive this epidemic of chronic diseases.

During the period November 2019 to March 2020, the Department of Health and Wellness, with the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), will be undertaking its second national STEPS survey which focuses on risks for chronic illnesses amongst citizens of Saint Lucia. The data obtained at the end of this survey will assist in better understanding the specific behaviours across our population which place people at risk for non-communicable diseases and to predict the health interventions that these will necessitate. With the information generated, it will be possible to improve forecasting of the demands for health services, develop more responsive evidence-based programmes as well as better manage clients with complications as a result of NCDs. The STEPS survey will be conducted among over 6000 citizens within the age range of 18 to 64 years and shall be conducted at three levels of data collection. Within the first step, information will be obtained by administering a comprehensive questionnaire which will focus on actual health behaviours for chronic illnesses. Amongst these will be questions on patterns of alcohol consumption, tobacco use, physical activity and eating habits. The second step of the survey is focused on obtaining blood pressure, height, weight, and body mass index data. At the third stage, biochemical measures will be obtained from the interviewees which include fasting blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels.

Anyone newly identified as living with diabetes or hypertension during the conduct of the STEPS survey will be referred to a health care practitioner for medical care.

The Department of Health and Wellness encourages all to support this survey as we seek to improve and protect the health and well being of our citizens.

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News Bites The Ministry of Tourism and The Central Statistics Office Launch Study

month the island has welcomed almost 13 vessels.

The scenic view at Port Castries on November 15, 2019, saw four vessels berthed within the Castries Harbour, and new to the coast, TUI’s MV Marella Explorer 2 at anchorage.

Representatives of SLASPA joined Platinum Port Agency, Ministry of Tourism, Information and Broadcasting, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) and Invest Saint Lucia during this Inaugural call.

The 814ft vessel accommodates more than 2000 passengers and 780 crew members. Marella Explorer 2, is an addition to TUI’S fleet of century class vessels that offers a unique service, the first-ever adult-only experience.

Temporary Workers Needed For 2020 Census The Ministry of Tourism, Information and Broadcasting, Culture and Creative Industries is currently working with the Department of Statistics to conduct a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) study to assess the economic impact of tourism on the local economy. Private Sector firms directly impacted by tourism are encouraged to participate in the island-wide economic survey which was launched in September 2019.

The TSA survey, is required for private businesses to complete by 30 November 2019. Hoteliers, Bed & Breakfast Accommodations, Restaurants, Tours & Excursion Agencies, Transportation, Entertainment and Event Companies are all invited to participate in the largest data mapping project of the Tourism Industry.

PROJECTED INCREASE IN CRUISE CALLS for 2019/2020 SEASON

The Central Statistical Office of Saint Lucia has announced the launch of its recruitment drive for the 2020 Population and Housing Census.

This national recruitment effort is expected to hire approximately 500 temporary workers to help conduct the 2020 census.

According to the Office of the Prime Minister, the positions available are Census Mappers and Listers; Census Enumerators; and Census Supervisors.

The application deadline for census mappers and listers is November 30, 2019, while the application deadline for census enumerators and supervisors is January 31, 2020.

CENSUS LOGO AND SLOGAN COMPETITION LAUNCED

The Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) anticipates a projected increase in cruise calls to Port Castries for the year 2019/2020.

The projection follows a bustling commencement of the cruise season, November to March. Already in the first

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In conjunction with the 2020 census, the Central Statistical Office of Saint Lucia has launched a logo competition.

The competition opened on 8th November 2019 and closes on 18th December, 2019.

The winning logo design will become the official logo for the 2020 Population and

Housing Census, according to the Statistical Office.

Additional details of the 2010 census, competitions and prizes to be won are available at stats.gov.lc.

Saint Lucia Gov’t Launches Programme to Boost Production of 7 Key Fruits, Vegetables

The Government of Saint Lucia has launched the Food Import Substitution Programme with financial and technical assistance from the Republic of China (Taiwan).

The programme will see an improvement in the production of bell peppers, cabbages, lettuce, tomatoes, pineapples, watermelons and cantaloupes.

“We are one step closer to securing our food production and reducing our food import bill in Saint Lucia,” Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet stated. “This programme limits the import of seven key fruits and vegetables while providing incentives and technical support to our local farmers to improve the quality and quantity of the identified crops.”

The Department of Agriculture endeavors to lessen foreign spending and provide farmers an opportunity to earn a portion of what is being spent on imports.

Saint Lucia named Leading Honeymoon Destination…Again!

The results are in and destination Saint Lucia has been adjudged winner of the prestigious title of World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination for a record 11th time.

The announcement of the highly coveted industry accolade was made on November 28th at the 26th Annual Gala Ceremony of the World Travel Awards in Oman.

Saint Lucia won amidst a crowded group of renowned honeymoon hotspots from around the world. An island where the greatest love stories unfold, romance, weddings & honeymoons continues to be a major niche market for Saint Lucia.

Dr. Gale T C Rigobert www.facebook.com/galerigobert758 November 16 Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s Queen Birthday Awards, especially Mon Repo’s very own; Mary Joan Smith, known to many as ‘Teacher Joannie.’

She was made a Member of the British Empire (M.B.E) for her services in entrepreneurship and business.

Allen Chastanet www.facebook.com/allenmchastanet www.twitter.com/allenmchastanet November 18: Our friends from Taiwan have come through for Saint Lucia once again. This morning, representatives from the Taiwanese Embassy here in Saint Lucia headed by Ambassador His Excellency Douglas Chen made a presentation of 30 Asus Laptops to the Saint Lucia Boys Training Centre located in Massade, Gros Islet.

Fortuna Belrose www.facebook.com/fortunabelrose758 November 18 Castries East residents took time to visit the DSHProject and St. Judes Hospital reconstruction project on Sunday 17 November 2019. The team was ecstatic as they were warmly received by the management of both compounds. We certainly thank the teams for their warm hospitality. Vieux Fort is on the move.

Ezechiel Joseph www.facebook.com/ezechieljoseph758 November 15 Farmers graduate from production enhancement programme The Government of Saint Lucia in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), recently hosted a graduation ceremony for farmers who participated in a production enhancement programme for fruits and vegetables.

Bradly Felix

Herod Stanislas

www.facebook.com/bradlyfelix758

www.facebook.com/herodstanislas

Stephenson King

Edmund Estephane

www.facebook.com/stephensonking

www.facebook.com/edmundestephane758

Sarah Flood Beaubrun

Hermangill Francis

www.facebook.com/sarahfloodbeaubrun758

www.facebook.com/heremenegild.francis

Guy Joseph

Dominic Fedee

www.facebook.com/guyjoseph

www.facebook.com/dominicfedee

Mary Isaac www.facebook.com/maryisaacslu

Lenard “Spider” Montoute www.facebook.com/lenardspidermontoute

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