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FRIDAY,

MARCH 27, 2015

VOLUME 107, No.13

www.thevincentian.com

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by KENVILLE HORNE EDITOR’S NOTE: As we near the end of March, during which we marked International Women’s Day, (March 8), we at THE VINCENTIAN thought it would be a good idea that we reflect on Keturah Cupid’s story, as it relates to the state of women in our society.

Keturah ‘Kate’ Cupid, stood tall and recounted her life’s ordeal.

PERSONS WEPT OPENLY at a Panel Discussion hosted by the Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) at its Headquarters, Murray’s Road, Kingstown, last Monday, after Keturah Cupid, fondly known as Kate, recounted how she was sexually abused by family and persons she befriended.

The purpose of the occasion, according to NDP officials, was to discuss issues affecting women in SVG, and to outline the party’s plan to advance women’s causes.

In prefacing the raccount of her life’s ordeal, Kate said that her intention was to reach the many women and children who have been and are still being abused, raped and molested daily .

“I am here because I have the

freedom to speak my truth,” she pronounced.

She recalled that two years, ago her story was printed in the Toronto Star newspaper in Canada, as well as in local newspapers.

Many, she said, did not believe her story.

The ordeal Kate is the last of four children for her parents. She never attended secondary school.

She vividly recalled being tied up and beaten with “bab” (barbed) wire and broomsticks.

“My knees have scars up to this day … I was forced to kneel on a grater. …. I was so self-conscious of my legs . ….It is only recently, as my self-esteem build, I was able to wear shorts,” she disclosed.

Many could not hold back the tears as they listened to the no holds barred story of Kate Cupid.

Kate openly declared that she was molested at the age of 10 by her neighbour, a married man and father of two.

“I used to go and sleep at their house on a Friday evening. … I can’t tell you the amount of beating I get from my mother and my brother, to the point where one of my ear drum is burst, and the right eye is damaged from the blows,” she said.

She recalled taking her case to the police on many occasions, but got no redress.

“I became pregnant at the age of 15, by a married man” Kate declared, much to the shock of the audience.

Continued on Page 3.

V

2. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

News

SOME PLANTS are more suitable for bottle gardens. Choose plants which tolerate shade and humid atmosphere.

They should be slow growing plants.

Plants such as ivy, small ferns, mosses, miniature roses, scarlet pimpernel and African Violets are

among those which are quite suitable for bottle gardens.

Presented by the SVG Horticultural Society

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 3.

News 3 Gonsalves tells young people to be creative

The objective of the one-day symposium, THE NUMBER ONE according to the WEBSITE visited by Grammar School Young students in St Vincent and Leaders President, Alron the Grenadines is Harry, was to bring Facebook and is a clear together all Young indication that the public Leaders groups together at large are passively large and ‘technological consumers of other providers’, to ensure people’s content on the responsible navigation of internet, rather than using technology on a national it to create their own level. space.

But while the minister Minister of said that he could have Technology, Senator spoken on the negatives Camillo Gonsalves, made that are associated with the point while the internet, he acceded delivering the feature to its role in national address at a symposium development, as was in organised by the 2015 keeping with the SVG Young Leaders of the St Young Leader’s subVincent Grammar School theme, ‘Responsible (SVGS), and held at the Navigation, Building Our Methodist Church Hall Nation’. last Tuesday.

“We have to go beyond

by DAYLE DA SILVA

navigating and start creating,” Gonsalves said.

This country, he cited, had one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the world, so people do have access to get online.

He acknowledged, though, that we (SVG) are still far from the stage where we will be able to create our own digital content.

He said that the economies of Panama and The Philippines had registered recent growth of up to 7 percent, based on how those two countries rolled out the internet.

“Why? Because when you are rolling out infrastructure, you are

creating jobs,” the Technology Minister said.

He said that there was a lot that went on behind the scenes, as individuals turned on their browser to sites such as Facebook.

“And that goes back to jobs,” Gonsalves said.

“A lot of people watch videos on Youtube, but what is viewed is very poor local content.

“All of it is foreign content that is made somewhere else. And they are now exporting it.

“If we create all the things we need for nation building, as the young leaders have said, we will also have to part of our digital citizenship;

Senator Camillo Gonsalves urged the young persons at the Symposium to begin to think in terms of creating Vincentian products as contemplate their role as ‘digital citizens’. we will have to be creating Vincentian products,” Gonsalves said.

The future of St Vincent and the Grenadines is digital and information based, he added.

And the current generation is the one that will be leading.

“You are the ones who will be going to build a nation, using the skills that you have picked up now,” Gonsalves said.

Abused victim recalls her ordeal employment, but her torment continued.

“Along the way, there “After I became were a lot of pregnant, I was tossed unscrupulous men, who aside. Then I met a took advantage of my stranger by my vulnerable situation,” neighbour, and I became she said, disclosing that pregnant again, right one such person was a after. That child prominent lawyer. eventually died in a fire She was “kicked out” when she was almost ten by the person who months.” initially offered her She somehow pulled accommodation, but a herself together and man invited her to stay. journeyed to Union “I was raped in the Island in search of Continued from Front Page.

There was loud and sustained applause at the end of Kate’s presentation.

middle of the night while I was asleep,” said Kate, at which point many in the audience could be seen shedding tears. ” You know what it is like to be sleeping and someone forces themselves upon you?” she asked the audience, before breaking into tears herself.

Her story continued with a relationship with another man, for whom she became pregnant.

The child was eventually taken by the father and sent to another island.

Unschooled, jobless and frustrated, she plied between St. Vincent and Union Island, and became open to continuous rapes and forced drug use, during which time she became pregnant, again.

On the verge of committing suicide, she credits her youngest daughter with pulling her from the brink… “giving me hope.”

She eventually migrated to Canada,

where she unsuccessfully sought refugee status, and was instead deported.

On her return home, she lived with a male friend for about a year. “…. He was the only one that took good care of me without looking for anything in return…..He treated me kindly,” said Kate, a slight smile appearing to change her countenance.

After a year or so, she was able to rent a house and take care of herself.

A survivor Coming to grips with her past was no easy undertaking.

Kate cited the reading of inspirational books, viewing motivational video clips, and support from friends as setting her on a path to recovery.

But what makes her such a survivor, she said with gusto, was her ability to forgive, demonstrate love and

Keturah Cupid was herself overcome with emotion and had to be supported. gratitude, and overcoming self-pity. “.. According to the late Maya Angelo, I am a phenomenal woman,” said Kate. “I don’t have much, and it doesn’t bother me, because what do we define as success?

For you, it could be material things, but for me is a difference. Right now, I feel like I am the metamorphosis of a caterpillar ....... I am in that between stage, between stages of growth and healing, but very soon will emerge as a butterfly. I love me, I love the woman I am becoming,” Kate

philosophised, before imploring the Opposition Leader to make sure there is a home for abused women, when he becomes Prime Minister.

But even as Kate is realising herself, obstacles continue to confront her. She has been unable, to date, to find employment. But she is not ashamed, and instead, she used the forum to urge women to speak up.

“And when I leave here, I am going to walk out, and walk the streets with my head held high,” she concluded, to a standing ovation.

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4. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Court

Young offender to be counselled

A 17-YEAR-OLD UNEMPLOYED man of Rockies, who pleaded guilty to robbery, at the Criminal Assizes on Wednesday, will receive counselling at Marion House.

Justice Kathy-Ann Lathoo made the order after sentencing Stafforn Thomas to three years imprisonment, but suspended the sentence for three years.

Justice Latchoo also ordered that a report on Thomas’s progress be submitted to the court every three months. Thomas is also to report to the court every three months.

Thomas was accused of robbing ShellyAnn Greaves, a teacher at the Dorsetshire Primary School, of a purse containing EC$785, and a cellular phone valued $82.

The offence was committed at the school around 1:25 p.m., during school hours, on March 27, 2013.

Thomas had been charged jointly with Enock George, who was 22 at the time, and Tevin Williams, who was 15.

George’s body was discovered with gunshot wounds at New Montrose last year, while Williams was discharged at the Preliminary Inquiry.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Colin John told the court that on the date in question, Greaves, the school’s secretary Shineka Gibson and cook Jevern Gibson, Shineka’s daughter, were in the kitchen when two masked men entered and demanded money. One was armed with a knife, while the other had an ice-pick.

One of the women struck one of the men with an aluminium kettle.

At this point, another masked man strolled into the room with a cutlass. The women managed to run out of the kitchen; but on fleeing, Greaves left her purse containing EC$785, and cellular phone on the counter. On returning to the kitchen later, she discovered the items missing.

A report was made to the police, and investigations led to Thomas, George and Williams.

Thomas was represented by attorney Ronald Marks who pleaded for leniency.

ÂGod in controlÊ, says convicted killer Stories by HAYDN HUGGINS

this practice.

The Justice pointed out that the gravity of the offence in this case was not to be overlooked or minimized, and noted that Sergeant was a mature man, and did not have the lightheadedness of youth to offer as a mitigating factor.

The prosecution’s evidence revealed that around 3 a.m. on May 19, 2012, Sergeant, Hoyte, also known as ‘South’ or ‘Yellow’, and others were at Fairbane Pasture in an area known as ‘Mama’s Corner’, playing a game of dominoes for money. Hoyte was winning, and at one point, Sergeant owed him $25. Sergeant took an envelope from his pocket and Cardon ‘Race Horse’ Sergeant looked rather penitent as he was led away after told Hoyte to make change sentencing. for $100. Hoyte took $75 from his pocket, but Sergeant grabbed the money from him without about two months later.

In his defence to the court, giving him the $100. Hoyte told him Sergeant said Hoyte was his friend, to give him his money, but Sergeant and that he (Sergeant) did not mean refused. A scuffle ensued between them during which Sergeant pulled a to harm him. He admitted that they knife and fired two cuts, one caught were gambling, and there was an Hoyte in the chest. Hoyte ran down a altercation. But he said he was fearful for his life, and acted in selfflight of stairs, went into the public defence. road and ran into someone’s An autopsy conducted by property. pathologist Dr. Ronald Child He picked up two stones and went back in search of Sergeant, who was revealed that the underlying cause of death was head and spinal chord by this time under a garage. injuries.

Hoyte hurled the stones at him.

The prosecution, led by Crown Sergeant picked them up and Hoyte Counsel Karim Nelson, called ten began to run. Sergeant pursued, and witnesses, including key witnesses on reaching approximately ten feet Leonard Joseph, Everise Bynoe, both from him, hurled a stone, striking of Fairbane Pasture, and Dr. Ronald Hoyte in the back of his head. Hoyte Child. fell and struck his forehead.

Sergeant, represented by Dr. People on the scene took him to Linton Lewis, called one witness.

His sentence will take effect from the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital the date of conviction. where he was warded, and died

A 57-YEAR-OLD TRADESMAN of Fairbane Pasture made reference to God while speaking to THE VINCENTIAN, as he was being taken away from the High Court building, just after being sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter, on Tuesday.

“God is love, God is in control,” Cardon ‘Race Horse’ Sergeant declared, when asked for a comment.

Sergeant was decked in a long sleeve shirt, bow-tie and boots, and appeared to be calm and collected.

He was initially indicted for murder, but a 12-member mixed jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. The panel was required to make a decision after considering both options.

The indictment stemmed from an altercation at Fairbane Pasture, May 19, 2012, between Sergeant and Elvis Hoyte, who resided at Fairbane Pasture and was 51 at the time of the incident.

During the incident, Sergeant struck Hoyte in the head with a stone, resulting in his death.

In passing sentence, Justice Kathy-Ann Latchoo said the 32month period spent in prison awaiting trial was to be taken into account.

“You have skills, and I hope that the prison can find some positive use for those skills,” Justice Latchoo told Sergeant, a mason and carpenter.

A report from the prison authorities described him as a model prisoner, a father figure, especially to those in his cell, and stated that he played an integral part in the church service at Her Majesty’s Prison.

Justice Latchoo expressed the view that Sergeant seemed to have a good chance of being rehabilitated, and that “he still has the prospect to be a role model in some way.”

But Latchoo stressed the prevalence of persons seeking to settle disputes through violence, and contended that the court had to send a message with respect to A 22-YEAR-OLD RABACCA woman, who received a suspended sentence on Wednesday for child exposure, has been ordered to receive skills training.

Venesha Baptiste had, on January 21, 2015, pleaded guilty to two counts of exposing a child under two years old, but sentencing was adjourned.

At the sentencing hearing on Wednesday at the Criminal Assizes, High Court Judge Kathy-Ann Latchoo sentenced Baptiste to three years in prison, but she suspended the sentence for three years.

The judge also ordered that Baptiste receive counselling through the Family Affairs Division, parenting classes, and skills training, so that she could be independent and break the cycle of poverty.

The facts revealed that close to midnight on August 17, 2011, Baptiste, who lived in a small wooden house at Rabacca, went to a Karaoke

Judge orders training for convicted woman session at Georgetown, leaving her two male children at home. One of them was one year and 11 months old, while the other was five months.

On leaving home, Baptiste told some men who were in a drunken state at a house nearby, to watch the children.

She left a piece of candle in the house burning, and while she was away, the house caught fire. The elder child ran to the nearby house where the drunken men were now asleep, leaving the five-month-old, who perished in the fire.

According to a social inquiry report, prepared by the Family Affairs Division, Baptiste was living in a poverty-stricken area at Rabacca where everybody was squatting. The report also revealed that she had expressed remorse for her action, and started going to church.

V Jamaica to lead international ganja fight

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 5.

Regional

JAMAICA CONTINUES to thumb its nose at fledging efforts by CARICOM to get a Marijuana Commission going, by, most recently, positioning itself to take the lead for change to the international state.

On the heels of that country’s passage of the Dangerous Drugs

(Amendment) Act, which makes the possession of two ounces, or less of ganja a non-arrestable, but ticketable, offence, and makes provision for the establishment of a lawful, regulated industry for ganja for medical, therapeutic and scientific purposes, the Jamaica

Government has given indication that it intends to lead a charge at the United Nations, to effect changes to the international treaties concerning marijuana.

The aim is to change the schedule class of marijuana in light of scientific studies that have

Rowley not sorry for ‘CAT’ reference during an address at a meeting of his party, March 17, 2015.

The comment, as expected, caused quite a stir among certain sectors, with the Prime Minster, herself, condemning Rowley’s comments and labeling them “an attack on every woman in this country.”

But in the face of Dr Keith Rowley, in numerous calls from Indian attire, seen here women’s organisations for an apology, including one addressing a Divali from National Muslim (Diwali) function, says Women’s Organisation of he has nothing about Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. which to apologise.

Rowley remains stubborn, refusing so to do, and described the fallout since the comments as being “misrepresentative” and as “being successfully used as a distraction from the real issues plaguing the country.”

When drilled on the issue later in the week, the PNM leader said, “The matter that you are referring to, as far as I am concerned, is of very little public interest. It is being misrepresented by the Prime Minister Kamla handlers of the Prime Persad-Bissessar Minister and her party.” condemned the He warned party comment as an affront supporters not to be to all women. “distracted from the very important matters…,”and promised that , “we will “SHE COULD JUMP not contribute to this HIGH, she could jump programme and campaign low, she could drink this, of distraction so as to she could drink that, she allow the Government not could bark at meh dog, I to answer to the very go ignore she cat.” serious issues that were So said Leader of the raised on that platform.”

Opposition People’s The PNM’s Women’s National Movement (PNM), the Hon. Dr. Keith League jumped in early to defend their leader, Rowley, in reference to stating “there was nothing Prime Minister of malicious, sexual, sexist Trinidad and Tobago or chauvinistic about it.”

Kamla Persad-Bissessar,

The Women’s Arm of the United National Congress, one of the parties that comprise the People Partnership Government, described Rowley’s comments as “disrespectful and derogatory.”

Political parties in Trinidad and Tobago are currently locked in a campaign, leading up to general elections that are due by September 2015.

proven its therapeutic benefits and medicinal value.

Addressing the Jamaica Investment Forum 2015, held in Montego Bay, March 10 — 13, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Anthony Hylton, said, “We believe that the schedule in which marijuana is now placed, which is one of the highest schedules as a drug, we believe that it should be removed from that schedule and looked at in the light of …. the evidence, which has revealed its strong medicinal (value).”

Hylton stated that “Jamaica intends to participate, and to lead, if necessary, a process in the United Nations to have those treaties amended or to reflect what I believe is the evidence that is available, and take those fully into account in the

Ganja is listed in Schedule 1 of the UN Classification of Controlled Drugs, along with cocaine, heroin, methadone, morphine and opium.

Left: Anthony Hylton, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Investment, announced Jamaica’s intention to take their ‘ganja fight’ to another level. international treaties as they now exist.”

The industry minister noted that Jamaica has a reputation in the international community as a legal nation, and has the requisite skills and knowhow to lead a diplomatic effort to have the laws and treaties changed.

Hylton, who was responding to queries from potential investors, regarding the production or export of ganja, made it clear that the passage of

the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act, does not provide for such undertakings.

“Our treaty obligations at the moment require that we address some issues having to do with exports and transshipment into other countries. We have to be respectful of those, otherwise we (can easily) become an outlaw in …the community of nations,” he pointed out. (Source: Jamaica Observer)

President Obama to meet CARICOM Heads IN A NEAR too exact repeat of a similar exercise nine years ago, CARICOM Heads will meet with USA President Barack Obama, on the eve of another Summit of the Americas.

The Jamaica Observer reported last week, that Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller disclosed, in a statement to that country’s Parliament, that. “The Government of Jamaica is delighted that President Obama will be visiting Jamaica at this time. The visit of President Obama will take place on the eve of the Summit of the Americas to be held in Panama from the 10th to the 11th (of) April 2015.”

PM Simpson-Miller is quoted as saying further, “It is expected that the President will be proceeding from Jamaica to Panama for this hemispheric encounter, which will welcome for the first time the participation of our closest neighbor, the Republic of Cuba,” Prime Minister Simpson Miller said in the statement to Parliament.

The expectation is that CARICOM Heads will exchange with President Obama, views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The meeting between CARICOM Heads and President Obama will be co-chaired by the US president and

Heads of the Caribbean Community and the President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama (centre front) held discussions on April 17, 2009, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Right: Prime Minister of Jamaica Portia Simpson-Miller views the meeting as a demonstration of the strong links between the USA and Jamaica, and the wider Caribbean. the current Chairman of CARICOM, Perry Christie, Prime Minister of the Bahamas.

The Jamaica meeting will be President Obama’s second meeting with CARICOM leaders, following his meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, during the Summit of the Americas six years ago.

According to the Jamaica Observer, Prime Minister Simpson

Miller said her administration “is delighted that President Obama will be visiting Jamaica” making it the “second time since our Independence that a sitting US President will be visiting Jamaica.

“We view the President’s upcoming visit as an affirmation of the strong ties of friendship and cooperation that have united our two peoples for centuries.”

V SVG: ÂPrimary SourceÊ of ganja cultivationÊ 6. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

News

by Nelson A. King naking@verizon.net US CORRESPONDENT THE UNITED STATES says St. Vincent and the Grenadines continues to be “a primary source” for marijuana (ganja) cultivation in the Eastern Caribbean (EC), with most plants being grown for exportation.

In its 2015 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, released in Washington, D.C. on Mar. 18, the US Department of State said, however, that Jamaica “remains the largest Caribbean supplier of marijuana to the United States and local Caribbean islands”.

The State Department said cannabis cultivation “predominates in the mountainous regions of St. Vincent, Grenada and Dominica”.

The report also said that the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Drug Squad “reported a surge in the transshipment of cocaine.

“St. Vincent [and the Grenadines] also reported a trend in ‘men and women being sent to Venezuela for payment…as guarantors for the dealers’ ”, the report said.

Additionally, it said Vincentian authorities claimed that the transshipment of narcotics to and from nearby Guadeloupe “increased dramatically”.

According to the report,

Marijuana under cultivation in the northern, hillside region of St. Vincent. aimed inter alia, at substantially reducing illicit trafficking and advancing citizen security.

Now, the US wants the RSS and EC governments to increase law enforcement information sharing that is already permitted under existing protocols, especially related to ballistics and fingerprint information.

“EC governments Seems the Caribbean is becoming more than a safe haven for yachts people.

USA assistance should also consider further legislative drugs or other controlled marijuana and cocaine are said.

The report said the modernization to reduce substances, or the the most widely-used It said increasingly United States funded the the delays in the court laundering of proceeds drugs in the region. effective interdiction establishment of a process, which prevent the It said South American efforts due to US-donated from illegal drug Regional Security System timely and effective drug cartels use the patrol boats, have pushed transactions.”

(RSS) Polygraph Corps, prosecution of serious The State Department region’s many uninhabited traffickers to change which certified 28 crimes,” the report urged. said St. Vincent and the islands to move cocaine tactics, “with cocaineIt said plea bargains Grenadines, Grenada, and polygraphists from the shipments up the island laden mother ships Eastern Caribbean, during also would allow the Antigua and Barbuda chain for “onward transit remaining out of patrol diversion of non-violent passed “several new laws” a 10-week examination to North America and boat range more than 50 drug users to nonin 2014 “that will facilitate course in December.

Europe”. miles offshore while The report said the US custodial sentences. the prosecution of In 2014, drug seizures transferring smaller supports a “wide range of The State Department in the Eastern Caribbean parcels of drugs to ‘go-fast’ narcotics cases, including efforts” designed to also recommended that comprehensive civil asset totaled 1.69 metric tons boats.” address crime and violence EC governments allow the forfeiture laws”.

(MT) of cocaine and 376.75 The report said drugaffecting EC citizens, use of court-ordered wire It said these laws MT of marijuana, related violent crime primarily through the intercepts as evidence in according to US “remains elevated, fueling established “dedicated forfeiture funds, requiring Caribbean Basin Security narcotics cases, stating government statistics. public anxiety about Initiative (CBSI), a that this could “partially that forfeited funds be The data pointed to 277 citizen security,” but security partnership obviate the need for channeled to support drug-related arrests acknowledged that between the United States eyewitness testimony and during the year, 234 drug- homicides throughout the police, prosecutors, RSS and Caribbean nations witness protection.” contributions, victim related prosecutions and region decreased in 2014, 218 convictions. from the previous year.

“Local and Governments’ action international law enforcement believe As a matter of policy, traffickers are the State Department said increasingly using yachts the region’s governments for drug transit, though “do not encourage or ‘go-fast’ boats, fishing facilitate the illicit trawlers and cargo ships production or distribution continue to play major of narcotic or psychotropic transit roles,” the report restitution, and drug abuse prevention and treatment.”

It also noted that no senior government officials in the Eastern Caribbean were prosecuted for engaging in or facilitating the illicit production or distribution of controlled drugs, or laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions during 2014.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 7.

Culture

Carnival is here again

Dennis Ambrose, Chairman of CDC, expressed the hope that the financial constraints surrounding carnival would not result in a lowering of the standard.

by WILLIAM ‘KOJAH’ ANTHONY THE CONTESTANTS for the Miss SVG 2015 have been unveiled. They are Precious Abraham, Melicia Antoine, Vickeish Charles, Chantal Dells, De Yonte Mayers, Anika Robinson, Donna Nelson, and Deshia Murray.

They are fine-tuning preparation for the event slated for Carnival City Victoria Park, May 30, 2015, under the theme: ‘A combination of passion and brilliance’.

Chairperson of the Beauty Shows Committee, Cheryl Rodriquez, detailed aspects of the show at the Carnival Development Corporation’s office last Tuesday.

The winner gets a University Scholarship worth $80,000. She moves into the Miss Carival Pageant July 3, where she will be joined by nine delegates.

The University Scholarship has been the show’s top prize since 2004.The recipients to date have been: Javorne Williams, Casynella Ollivierre, Sheridan Lewis, Melissa Yorke, Ronique Dellimore, Veronique Williams, Aphesha Matthews, Aviar Charles, Carice

Glasgow, Shara George and Shadeisha George.

Chairman of the CDC, Dennis Ambrose, projected on Vincy Mas 2015 at Tuesday’s function. Posters designed by Shanna Durrant Samuel and view cards highlighting photographs by Oris Robinson were launched.

Ambrose expressed the wish of maintaining high standards in the face of “financial constraints.”

Marketing Coordinator Anthony Dennie outlined measures aimed at promoting the festival by VC3 Vincentian Cultural Connection Channel.

A segment dubbed ‘Carnival Hop’ will highlight visits to Mas Camps and Pan Yards.

Dennie urged members of the Calypso fraternity to take up opportunities with Radio Stations to promote their component of the festival. The CDC, he promised will be more “aggressive.”

Increased emphasis is expected on the Junior Calypso shows, in which nine students will compete in the Secondary Schools and seven in the Primary Schools Calypso Monarch competitions. Eight junior calypsonians will compete for the Junior Soca title.

Dennie is counting on wider regional coverage of Vincy Mas, with some shows being aired live in Grenada, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

Other territories are expected to join the network.

Vincy Mas is carded for June 26 to July 7.

The official launch is set for May 2, at which competitions in Calypso, Ragga and Soca categories are expected to be held.

Tourism Sports and Culture Minister Cecil McKie projected on the launching and cited the staging of a similar launch in New York.

Right: Miss SVG 2015 contestants (from left) Donna Nelson, Anika Robinson, Melicia Antoine, Vickeisha Charles, De Yonte Mayers, Deshia Murray, Chantal Dells and Precious Abraham.

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8. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Views The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Managing Editor: Desiree Richards Editor: Cyprian Neehall Telephone: 784-456-1123 Fax: 784-451-2129 Website: www.thevincentian.com Email: vinpub@thevincentian.com Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd., P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Editorial Freedom to speak THE USE OF TECHNICAL TOOLS (e.g. telephone) to spread ideas is nothing new. The internet is simply the latest.

Granted, it is the most complex (i.e. technology) yet efficient way of transmitting information, and encouraging conversation.

In that way, the internet creates shared access — what you know is no longer privy to you only.

That is why the social media provided by the internet is so important as spaces for discussion. And those spaces are where today’s world looks to share and form opinions, including political opinions.

What this does is broaden, if not strengthen the public sphere for expression, beyond an occasional piece in a newspaper, journal or magazine; a spot on a radio call-in programme; a contribution from the floor at some public discussion.

Put another way, it creates more opportunity to engage in public speech, and offers the opening to organize and undertake collective action. Why else would political parties spend so much time building up their websites, facebook pages and what have you? The new wave saves time and money.

But, how often have we heard it or seen it posted on social media… some unknown person saying they can say what they like, post what- ever they want, and no one can do a %$*$ thing about it?

That might just have been the attitude that coloured the grounds for a case currently before the court, the details of which we are bound by practice not to open to discussion here.

The freedom of speech shield, written about so extensively, is often the expression that ends up being part of a volume of misinformation, rather than truth. It, unfortunately, easily gets subsumed in a hasty desire to get a point over, without verifying the basis of the conclusion; and we know how misinformation can be detrimental.

Yet, no government would dare attempt to abridge the freedom of speech, freedom of the press or the right of people to assemble peaceably and protest against wrongdoings.

But, if the truth be told, those of us who have to work increasingly in an online (internet) environment, encounter a lot of ‘free speech’ and behaviour that would not make the light of day in the real world.

People seem to simply post anything. Is it that people feel insulated from prosecution by their online tags or anonymity?

So, people say anything, justified or not! Many people see this as their right per their understanding of (this) freedom of speech.

Unfortunately, it’s not so. But that doesn’t stop people from thinking otherwise.

Freedom of speech does not give anyone — any Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Talk Show Host, or citizen — the right to say whatever they want, wherever they want and to whom they want.

The right to free speech might mean that one is allowed to express oneself without interference or constraint by the government. The question is, though, should government have the right to limit the content of speech and the ability to engage in free speech, as long as it has justification?

One school will say they must; that, for the sake of order, certain things can constitute ‘prohibited speech’. Included in this are expressions/speeches that: incite hatred and violence; encourage others to engage in illegal activity; obscenity, and profanity; defamation — publishing false statements about another person; copyright — the use of the works of others in public and for gain.

The bottom line of all of this is that there is real, not imaginary responsibility inherent in the right of freedom of speech and expression.

When this freedom of speech infringes on the rights of others, the perpetrator stands accused of breech of a sacred right, and could well be made to bear the consequences of such a sin.

The reality is, though, that the right to seek redress for an infringement is not the exclusive territory of some elite group.

The right to redress for damage inflicted by an abuse of the freedom of speech, is a right of every citizen so affected. That is why there are those who question, for example, the right to Parliamentary Immunity, a form of protection offered to our parliamentarians, who are wont to use that ‘protection’ to offend persons in and out of the Chamber.

May be it is time that we all took seriously our right to seek redress for damage done to us by another’s abuse of his/her right to free speech.

What a ‘holy’ mess there might be for our courts, if all the possible actions were taken!

National Heroes Day: Carib Chief Chatoyer (Re-print in part of an article first published on March 8, 2002) “THIS WEEK, more support is given to the idea of National Heroes’ Day, with a thumb-nail presentation on Joseph Chatoyer, slated to be our first National Hero.

Chatoyer was, of course, a “villain” under the old Dispensation. He was rehabilitated and enthroned only during the last forty years, when the Black Power Movement opened the floodgates to a new perspective on our History.

In that revolution in thinking, Chatoyer came into his own, more or less. A Government boat was named after him. An obelisk was mounted at Dorsetshire Hill on the spot at which he reportedly fell, fatally wounded.

A community Bakery at Sandy Bay bore the label “Garifuna”. And Eddie Griffith, deceased, named his daughter “Youlou”, the Carib name for rainbow by which the country (or was it just the capital?) was once known.

Then a progressive group of the times took the mast head “Youlou United Liberation Movement” (Yulimo) and was, for a time, headed by the current Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

Another leading member, Minister of Education Mike Browne, named his first son Chatoyer, and took as his bride a Garifuna descendant from Belize, whither the ‘Caribs’ (Garifuna) had been banished following the death of their paramount Chief, Joseph Chatoyer.

There are, on the other hand, local folk, who, galvanized by platitudes such as “let bygones be bygones”, seek to belittle the historian’s craft, with the simplistic notion that what has passed is past, and need not bother us in this enlightened age.

The plain truth is that an ex-slave society as we are, can never understand ourselves, plot our bearing and chart a meaningful course for the future without an informed understanding of our historical origins. For the plant to seek after the sun, and flower and bear fruit, it must first bury its roots deep in the soil.

As a young nation, we do need national heroes to act as an inspiration and beacon and hope, especially in times of crisis and threatening despair. Luckily, we can draw strength and sustenance from the Carib Peoples, our forbears who demonstrated courage, defiance, and rebellion in a constant struggle to gain and maintain their freedom.

In Grenada, at Sauteurs (Carib Leap), Caribs backed up against the cliffs overhanging the sea, jumped to their deaths and liberation rather than surrender. A similar feat was performed at Espagnol point near Owia, in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

An African proverb tells us that “until the lions have their historian, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter”. Up till recently, the history of these islands was mostly the handiwork of writers commissioned by planters and the colonial office who, in order to justify colonialism, sought to project a very negative image of the Caribs. Some local historians naively jumped off the shoulder of their master without batting an eye.

To the extent that one of our brighter girls to have entered UWI in the early days gave currency to the propaganda that the Caribs were a nomadic race of Cannibals with a distinct

preference for the flesh of French men!

Today, Dr. Bernard Marshall, Dr. Adrian Fraser and the late Dr. Earl Kirby with Cims Martin, have hewn an independent path, done their bit to offer a more factual account, even to the point sometimes of glorifying the hunted, which is understandable in the circumstances.

Often, the pendulum has to swing the other way before it can attain a position of balance.

In the new dispensation, Carib Chief Joseph Chatoyer occupies a central place, for he epitomised the indomitable spirit and unwavering resilience of a people that stood up against mighty odds, for their own rights.

From what can be gleaned, even from British historians who wrote with a distinct bias against Chatoyer and all native peoples whom they lumped as “the enemy”, our Carib chieftain displayed all the qualities of brilliant leadership.

He was an outstanding military tactician versed in guerrilla warfare; a fierce independent nationalist who brooked no degrading compromises; a man of indomitable courage and unyielding convictions.

With inferior arms and materiel, Chatoyer was able to keep the real enemy at bay for a number of years, in the war for St Vincent. Over time, he learnt how to fight fire with fire, as cunning and as brutal to his opponents as they had been to him. Naturally, Chatoyer was painted as the Devil incarnate by the foe, his people described as cannibals by the Scribes and Pharisees of the Colonial Power.

The Caribs were finally overpowered by superior military hardware during the night of March 14, 1795 in a bloody battle at Dorsetshire Hill. Their troops were decimated. Chatoyer, who always led from in front, was, most likely, wounded in that battle whence he must have been whisked away by his soldiers in whose company he subsequently died, then was secretly buried. What is certain is that Chatoyer was never again seen after the fateful night of March 14.

In order to glorify and add lustre to their feat, British historians had Chatoyer falling in handto-hand combat with their own Major Alexander Leith. If that story had been true, and the entire scene not conjured up as Dr. Earl Kirby has pointed out in an interview, one could have rest assured that Chatoyer’s body would have been paraded mockingly as a trophy of war, and his place of interment marked as a stain to native pretensions. Instead, to this day, nobody knows where the remains of Chatoyer lie.

It was important to the British that we should be deprived of psychological uplift that comes with having native heroes to worship. They, therefore, tried to sweep the cupboard bare. We are now charged with the burden of debunking theories, exploding myths, and rewriting a true history from a national perspective. The life and times of Joseph Chatoyer is a good starting point.

It is a difficult task to reconstruct our history.

Most of it was oral anyway, and the Carib language, preserved in Belize, was an early casualty in our tragic episode. Then the expert evidence of archaeology is hampered by the destruction wrought by volcanic eruptions. And, we have noted, European Imperial History had a vested interest in seeking to wrap and twist the colonial mentality.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 9.

Letters

Glancing through Ken Boyea – the news for lessons a big tree SOME snippets, some phrases from the news that seem to form a pattern, along with some inserted observations: Organized democracy - I will tell you your decision–- What’s with this voting thing? Too much basa-basa, too many opinions, conflict, people might start to think, to debate, to question; there’s danger there!

Prime Minister Gonsalves will indicate to the Marriaqua Constituency Council his preference of the three candidates. No, No, just sit down and shut up and I’ll tell you who to pick!

I simply told Sir Louis, that the Leader of the Party–-the Commander–- as how the comrades call me - we need the old general to come back. (c.f.

Paul Von Hindenburg brought back to support –-well, look it up).

Charged without revealing evidence, trial delayed until prosecution can formulate case; employment suspended. Evidence will be released ¦in due course. When? How about right after we convict her; that’ll eliminate a lot of basa-basa.

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has ruled that the Unity Labour Party Government’s acquisition of land in Canouan once owned by Randolph

Toussaint, is unlawful, unconstitutional and null and void. The judge concluded that Gonsalves’ statement in Parliament that the government purported to acquire the land not for the purpose of building a learning resource centre, but to deprive Mr. Toussaint from making a profit on the land. The purpose was an impermissible purpose and that impermissible purpose materially influenced the acquisition of the land.

You can go to any court you want, but you will always have to come back to Papa.

Of course, this means no acknowledged restriction on the Supreme Leader to defame or castigate, or issue fiats at will (after consultation with cabinet, which consists of:…O.K., this is what I’m going to do), using any slang or profanity he chooses, and to sue others who might seem to question or criticize his anointed authority, using publicity and the implied force, wealth, and power of Government to back-up his defense. That’ll teach them!

Between abject fear and worshipful, ignorant obedience, I’ve got them by the short hairs. I don’t need no stinking bulletproof car! Whether they fear me like the Devil or worship me as their Saviour, makes no difference; I’ve

got this thing sewed up!

And then we have his determination to ignore the judicial success of rival suits against him/his Government: they win against him in a court of law and he refuses to accede to the findings. (e.g. Marcus DeFreitas).

Give me another definition of dictatorship.

“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.”

William Butler Yeats Ambassador Dr Joseph E. Edmunds, OBE: “There continues to be obvious flaws in the practice and conduct of elections at the national as well as sub-regional levels. Innovative, and what may be described as conspicuous manifestations to achieve survival of party in power, have become manifest in some countries.”

No, really? Surely you can’t be referencing St. Vincent & The Grenadines?

HJA

‘Bigging’ up Horne, but…

I WANT TO OFFER MY congratulations to your reporter, Kenville Horne, on his recent award. The way I understand it, is that he was among 60 persons from across the Commonwealth to have been awarded a Queen’s Award.

The young man must be lauded for his efforts with the youth in Rose Hall. There are not many like him, I am sure, who would leave his place of residence to travel to Rose Hall to spend time with young people.

Thank God that some people on the ground have supported him, and I want to single out my friend Ian Hypolite in that regard.

I, however, have one problem with Mr. Horne.

How could he have got trapped into this political event called a celebration that was organised by the ULP candidate for North Leeward, Carlos James? I am sure there would have been a lot of people who would have wanted to be part of that celebration, but stayed

away because of who organised it.

The young man has to learn how to avoid being used for petty, partisan purposes. Let Mr. James go and mobilise people for himself. Don’t try to boggy-back on the good others have done, Mr. James.

And by the way, was Mr. James around to offer Horne any support in his effort in Rose Hall?

What if Patel Matthews wanted to organise another celebration for Horne?

Would he accept to be so honoured. He has no

choice.

Keep up the good work, Bro Horne, but keep far from those whose only purpose is to gain political ground, at any cost, including yours.

Garnet, N.Y.

Tom still drunk, still no fool Mr. Editor, Storm’s letter writer was brilliant. As an ex-teacher of the old school, I’ll give him ‘pg’ for a very well written essay. It was well laid out by a legal brain, exposing a likely candidate’s commitment to his fellowmen. He also explained his exploit of avenues of aids to his country, and condemned those who might have said that he also has an interest in politics.

Storm, can you remember when your brother was newly appointed Ambassador - his agility at the U.N in seeking help? Now that he is a confirmed Sanitor (senator), is there still fire under his arms?

You speak glowingly about helping your people, being accepted to the bar.

Will you accept a consultation fee? And if the client wishes to go higher, will you include that fee into his legal fee? Will you join in offering your service to all and sundry? Will you spend your fee time sitting in the Magistrate’s Court and see to it that no advantage is taken of the poor?

At school, I wanted to be a lawyer, one who would spend time in the Lower Court, and whenever advantage was taken of anyone, I vowed to myself to be of help to that person or persons. Thus, I started paralegal studies, but being poor and being able to get only irregular jobs, I was unable to pay my fees, so I dropped out, ashamed of myself and my parents.

I can see your letter writer is very proud of his (2) sons being lawyers. Be true to yourself and march forward. You have a purpose in this world, my son.

Ex-soldier

WHEN A BIG tree falls, many birds are left without secure nesting, and the exposed earth is more easily eroded by the elements.

Vincentians are today saddened by the closure of the KFC branches here. Ken Boyea, the owner, has been for years an important player in our economy; his influence has been almost ubiquitous. His management style has been always positive and exuding hope to prosper, reflecting the spirit and vibrancy of high level entrepreneurship. The young men who have served under him have exhibited noticeably high levels of commitment to team work and organization, and that cannot be disputed.

Even with his heavy business schedule, he had maintained significant involvement in the sustaining of the sporting spirit of the land, and that has been well appreciated by the people.

When the news broke of the folding up of Ken Boyea’s business, the impact was heavy, for, although in recent years, dozens of other smaller businesses have had to close, it was probably thought that Ken Boyea’s had the resilience to weather the storm, the economic drought. But a dispassionate examination of the state of our economy, which had clearly been in serious decline for over six years, should have prepared us.

No matter how smart the management of a business firm is, when the economy is dead, the company cannot prosper, and its ability to meet its financial obligations will be negatively affected.

I am contending, that, had our government honoured its commitment/promise to promote agricultural activity, the economy would have been stronger and the chances of our local businesses would have been better.

But the government of Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has perhaps been merely playing games with the people in the agriculture sector.

It must be reiterated that, because the authorities took two years to address the Black Sigatoka issue, they must be held responsible for the demise of the Banana Industry. It is widely held that, had the Ministry of Finance honoured their responsibility to ensure that pest and disease control measures had been effected as they had been contracted to do, Mr. Ken Boyea’s company and the dozens of other local businesses would yet have been surviving today.

It seems reasonable to say that this regime has proven to be too expensive for the people. We cannot, any longer, bear the burden of this level of mismanagement. We need to have a change now to facilitate the process of rebuilding.

LeRoy Providence

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10. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Views

The ULP…. 14 years and counting in office…. A phenomenal record The issue TOMORROW, Saturday March 28th 2015, marks the 14th anniversary since the ULP administration assumed governance in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. At that time, the people of this lovely country felt that they had had enough of the NDP administration. By voting the ULP into office, the people of this country were saying that they had had enough of the bad governance provided by the NDP. By voting the ULP into office, the people of this country were saying that they had enough of the corruption under the NDP; they were saying no to poverty, no to discrimination, no to the sale of state lands to party hacks and cronies at knock down prices, and no to sweetheart mortgages at the then National Commercial Bank, among other things.

Before that significant day, March 28th 2001, our country was listless, wandering without a developmental agenda, since the NDP offered no philosophy for development. Our education system was in a mess, with our children attending school for part of the learning day, as a shift system took effect. Our country was regarded as the poorest in the Caribbean, except for Haiti, something that our citizens were not proud of. Our salaries were among the lowest in the OECS. Our health system was in shambles, with a shortage of nurses at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital; and the list of chaotic conditions is extensive.

Since then, the country has seen a dramatic change in terms of its development. There is a clear development path adopted by the ULP administration, and it is there for all to see. The consensus among Vincentians is that this ULP administration is the most progressive in the history of the country. The achievements have been impressive, and in many ways, touched the lives of the poor and the working class.

Progress before the eyes of Vincentians Everywhere in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, there are signs of the tremendous progress, and evidence of the important and critical economic and social projects implemented by the ULP administration led by Comrade Ralph. Some of these include: 1. The Education Revolution to include universal access to primary and secondary education; the development of pre-schools, the expansion of the Community College; the training opportunities provided, and the one laptop per student initiative.

2. The vast improvement in the delivery of health care at the primary, secondary and tertiary level, and the construction and modernization of supporting institutions like the modern medical complex at Georgetown, and the polyclinics at Mesopotamia, Stubbs and Buccament.

3. The stable management of the economy, despite awesome external challenges, and natural disasters. No public servants have been laid off, and salaries have been paid on time, including those of the opposition NDP. 4. There is more foreign direct investment than ever before, as investors take advantage of the stable social and economic climate in the country.

5. Construction work is at a high, as the government completes a number of road projects, and repairs

to bridges. The South Leeward highway is in full swing, and so is work on the Vigie Highway, along the road leading to La Croix.

6. The extension of our foreign relations strategy to take advantage of closer ties with friendly countries, and the acquisition of new diplomatic friends, to provide benefits for our people.

7. The Housing Revolution, providing low and middle income houses for persons who qualify. The Housing and Land Development has over four thousand applications from Vincentians, waiting for their houses.

8. The manner in which the ULP administration responds to disasters and accidents that affect our people.

The response to the floods of Christmas Eve 2013 and the Rock Gutter accident, are cases in point.

9. The construction of the international airport project at Argyle, continues apace.

10. The work aimed at developing the geothermal energy project for the country, already being described as a game changer; bringing lower energy charges to consumers.

The Future Outside the NDP diehard supporters, including those on Face Book, there is no strong movement or call for a change of government in St.Vincent and the Grenadines. This is a worrying factor for the opposition NDP, but there are good reasons for this. Vincentians are convinced, that despite the harsh global economic conditions, the ULP and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves have provided strong and astute leadership at this time.

Additionally, the ULP has provided a framework for future economic development in the country, and many of the plans and programmes will be fleshed out further, when the ULP produces its manifesto for the next general election. The ULP has already unveiled its full candidate slate, an indication of the skills the party will bring to bear, when it is given the mandate for a fourth term in office. In essence, and in the words of an NDP diehard supporter, Luzette King, St.Vincent and the Grenadines is “weathering the storm, and is holding its own”.

Vincentians continue to observe with interest, the bile and the hatred being spewed by the NDP, in its vain effort to discredit the work of the ULP and Comrade Ralph. They will remember the attitude and behavior of the NDP at the funeral of the late EG Lynch. They will notice that the NDP has offered nothing by way of a developmental philosophy, and there is no vision or policies to take the country forward.

The truth be told, the NDP is a party that is bereft of ideas, is only concerned with the vilification of Comrade Ralph and other forward thinking Vincentians. Arnhim Eustace is tired as a leader. He does not have a grasp of the social and economic issues facing the country, and therefore, is in no position to provide the critical leadership that is required at this time.

Vincentians will reject this backward party, when the Comrade rings the bell.

Statement by Hon. Arnhim Eustace on the Role of Government in the Advancement of a WomenÊs Agenda and the Elimination of Violence Against Women. (Part 1) Thank you for coming here this morning to, among other things, hear this man speak with you about women. We should not be uncomfortable with that irony, but rather use it as point of discussion of power and sex in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It is because I, and members of the New Democratic Party, have participated in such discussions, that I am compelled to speak with you on a national level today.

While we can’t ignore the privilege from which I speak as a man and a leader of a mass political party, we can consider together the following: That the policy I outline today is the product of consultation with women, led by women. That I am the son, husband, brother and father of women, some of whom identify as feminists. My point here is that, by virtue of these relationships, I am impacted by their challenges and successes. That I refuse to squander my moral authority to engage with women in discourse aimed at bringing about meaningful change to attitudes and conditions that demean and disempower them. That I am the leader of a political party which finds it uniquely difficult — in fact impossible — to find women political candidates willing to risk the utter violation suffered by the last NDP woman candidate bold enough to oppose the ULP administration.

The reality of the entire nation is that women have in the last thirty (30) years made numerous strides and suffered considerable setbacks. Because of the poor collection of gender data locally — a major obstacle in treating effectively with this issue — measuring the impact of these successes and failures must in part be anecdotal. But we can generally agree that women in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are not unaccustomed to leading. Our households are just as likely to be headed by women as by men, as are many of our businesses. Active participants in the development of Vincentian society, the vast majority of church congregants and attendees at political meetings are women. Girls outperform boys in primary and secondary school, and women outnumber men on the university rolls.

Formerly male-dominated fields of endeavour such as accounting and law are now decidedly female, while women have begun to make strides in currently non-traditional fields such as the clergy and engineering. Also, women continue to be very present in farming and business.

I will demonstrate how many of these strides were made in the 1980s and 1990s, and how women have lost that gait since. One major cause is that the government, beginning in 1984 with the first NDP Administration and ending with the last NDP Administration in 2001, demonstrated its implicit understanding that its role in women’s empowerment was to get out of women’s way. I mean by this, that a responsible government recognizes that it cannot give women empowerment. For none empowers a woman but herself. It is the role of government, and men too, not to stand in the way of women’s empowerment. I have not and will not come before you, women of this nation, claiming to offer you gifts of empowerment. Instead, I give you notice that the New Democratic Party administration will not prevent your empowerment, and that we will work under your guidance to create the environment most conducive to it. We will foster a society in which women and any other disenfranchised group find and devise their self-determination.

So what is the current condition of

Vincentian women? You tell me. A collective sense of shame and outrage blanketed this nation when a 2007 United Nations report ranked St. Vincent and the Grenadines 3rd in the world for rape. But what since and even before? According to Yasmin Solitahe Odlum of the Inter American Commission, St. Vincent and the Grenadines ranks highest in the OECS for the number of reported cases of rape in the period 2000 to 2010. With 802 reported cases of rape in St. Vincent during that period, Antigua and Barbuda ranked second in the OECS with 569 cases. Of the 43 cases of femicides, the murder of women, 17 were at the hands of women’s partners or former partners.

In 2012, the United Nations released three tables that gave snapshots of one of the worst of the challenges that disproportionately affect women globally — sexual violence. The first table provides data on police-recorded cases of sexual violence which the table defines as rape and sexual assault, and includes sexual crimes against children, in 102 countries across the world, from 2003 to 2011. Bear in mind that the table specifies police-recorded as opposed to reported cases. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, there is no requirement for police to record every report of a sexual offence received.

There is no data on St. Vincent for 2003, but for 2004 to 2011, the emerging picture is terrifying. For the period 2004 to 2011, we averaged second among 102 countries. In 2004, we are ranked 1st with a rate of 177.8 per 100,000. In 2005, 4th with a rate of 104.8 per 100,000. In 2006, 2nd with a rate of 139.6 per 100,000. In 2007, 4th with a rate of 133 per 100,000. In 2008, 4th with a rate of 154.8 per 100,000. In 2009, 2nd with a rate of 186.7 per 100,000. In 2010, 2nd with a rate of 153.7 per 100,000. And in 2011, the last year on record, we are ranked 1st — the very worst for rape. For reasons that perhaps our panel will be able to give, 2011 is far and away the worst, with a rate of 389.5 per 100,000, while the closest nation, Sweden, ranks 2nd with 180.9 per 100,000. We had more than double the recorded cases of the next highest country.

While the table concludes with 2011, local police have stated that there were 187 reported cases of sexual assault, including allegations of rape and sex with a minor and buggery in 2013, and that in 2014 the reported cases of rape, sex with a minor and buggery rose to 228. Taken with the UN data, it indicates a continuation of the 20042010 trend with 170.9 per 100,000 in 2013 and 208.5 per 100,000 in 2014.

Even if 2011 proves to be a statistical anomaly, we are not improving.

The second table concerns policerecorded cases of rape in 126 countries.

The story is much the same. We averaged 4th of 126 nations for the period 2004 to 2011. In 2004, we were ranked 2nd with a rate of 60.2 per 100,000. In 2005, 1st with a rate of 80 per 100,000. In 2006, 2nd with a rate of 45.9 per 100,000.In 2007, 2nd with a rate of 55 per 100,000. In 2008, 4th with a rate of 33 per 100,000. In 2009, 5th with a rate of 49.4 per 100,000. In 2010, 12th with a rate of 25.6 per 100,000.

And in 2011, 3rd with a rate of 51.2 per 100,000.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 11.

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Combating Crookedness Changing our lives with water “If you stand straight, do not fear a crooked shadow.” - Chinese Proverb Dr. Terrence Farrell, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, published a most interesting article in the Trinidad and Tobago Daily Express of Thursday, 19th March, 2015. The article, entitled “Righteous Anger”, highlighted several of the issues that the nationals of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) should demonstrate righteous anger about. He then proceeded to describe why Opposition Leader, Dr. Keith Rowley, might periodically demonstrate bouts of anger (my description here). He noted that, “Crookedness today, as it did centuries ago, takes the form of false CVs, unjust enrichment, land grabbing and diversion of state resources into private hands, including the gift of plenty tickets to all-inclusive Carnival fetes. And the corrupt may be generous with their ill-gotten gains, and share some of it around, pacotille to sooth envy and moral outrage, and keep potential whistleblowers quiet.

Remember the extraordinary generosity of (Sir) Allen Stanford, now languishing in an American jail? It is amazing how little it may take to bribe someone into ethical blindness and dulled conscience!”

Farrell’s article, although directed at the Trinidad and Tobago public, also provides food for thought to those of us who live outside T&T. Many of this column’s readers (residing in various parts of the Caribbean and beyond) may very well conclude that his comments fit so very neatly into their local landscape.

We are also summoned, therefore, to righteous anger. We are to stand up and speak out about the “distortions of justice” and the perpetration of injustice wherever they emerge. We should be as vocal about the injustice of white-collar crime as we are about robbery, rape, and murder. We are to demand justice when the “high, mighty, and well positioned” commit these offences, as when it is done by the “little man”.

Justice must be seen to regain its sight in our various communities. For too long, and in too many “high places”, we have observed a jaundiced view of justice. For too long, we have observed criminal activities going unpunished.

Our righteous anger is justified. But it is insufficient to end the matter there.

We must engage in activities to combat these incidents of crookedness. We must refuse to be mere observers and analysts. We are summoned to be activists - to take action to correct these societal defects.

It is sometimes amazing, and very sad, to observe how many members of our society appear to have lost hope that such matters can be corrected.

Many citizens have become very cynical.

Too many have wrongfully concluded that these “crooked ways” cannot be made straight. This writer begs to differ. We can make the change. And, like Mahatma Ghandi said, “We must be the change we want to see.” By our example, we can encourage this and the next generation to be straight. It is insufficient to preach honesty and integrity. We must also live it. And this is the most powerful way of combatting crookedness in our homes, neighbourhoods, workplaces, and churches. We must practise what we preach, as we seek to combat what now appears to be a “plague of crookedness”.

And a plague it is. It is contagious. It is destructive.

The bible provides numerous

instructions about training up children to be morally and spiritually strong.

Many outstanding leaders throughout the world and at various times in our history, have also sought to impress on their respective societies the need to do so. Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592) had a very strong influence on French literature. He is noted to have said, “To make a crooked stick straight, we bend it a contrary way.”

This is a very powerful analogy. It also reminds us of the importance of training up a child when he/she is young, so that they live out acceptable behaviours as they grow.

Unfortunately, many parents abdicate that responsibility to the school and/or church. However, our homes have a major role to play in bending the child in the direction of honesty, truth, responsibility, and so on. Children will not select that path by default. They must be trained. They must be groomed. They must be bent in that direction.

It may often seem “normal” for our children to take the line of least resistance. Children who are socialised to assume that such behaviours are “acceptable”, are likely to grow up to have their consciences cauterised. They may then wrongfully conclude that it is easier and better to do “bad” than it is to do “good”. It may seem so much easier (and rewarding) to “flow with the tide”. But we have to teach those around us to avoid the temptation to become addicted to the greed, envy, and lust that so often appear to be the forerunner to crookedness and dishonest behaviours. We are to let them know that taking the line of least resistance still makes both men and rivers crooked.

There are influential individuals in our communities, who will seek to make right appear to be wrong, and wrong appear to be right. This is not a new phenomenon. Society has always been plagued by such characters that, for selfish reasons, opt for activities “on the dark side of life”. They often seem to flirt their ill-gotten gains in ways that entice the innocent and unsuspecting.

The gullible and weak could quite easily seek to model their illicit behaviours en route to achieving similar wealth or fame. We must therefore look for those occasions when we can teach those around us (especially the young) to avoid falling prey to such Satan-baited traps. We need to share stories and anecdotes that will support their resolve to walk the moral high road. We need to encourage them to read about the biblical examples that show the reward for faithful and honest living. We must also alert them to the fact that punishment awaits those who unwisely select the path of crookedness (even though many perpetrators appear to be getting away for a long time).

We must not be satisfied with merely displaying righteous anger when we observe the varying examples of crookedness in our society. We must not merely be spectators, observers, and analysts. As responsible citizens, we are expected to play a much more active role in combating crookedness.

Send comments, criticisms & suggestions to julesferdinand@gmail.com

I have absolutely no consciousness of water. Rather, I consciously ignore what I know. I mistakenly believed that SVG had water in abundance and will always have a ready supply. And then the December storms struck and destroyed the pipelines. For more than a week, there was no running water.

Further still, I read a report by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) which revealed that the next big security issue, and possibly wars, will be over fresh water.

I immediately began thinking of ways in which small life-style changes can contribute to making a difference.

The book ‘Your water footprint: the shocking facts about how much water we use to make everyday products’, by environmental journalist Stephen Leahy, proved a real eye-opener as to the wasteful and dangerous habits of modern man.

My hope is that the following excerpts shock us into consciousness about the way we live, and cause us to think about how we can do things differently.

‘I have a confession: I knocked back 320 pints at the pub last night. I actually only had two shots of a decent single malt. It took 320 pints of water to grow and process the grain used to make the whisky. That’s a whole lot of water, considering the average bathtub holds 60 to 80 litres.

‘Even after 20 years of covering environmental issues in two dozen countries, I had no idea of the incredible amounts of water needed to grow food or make things. I’m still amazed that the t-shirt I’m wearing needed 3,000 litres to grow and process the cotton; or that 140 litres went into my morning cup of coffee.

The rest of my breakfast swallowed 1,012 litres: small orange juice (200 litres); two slices of toast - (112 litres); two strips of bacon (300 litres); and two eggs (400 litres).

‘Researching all this, I soon realised that we’re surrounded by a hidden world of water. Litres and litres of it are consumed by everything we eat, and everything we use and buy. Cars, furniture, books, dishes, TVs, highways, buildings, jewellery, toys and even electricity would not exist without water. It’s no exaggeration to say that water is far more valuable and useful than oil.

‘A water footprint adds up the amount of water consumed to make, grow or produce something. I use the term consumed to make it clear that this is water that can no longer be used for anything else. Often water can be cleaned or reused so those amounts of water are not included in the water footprints in the book. The water footprint of 500ml of bottled water is 5.5 litres: 0.5 for the water in the bottle and another five contaminated in the process of making the plastic bottle from oil. The five litres consumed in making the bottle are as real water as the 500ml you might drink; but hardly anyone in business or government accounts for it.

‘The amount consumed to make

something varies enormously depending on where the raw materials come from and how they are processed. Wheat grown in dry desert air of Morocco needs a lot more water than wheat grown in soggy Britain.

‘One of the biggest surprises was learning how small direct use of water for drinking, cooking and showering is by comparison. Each day, the average North American uses 300 to 400 litres. (Flushing toilets are the biggest water daily use, not showers.) 400 litres is not a trivial amount; however, the virtual water that’s in the things we eat, wear and use each day averages 7,500 litres in North America, resulting in a daily water footprint of almost 8,000 litres. That’s more than twice the size of the global average. Think of running shoes side by side: the global shoe is a size 8; the North American a size 18. By contrast, the average water footprint of an individual living in China or India is size 6.

‘Water scarcity is a reality in much of the world. About 1.2 billion people live in areas with chronic scarcity, while 2 billion are affected by shortages every year. And as the ongoing drought in California proves, water scarcity is an increasing reality for the US and Canada. Water experts estimate that by 2025, three in five people may be living with water shortages.

‘While low-flow shower heads and toilets are great water savers, the water footprint concept can lead to even bigger reductions in water consumption. For example, green fuels may not be so green from a water consumption perspective.

Biodiesel made from soybeans has an enormous water footprint, averaging more than 11,000 litres per litre of biodiesel. And this doesn’t include the large amounts of water needed for processing. Why so much water?

Green plants aren’t “energy-dense,” so it takes a lot of soy to make the fuel.

‘Beef also has a big footprint, over 11,000 litres for a kilo. If a family of four served chicken instead of beef, they’d reduce their water use by an astonishing 900,000 litres a year.

That’s enough to fill an Olympic size pool to a depth of two feet. If this same family opted for Meatless Mondays, they’d save another 400,000 litres. Now they could fill that pool halfway.

‘We can do nearly everything using less water. It’s all about smart substitutions and changes, rather than sacrifice and self-denial; but we can’t make the right choices unless we begin to see and understand the invisible ways in which we rely on water.’

Send comments, criticisms & suggestions to wefirst@aol.com

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12. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Views

Reject Louis Straker, and the ULP at the polls MR IVAN O’NEAL, Leader of the SVG Green Party, calls on the electorate of SVG to reject Straker, Gonsalves and the ULP regime at the polls, at the next general elections, because their gross incompetence over the past 14 years has left our beloved country on the verge of becoming a failed state.

SVG is dilapidated, and experiencing its worst economic and financial conditions in living memory.

SVG is swamped with poverty, crime and a high drop-out rate of children from school. It is believed that 9 out of every 10 youths in jail cannot read.

Unemployment is so high that 9 out of 10 children leaving school are unable to get a job. Yet, there is a certain man in the ULP regime, who has 5 government paid jobs and a state pension. Only a sick regime like the ULP regime could harbour such greed and gross immorality.

Under Straker, Gonsalves and the ULP regime, a new big jail was built in Belle Isle, costing millions of dollars, but not a university. We must deal with the causes of crime, and provide our children with world-class, free education and a university.

Minutes after being given the ticket as the ULP candidate for Central Leeward, Straker announced that there will be a golf course and hotel complex in the Central Leeward area.

This madness will mean hundreds of acres more of Vincentian people’s land

being sold to foreigners. There will be more gated enclaves, and our people will become second-class citizens in their own country.

The ULP regime’s philosophy of modern-day slavery, will see our young people’s lives wasted, doing subservient jobs for foreigners that offer low-pay, such as cooking, cutting the grass, making up the beds and washing the laundry. These jobs are seasonal, insecure and leave people in poverty.

This modern-day slavery must be rejected at all costs. Our young people deserve better; they deserve high-paid, secure jobs. The death and struggle of Joseph Chatoyer should not be in vain.

To move our country forward, an SVG Green Party government will build a science and technology university for our people, and provide free internet. We will provide free,

high-quality education from pre-school to university. Education, technology and innovation must be the foundation of our economy, to create economic growth and thousands of new jobs.

As in other countries, a Green government will ban the sale of lands to foreigners. Our young people will have nowhere to live if all the land is sold to foreigners. If foreigners want to set up business in SVG, they must lease lands.

The slave-mentality of the ULP regime, that continually wants to chain our young people in to a life of servitude, cleaning up after rich foreigners, is an out-dated, ‘yes massa’ philosophy. Young Vincentians know that they have the potential to do and achieve great things with their life.

They will never get the opportunity though, if all they are offered is the chance to be some foreigner’s servant,

rather than free internet, free highquality education and our own SVG university.

If Straker thinks that cleaning up after foreigners is such a great opportunity, why doesn’t he pick up his broom and do it himself, rather than come back as a tired politician, who clearly lacks the vision needed to create a modern, competitive economy?

The ULP regime’s focus on tourism is plain foolish. Vote green for new jobs and new revenue.

SVG Green Party www.svggreenparty.org

LIAT pilots punching back NEWS CIRCULATING throughout the region last week, spoke to a possible shutdown of the operations of the regional air carrier LIAT, as a result of a threat by its pilots to withdraw their services.

Since then, the debate has continued, with management of the airline and its agents calculatingly waging what some say, is a clear effort to discredit the pilots.

Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) has pointed to poor operational planning, managerial incompetence and disrespect from the CEO, as contributing to the problems currently plaguing the airline.

In the face of this, the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) , which is the bargaining agent for pilots employed with LIAT, issued a lengthy statement on Saturday, March 21, in which it puts the blame for the heightened tension surrounding LIAT, at the feet of Management and, in particular, new CEO, David Evans.

In fact, LIALPA accused Evans of misleading ‘the travelling public on the core issues which are causing industrial problems at the Company’.

LIALPA raised the issue of the much bandied about issue of pensions, clearing the air in the process, by explaining that it was not a question of pensions, but a case of payments due pilots from a Provident Fund.

Questions about the Provident Fund, 41% of which a Court in Antigua recognized as being owned by LIALPA, surfaced last year when, according to the LIALPA, its member discovered that some $5million was moved from the Antigua Commercial Bank to First Bank in St. Thomas USVI. The pilots, in essence, are demanding that LIAT respect and adhere to the contract that speaks to a Provident Fund, and have made it abundantly clear that they will not allow another deduction from their salaries, purportedly to service some new pension scheme.

The pilots see this further deduction as exceeding the number of deductions an employer can make from an employee’s salary, as per the Labour Laws of Antigua and Barbuda.

Other issues LIALPA accused Management of flying in the face of the court, by refusing to follow an order that the two pilots dismissed last year should be reinstated. The pilots were

dismissed following blame for damage to one of the new ATR fleet, during a tropical storm.

The pilots found LIAT’s management at fault for the problems that continue to plague the fleet renewal project, and have pointed a finger at shareholder governments who, it appears, stand idly by when salaries are late, and blame the lateness on priority demands occasioned by the arrangement with the suppliers of the ATR’s.

LIAT pilots continued also, to highlight the problems associated with the takeoff weight limitations of the heavier ATR’s, and the failure on management’s part to respect the agreement with pilots as far as this is concerned.

LIALP also took umbrage with management alluding to the loss of pilots as disrupting smooth service; with LIALPA saying they refuted the numbers as advanced by management.

Crew rostering also came in for some ‘bashing’, with the pilots attributing trying circumstances that have resulted, to poor operational planning and managerial incompetence.

But perhaps there most pointing statement was left for CEO David Evans, whom the pilots say ‘…has ably demonstrated on more than one occasion, that he has no respect for the pilots and their contract… ‘.

Their advice for Mr. Evans was that he ‘should lay aside his contemptuous manner which is reminiscent of a bygone era, and accept the fact that Caribbean people are just as intelligent and capable of interpreting the provisions of a contract which, it should be noted, has been in place long before his arrival at LIAT’.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 13.

Education

Grammar school holds 4th Career Fair

Prior to the actual presentations by personnel at the respective booths, teachers, students, and a few invited guests gathered at the Assembly Hall.

Headmaster Curtis King told the gathering that the event is a yearly one, “because around this time, the students of Form 3, at the end of the second term, early into the third term, are required to Curtis King, make a choice as to the Headmaster of the St. options they would be Vincent Grammar making in Form 4.”

School, outlined the The Career Fair, reasoning behind the according to the school’s Career Fair. head, “helps the students to make informed and

by KENVILLE HORNE realistic choices.” and AKEILI LATHAM He implored the (3rd Form student at students to recognize the SVGS) importance of the event and to “put your all into IN ITS CONTINUING EFFORT it.” to expose students to President of the various career paths, the St. Parents Teachers Vincent Grammar School Association (PTA), Nicole held its annual Career Fair, Sylvester, told the on Thursday 19th March, at students that they are at a the school’s compound. critical juncture of their Third Form students at lives, and she beseeched the all boys’ institution them to think outside of dressed in the attire of the box, when seeking various professions, to their career paths. reflect the career path Sylvester’s sentiments they intend to pursue or were endorsed by CEO of are desirous of pursuing, THE VINCENTIAN and create an appropriate Newspaper/Metrocint atmosphere for the event. Insurance Company Ltd., They were given the Desiree Richards. opportunity to visit Richards also told the various booths to learn students, “Mental more about what the flexibility is going to be professions entail. your best field” when Representatives from deciding on a career path.

17 institutions, including Following the assembly, Ministry of Education, the students made their VINLEC, Venezuelan way to the various booths.

Institute, Trinity School of Presentations were Medicine, the Legal interesting and Fraternity, Music interactive, and students Industry, Fashion House were encouraged to ask Caribbean, GECCU, questions about the Paradise Beach Hotel, professions, and about THE VINCENTIAN creating a career pathway.

Newspaper, were present THE VINCENTIAN at the event. newspaper was once again pleased to take the lead as far as the Media was concerned.

Each presentation

Form 3 student at the St. Vincent Grammar School Akeili Latham was interested in the journalism profession at the end of THE VINCENTIAN’s presentation, and collaborated with THE VINCENTIAN’s Kenville Horne to produce this article.

Students listen attentively as they are urged to cultivate positive attitudes.

Future professionals in the making.

Kenville Horne addressed directly the subject of a career in Journalism, and Huldah Jack touched on the issue of Marketing.

Year Head, Abigail Providence, expressed happiness with the response of the various institutions that were present. She said that it was very important to offer the students a range of careers from which to choose.

Some students also began with the company’s CEO, Ms. Desiree Richards, welcoming the students and introducing her support staff, comprising Sales Executive Huldah Jack, International Correspondent Mr. Ben Harrison, Senior SubEditor Ms. Rhandez Browne and Journalist/Reporter Mr. Kenville Horne.

Ms. Richards’ message to the many who patronized THE VINCENTIAN’s booth was, inter alia, all about adopting a positive attitude towards building a foundation…. “to take advantage of the opportunities, and you can be anything you want to be.”

Rhandez Browne gave an overview of the mechanics (typesetting, photo preparation, etc.) of formatting the paper for submission to the printers.

Rhandez Browne, Senior Sub-Editor, making her presentation to an interested cross-section of students.

Desiree Richards, CEO of THE VINCENTIAN, shares a light moment with a student during an interactive presentation by THE VINCENTIAN. gave THE VINCENTIAN feedback following the event.

Shane Cadogan described the event as very good and informative.

Rasheed Fontenelle said he enjoyed the event …. and was impressed especially with THE VINCENTIAN, “Because

it amazed me that a company can have so many diverse professions and all of them work hand in hand.”

The theme of this year’s Career Fair was, ‘Creating career opportunities through sound investment’.

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14. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

News

Tribute to Lee Kuan Yew, Founder and Prime Minister of Singapore

by SIR JAMES MITCHELL Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1984 - 2000

greatest among them all, I do not hesitate to name Lee Kuan Yew, 1923-2015, the high priest of transformation. I have already written tributes to THE PEOPLE OF SVG gave Margaret Thatcher and me the opportunity for Nelson Mandela, so I which I am eternally thought it appropriate I grateful, to meet some of should outline the the great leaders of the experiences of dealing 20th century, and to bring with the great Singapore some lessons home. When leader.

I am asked to name the I met Lee Kuan Yew

at Commonwealth conferences and at the enthronement of the Emperor of Japan, accompanied by my daughter Sabrina.

To understand the rise of Singapore, which so many developing countries would like to emulate, read his autobiography, ‘From Third World to First’.

Read how Singapore

emerged from being a port and fishing village, to be a pivotal finance centre, as markets move through the time zones from Japan, Singapore, Zurich, London and New York. Read how Singapore was able to lend money to China.

Lee Kuan Yew was always an opening speaker at Commonwealth Heads of Governments conferences, analyzing the ‘State of the World’.

I remember two things he said at the Malaysia Summit in 1989, to which I was accompanied

by Hon. Alpian Allen. He stated frankly that African countries, with infinitely more resources than Singapore, were sending over 3 million people a year to death from poverty, caused by their communist policies, and that if he followed such policies and lost 3 million people, there would be no Singaporeans. He went on to explain how he accepted Russian warships for maintenance in Singapore, but he made sure the American Sixth Fleet was not far away.

I once asked him to explain, how Singapore airlines manages to be voted every year, as the best airline in the world.

“Service at every level,” he replied, “from the day we buy the planes and put our Brand on the decor. There are only three airplane manufacturers, but hundreds of airlines. We all have the same aircraft, but I aim to make sure that the Australian businessman prefers Singapore Airlines to Quantas.”

I had a better appreciation of training in service when I went to a nightclub in Tokyo and met some fluent Englishspeaking girls, also quite fluent in Japanese. I discovered that they

Sir James Mitchell with Lee Kuan Yew, whom he considers to be the greatest among leaders of the 20th century. were on paid sabbatical for a year as flight attendants of Singapore Airlines; that they were anxious to have the right Japanese accent, and also to know how to entertain the Japanese.

The current Prime Minister of Singapore is the son of Lee Kuan Yew: but between father and son, there was another Prime Minister for eight years, Goh Chok Tong, who also stepped down as Prime Minister, and is a member of our Inter Action Council. Lee Kuan Yew established a country with firmly established independent rule of law, with clear guidelines for investors.

Some of the laws are very extreme. Drug possession means death.

Littering brings a $1000 fine, immediately imposed by environmental police.

Chewing gum is banned.

Noise pollution is out. No discussion.

The leadership of Singapore recognized quite early, the value of their strategic, geographical location, and set about to create growth in trade through efficiency in their port and airport. Singapore’s record of speed of movement of goods through its country, in terms of tonnage per hour, is second to none.

This is accomplished by an efficient bureaucracy developed in a society

based on rewarding meritocracy. For us, the question is: When will our port systems enhance business and advance employment opportunity?

In service in general, when will we appreciate that time is money? Why in 2015, do government offices close for lunch hour? Efficiency and meritocracy are the hallmarks of Singapore’s success.

Lee Kuan Yew, very early, put a strategy in place to eliminate corruption. Very simply, Ministers are paid more than Executives in the private sector, and his people understood this principle. Singapore members of Parliament receive a higher salary than the rest of us elsewhere in the world, including Europe and the United States.

With all this sophistication, I was fascinated with Singapore’s Botanic Gardens, established in a country that once had little vegetation. On Independence, Singapore chose a national flower, one that did not exist in their country, the Orchid.

Lee Kuan Yew, with his leadership and vision, charted the course to bring Singapore from a fishing village to one of the respected finance capitals in the World, with his people enjoying a great quality of life.

May he Rest in Peace.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 15.

News

Special Athletes in Sports and Fun Meet

by DAYLE DASILVA

THE KINGSTOWN AND GEORGETOWN Schools for Children with Special Needs held their fifth Annual Sports and Fun Meet last Thursday, Victoria Park, Kingstown.

According to Terrence Davis, Sports Coordinator, the idea of the Meet is “to give the nation’s disabled youth the opportunity to participate in sporting events and showcase their talent.”

He quipped, “They are often showcased in arts and craft, or singing, but they often do possess sporting talent,” continuing with, “Even though it’s fun, we try to make it as best as we can as close to the regular

Left: Terrance Davis, Sports Coordinator, spoke of the sporting talent that abounds among disabled children. Right: Janice McMaster, National Director Special Olympics, is hopeful that her Committee will be able to raise the funds to facilitate participation in the 2015 Special Olympics.

school sports, to make sure that they get that opportunity, otherwise they would not have been able to come out in their houses and do their sporting best.”

And like regular athletes, the special athletes, energised and eager to compete, took to the track for 25, 50, 100 and 200 metre races, and the all exciting 4 x 100 meters relays.

Every effort was made to complete the courses, regardless of Off he goes with his bean bag in how long it hand.

took.

There were also competitions in Fill the Bottle events, Bean Bag Throws, Lime and Spoon races, bowling, and Hula Hoop Throws.

In the spirit of the Special Olympics charter, they were all winners.

National Director Special Olympics, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Janice McMaster, said that the athletes are viewed as persons who possess athletic ability no matter what.

Too often, McMaster said, we complain; but the special athletes maintain a smile on their faces.

And it takes little events, such as the annual sports and fun day for the public to realise the potential and ability of the special

athletes.

This country’s special athletes will, all things being even, participate in this year’s Special Olympic Summer Games, scheduled to open on 25th July, in Los Angeles, California.

A delegation of 26 athletes and six coaches is expected to make the journey, the first for SVG since a 10-year hiatus.

“We are still struggling with finance, but we got promises from different organisations that they would help us, and we are looking forward to those promises because the athletes are so dedicated,” McMaster said.

The athletes are committed; rain or sun they are out training.

“And after 10 years, this is a time to make a This athlete puts her all into throwing the balloon. mark,” McMaster said.

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16. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Health

Hundreds take advantage of Chiropractic services

by GLORIAH… OVERWHELMING numbers of Vincentians and other persons here availed themselves of the chiropractic services offered from a team of doctors from Chiro Mission Inc. – a US non-profit organization, between Wednesday, 11th and Friday, 13th March.

The team of ten chiropractors and six volunteers was led by Dr. Jason Gerard, President of Chiro Mission Inc., with Dr. Nikoleta Alexander being the Chief-of-Mission for the visit.

The visit was in response to a request made by the Medical Relief Association Inc. of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, an organization that has been enjoying close relations with Chiro Mission Inc. since 2010, when their first mission came to our shores.

According to Mr. Fidel Caeser, President of Medical Relief Association Inc., “I contacted them in 2009 and invited them to come and render their services. Having made their first trip in 2010 and realizing that the service is really needed here, and being impressed with our level of organization, they made a commitment to return each year.”

Mr. Caeser explained further that the missions use the trip to St. Vincent for a dual purpose of: work and vacation. “They close their private practices for the week and come here to render their services, free of charge.”

In turn, after completing their services, they are taken on several outings in and around the country, which serve as a relaxing break for them.

This lady was among hundreds of females who availed themselves of the service.

President Caeser also said that every patient seen had high praises for the service. “They welcomed the service,” he was happy to report Junior Bacchus, recently elected President of the “Many claimed immediate relief, and most of them SVG Indian Foundation, gets himself in shape for are looking forward to next year’s mission.” the task ahead.

He said that one patient even suggested that the mission take place every month.

He also reported that a female office attendant Caesar told THE VINCENTIAN that he was overwhelmed at the turnout to the Mission. He said recalled her difficulty in climbing stairs in the course of her duty, but was ecstatic about the relief compared to 2014 when 800 persons availed she experienced after her visit to the mission. themselves of the service, this year saw an The Medical Relief Association Inc. will endeavor astounding 5,500 persons receiving consultations.

He credited this to the fact that it was the largest to continue its relationship with Chiro Mission Inc., number of doctors ever constituting a mission team. intending to bring benefits to persons here.

Optipharm raising glaucoma awareness

Team’s busy schedule

by KENVILLE HORNE

The three-day clinic was quite busy. The team was divided into four groups to ensure that they could fulfil their service plan.

On Wednesday 11th, the teams conducted consultations at Police Headquarters, the Music Centre Conference Room, Ministry of Transport and Works, all in Kingstown; and at the Bureau of Standards, Campden Park.

On Thursday 12th, it was the turn of the Seventh Day Adventist Church at Vermont; the Music Centre again; School for Children with Special Needs, and Lodge Village Government School in Kingstown; the Emmanuel High School Mesopotamia; and the Gomea Methodist School.

On Friday, 13th, Her Majesty’s Prisons at Belle Isle became a consultation centre, in addition to the Brighton Government School; West St. George Secondary School; the Central Water and Sewerage Authority at New Montrose; and the Customs Department and National Insurance Services in Kingstown.

MARCH 8TH -14TH is recognized as World Glaucoma Week. In an effort to raise public awareness about the eye disease, Optipharm Eye Centre hosted an exhibition outside the Singer building in Kingstown, on Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th March.

Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that can lead to blindness, the result of optic nerve damage, brought on by increased eye pressure.

Safay Richards, Doctor’s Assistant at Optipharm, told THE VINCENTIAN that they staged the two-day exhibition in order to educate the public on what Glaucoma is, “how Some items it affects you, some of the causes, the treatment options, etc.”

She said that Optipharm held a similar event at the hospital last year and it was well received. “It’s something that we are passionate about,” she intimated.

According to Richards, Optipharm encourages its

Impact of the visit

Optipharm’s Doctor’s Assistant Safay Richards (left) and Anne Marie Browne, Staff Nurse MCMH, were on hand to offer support and share information.

that formed the display at the two-exhibition. patients and the public at large to have regular eye examinations, so that early detection of glaucoma can be made to ensure they get early detection and treatment.

“We encourage our patients with Glaucoma to be tested at least every six months to a year. Because when you have Glaucoma is regular texting to ensure that it doesn’t progress further, because Glaucoma leads to permanent blindness, that’s irreversible” said Richards.

She explained that, while there are no readily noticeable external symptoms to indicate the eye disease, a person’s family history as it relates to prevalence of glaucoma within that family, is a signal to have regular glaucoma testing.

“If you ever had a trauma to your eyes, you can also develop glaucoma through that, and of course with age, you know things get worse, so over the age of 50 or so, you are more susceptible to the disease,” she continued.

Beside glaucoma testing, Optipharm, which is served by Dr. Benet Henry, Consultant Ophthalmologist (Eye Specialist), also conducts dilation examination, eye pressure testing and visual field exams, “which is the true test to show if a person has glaucoma and at what stage the glaucoma is,” Richards explained.

Glaucoma ranks among the more common causes of blindness in the Caribbean, even though the disease is manageable, and persons can live with it under a regimented treatment of eye drops, including the marijuana-derived drug Cansol.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 17.

Foreign Affairs

SVG, Ecuador sign MOU for English teaching teach how they can and must work in the Caribbean,” H.E Galo Yepez THE GOVERNMENTS of Ecuador and St. Holguin, the Ambassador of Ecuador Vincent and the Grenadines, on Tuesday accredited to St Vincent and the 24th March, signed a Memorandum of Grenadines, said at the signing Understanding that would see Ecuadorians ceremony. learning English here.

Both countries had signed agreements The MOU covers the first phase of the for the construction of four bridges in agreement to facilitate the teaching of this country by Ecuadorian expertise, English to Ecuadorian Diplomats. This and now, according to the Ambassador, is in keeping with a discussion between the latest agreement was an indication Ecuadorian President Correa and Prime that the co-operation between both Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves in July last countries was growing. year.

Senator Camillo Gonsalves, Foreign “We are cooperating with the bridges, Minister, who signed on behalf of the and now you are going to cooperate with SVG government, described the event as our Diplomats to teach English and to a celebration of another milestone in the cooperation between the two countries.

“When President Correa and Prime Minister Gonsalves spoke, they also had a conversation about the fact that Ecuador is currently sending a number of their government officials overseas, including teachers, to learn English, and they both wondered why they would send Ecuadorian Military Engineer Corps journeyed to people away as far as SVG to assist with re-building bridges destroyed Kansas (USA) to learn by flood waters.

by DAYLE DA SILVA

Quartet wraps up regional music tour THE SONYA HAYES QUARTET, wrapped up the third leg a four-day tour of the Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, with a free concert last Monday, March 23, at Peace Memorial Hall, Kingstown, St. Vincent.

Comprised of leader and violinist Sonya Hayes, violinists Matthew Maffett and Luke Wedge and cellist Sean Neidlinger, the group took the small but appreciative Vincentian audience on an journey through American classical music, featuring the work of American composers Samuel Barber, Anton Dvorak, George Gershwin, William Grant Still and Dorothy Rudd Moore.

The objective of the series was to underscore the excellence and diversity of American music, and the quartet’s performances highlighted how celebrated American composers would have shaped and influenced the genre of classical music.

The first in the series of concerts took place at the Frank Collymore Hall in Barbados, followed by a performance at the Bourne Hall at the St George’s Medical School, Grenada.

The final concert took place at the Marriott Royal Ballroom in St Kitts.

The tour was made possible by the U.S Embassy of the United

Yolonda Kerney, Public Affairs Officer U.S Embassy of the United States to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS, introducing the Quartet at last Sunday’s concert.

States to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS, in keeping with the Embassy’s drive to facilitate cultural exchanges and promote music as an educational tool.

The Quartet (from left), Sonya Haynes, Luke Wedge, Sean Neidlinger and Matthew Maffett, performing at Peace Memorial Hall last Sunday.

English, when they had such close friends in the Caribbean region.

“They agreed, then and there, to set up programmes that would facilitate Ecuadorians learning English in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and also for Vincentians to learn Spanish in H.E Galo Yepez Holguin, Ambassador of Ecuador to St Vincent and the Grenadines Ecuador,” he continued.

Gonsalves further explained (left) and Senator Camillo Gonsalves, SVG Minister of Foreign Affairs, shake hands of that the agreement that was signed copies of a Memorandum of being signed was for the Understanding between the two countries. facilitation of Ecuadorian Diplomats to come to learn English and to work in the local Ministry Vincent and the Grenadines Community College and the University of the West of Foreign Affairs, to give them an Indies. understanding of how the business He said that there were still some works in the region. issues which required some work, but The agreement works reciprocally; that students would be expected to begin Vincentian Diplomats will to that arriving soon. country on a similar programme.

Both countries are expected to hold The Foreign Minister referred to the discussions on issues relating to trade, larger programme which included the teaching of English to teachers, which is science and technology, and technical cooperation, Gonsalves said. being done in collaboration with the St

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18. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Politics

Wreath removal?

ÂA non-issue,Ê says Leacock

important to the country — in fact I wish that the PARLIAMENTARY newspapers would call REPRESENTATIVE for me when I speak to Central Kingstown, St matters,” Leacock said.

Claire Leacock, has said He was responding to that the discussion Senator Julian Francis, generated after he Minister of State and removed wreaths from the General Secretary of the obelisk in honour of Unity Labour Party national hero, Joseph (ULP), who, on Tuesday Chatoyer, at Dorsetshire night during his radio Hill, is a non-issue. programme, mentioned Leacock told THE that he had been VINCENTIAN that he informed that Leacock has attended events such was seen removing as the one celebrated on wreaths from the obelisk.

March 14, for over 50 Francis said that just years, dating back to his a mere four days after school days. the March 14 event, a “I wish that they jeep, resembling the one would speak to matters which transports Prime that are far more Minister Dr Ralph

by DAYLE DA SILVA

Gonsalves, was seen in the area, and that the occupant (Leacock) exited the vehicle holding a garbage bag.

He continued the story, saying that the individual went over and looked and picked up one wreath.

“Then he jumped over and went where the other wreaths are and picked up a third one,” Francis said.

There were two adults and a boy in the area, Francis later revealed, and it was when the adults questioned the boy as to the identity of the individual seen removing the wreaths,

the boy responded saying that he was St Clair Leacock, and that he wanted to retrieve the wire from the wreaths.

“I speak this boldly because I have the evidence of the two persons, and when I spoke to (a) member of staff at the Ministry of Culture, he described it as crass; a mere four days, what is in this wire or steel that is so important that he personally will go to the obelisk and take the wreaths?” Francis questioned.

Francis further questioned whether or not the wreaths were paid for by individuals or the Ministry of Culture, and if it was a common practice for wreaths to be St. Clair Leacock, MP for Central Kingstown, taken back for the re-use alluded to ‘things’ being done in his constituency about which Senator Francis would not like him to of materials. report.

Leacock explained that his wife is in the used again. business of making “It’s a non-issue. I go wreaths and doing floral to the obelisk to respect arrangements, and that there is a steel base that Chatoyer. Does Mr Francis come? Do his is re-used. colleagues come?” he People often discard questioned. the wreaths, he Now he wants to make continued, but because people were in the habit political mileage out of the issue, Leacock of calling in last minute maintained. for floral arrangements “It is painful and to be made with the steel base, he went to retrieve pathetic; it is really painful and pathetic. some that were used.

“So after a reasonable What is it that I have that Francis wants?” time had passed, by He said that he has which time the flowers had perished, she asked never attacked Francis, Senator Julian Francis and stated further that me, as her husband, if I wanted to know he has seen the senator can go and retrieve the whether the Ministry of do things, even in his steel on these wreaths (Leacock’s) constituency, Culture paid for the for her, so that she can about which he (Francis) wreaths, and if it was use them on the next the practice of would not like him to occasion.” retrieving the wreaths He further contended report. for re-use of materials. that when he got to the obelisk that the wreaths there, the flora was already almost completely dead.

There was an area, a seeming trash area that he said he went to and placed some, so that his wife could retrieve the Some have made even the wreaths laid in honour of National wire to be Hero Joseph Chatoyer a ‘political’ issue.

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Business

Regional profile for VINLEC’s Renewable Energy Thrust THE RENEWABLE ENERGY THRUST of St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) was one of the areas of discussion at the recently concluded Caribbean Electric Utilities Services Corporation (CARILEC) Human Recourses and Corporate Communications Conference held in Belize.

The Conference brought together Public Relations and Human Resources practitioners from countries and organizations within the umbrella body.

CARILEC is an association of electric utilities, suppliers, manufacturers and other stakeholders operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean.

Speaking on the topic “How Renewable Energy is reshaping the Utility Leadership, Human Resources and Public Relations,” VINLEC’s Communications Officer - Tamara Job-Sprott spoke of VINLEC’s commitment to ensuring that the Company maximizes the use of renewable energy resources for electricity generation. She made reference to a recent solar photovoltaic grid-connected project at the Lowmans Bay Power Plant. She noted that the Company continues to do research on the emerging technologies, with a view to utilizing what is appropriate in VINLEC’s environment.

Mrs. Job-Sprott noted that the Company’s Human Resources capacity is being developed such that the staff will have adequate knowledge about the new technologies in Renewable Energy. She said that both the Human Resources and Public Relations functions need to work together to ensure employees and the public understand the changes that come with advances in Renewable Energy.

She was one of three panelists addressing the topic. The others were Mr. Jeffrey Locke - Chief Executive Officer of Belize Electricity Limited and Ms. Juleika Williams — HR Advisor at Barbados Light and Power Company.

Among the other areas addressed were Communication and Leadership, Trust Leadership and Managing Difficult Conversations with Employees, Stakeholders and Partners.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of VINLEC and Chairman of CARILEC, Mr. Thornley Myers urged members of the CARILEC body to continue to work together in an effort to enhance the utility sector in the region. Speaking at the Opening Ceremony on March 15th, Mr. Myers noted that through CARILEC, electric utilities in the region have benefitted from examining best practices and challenges of the varying bodies. He encouraged the

LIME overactive for Easter PERSONS travelling to the Grenadines for the Easter Weekend can expect telecommunications provider LIME to be involved in traditional activities there.

LIME will be in full effect in the Grenadine islands of Bequia and Union Island, where the Easterval celebrations are concentrated, and draw thousands of visitors from the mainland, other Grenadine islands and countries near and far.

LIME will be a part of this year’s Bequia Easter Regatta, which is scheduled to begin on April 1st, until April 6th, with particular involvement in the shore activities like the sand castle building competition and coconut boat races, and other privately promoted events.

As in previous years, LIME is once again a major sponsor of the Union Island Easterval celebrations, and would be part of the island’s J’Ouvert, Night Mas, Miss Easterval Teen,and the Annual Miss Easterval Pageant.

Persons who remain on the mainland can journey to the Balck Point Recreational Park for the LIME-sponsored Dr Fugi’s Kid’s Easter Jamboree, on Sat April 4th.

LIME officials have assured that the company is committed to upgrading St Vincent and the Grenadines, not only through its telecommunications products and services, but also by playing a major role in this country’s sports and cultural activities.

Tamara Job-Sprott (front extreme right) with participants at the Conference. participants to embrace the opportunities for learning and encouraged them to establish connections.

The Conference was held from March 15th - 18th at the Radisson Fort George Hotel and Marina

under the theme “Achieving the Synergies: Public Relations and Human Resources.”

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30. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

News

Third Eye Security, Digicel in Karaoke partnership

by KENVILLE HORNE TELECOMMUNICATIONS service provider Digicel has teamed up with Third Eye Security Systems SVG Ltd, to present a historic National Karaoke Competition, dubbed ‘vincy Voice’.

During an official launch of the competition at the Computec Conference Room in Kingstown, last Tuesday, Junior Bacchus, a member of the Planning Committee, said that the idea for the Karaoke was conceptualize last year, after Third Eye Security realized that not enough was being done “to tap into the talent in SVG.“ Bacchus proffered that since the termination of the Digicel Rising Star competition, there has not been anything to fill the void, “to challenge our voices to compete for something.”

The Preliminary

One competitor will be collect EC$ 2,500 in cash board to support, because selected from each and prizes. one of our focuses in SVG preliminary round by a While other sponsors is community. We believe panel of onsite judges, are expected to get on in reaching out to our and another (from each board, Digicel is the communities and giving zone) will be determined platinum sponsor of the back.” through votes submitted competition, and the She noted her by text. The live company’s Marketing company’s history of broadcast of each round Manager, Juno DeRoche, recognising and will allow for the offsite said that the partnership rewarding talent, and voting. with the security firm pointed to the regional The grand finale of the could not have come at a Digicel Rising Star competition is scheduled better time, as Digicel is competition as one such to coincide with celebrating 12 years example.

Juno DeRoche, Independence since its entry into the Bacchus is confident Marketing Manager celebrations in October.

SVG market. that the nation will Digicel, said the The winner of the She said that after embrace the competition, competition meshes competition will receive a reviewing the request for and said the organisers Junior Bacchus, well with her company’s total of EC$ 10,000 in sponsorship, “We knew intend to make the event 12th anniversary member of the prizes and cash, that we had to be on an annual one.

Organising Committee, celebrations. including a trip is confident that to Barbados, Vincentians will where he/she will embrace the participate in a competition.

The SVG HORTICULTURAL Karaoke Round of the competition competition. The SOCIETY donated baskets of second place sweets and other items to the will get going on winner will walk families who were affected by Saturday 4th April, at away with EC$ Miller’s Bar in Sandy the January 12th, 2015 Bay, in one of nine zones, 5,000 in prizes tragedy, at Rock Gutter, and cash, while into which the island Fancy. the third place wide contest will be The Society, as part of its winner will staged. outreach programme, met the families at the Arnos Vale Playing Field on their way to Wallibou Students of the Fancy Pre-School came in for gifts and distributed the from the trainees at the Vinsave. baskets.

Spokesperson for the members for their generous gifts. group, Mr. Ballantyne, thanked the Meanwhile, the children of the Fancy Pre-school were not left out, as the students in training at the Vinsave Child Development Centre also presented gifts and materials to them.

The students also conducted a Study of the Community as part fulfilment of their Early Members of the Horticultural Society and recipients of Childhood Training food baskets at the handing over ceremony in Arnos Course.

Vale.

The Community of Fancy receives

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 31.

News

CUT demands compensation for Teachers THE CARIBBEAN UNION OF TEACHERS (CUT) is demanding that compensation be made to teachers for the formulation, supervision, marking and data entry of Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) SchoolBased Assessments.

According to a press release from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union (SVGTU) ,“The Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) recognizes the importance and value of the CXC School-based Assessment, both as an integral part of the structure of the final evaluation of students at various levels, and as critical preparation for their continuing education. However, the CUT is convinced that the demands on teachers involved in the formulation, supervision, correction and data entry requirements of these SBAs are deserving of compensation, above and beyond what is offered to them in the performance of their normal duties for the preparation of students for their final examinations.”

The press released, signed by Public Relations Officer of SVGTU, Wendy Bynoe, noted that CUT is of the firm view that the CXC has both the authority and moral responsibility to compensate teachers involved in the work of completing the requirements of the SBA component, of their externally set exam. “The work associated with the formulation, supervision, correction and data entry of this exam constitutes a burden on teachers in the region, and falls far outside of their normal statutory responsibilities,” the release stated.

The call for compensation stems from a CUT Executive Meeting held in Belize on 28th and 29th November, 2014, where a decision was taken by the affiliates that, in the absence of any negotiation with the CXC for compensation for CXC SBA work by 28th February, 2015, teachers throughout the region will contemplate unified action to ensure that adequate compensation is received from this academic year, 2014-2015.

“Teachers have assisted the CXC in this unpaid work for too long. The demands of the syllabi are becoming greater, and the introduction of new courses like CCSLC and CAPE subjects, with a sixty per cent SBA component, means an impossible workload in times of economic cutbacks, that have resulted in reductions in teaching staff and other resources throughout member states of the region.

The hard work and commitment of Caribbean teachers have contributed substantially and is directly responsible for the achievement of the high success of the CXC within the region and internationally; the CXC is now offering examination courses extra-regionally”, said Bynoe in her statement, adding further, “The Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) is convinced that the time has come for due recognition and compensation for the unpaid work done by teachers in the region to build that reputation and success of the CXC. It must be noted that CXC has never negotiated with the CUT nor any affiliate of the CUT on compensation for any correction work done by teachers in the region. The goodwill and good faith of regional teachers will no longer be taken for granted!”

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32. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Advice

Wrongfully accused

Barbados with my aunt, and she is into lesbianism; but what has that got to do with me? People can be so MY NAME is being bandied about that I am into lesbianism, and I want it to stop. malicious! That woman is my mother`s sister! Now, I am terrified to I got a shock when two of my girlfriends told me that the word is out be in the company of other females, for that I am a lesbian. They told me that fear that the rumours would appear to be true. What am I supposed to do the word is that I was with a woman now? for 2 months in Barbados, who is a known lesbian.

Hurt Now, George, I was staying in

Dear George

Dear Hurt, What you do is to go on living your life as you have been doing before these rumours surfaced. You alone know the truth about you, and that is what matters right now.

If it comes down to where you have proof that a specific person or persons is/are spreading untruths about you, in

My husband is a Mama’s boy always comparing it to his mother`s. I cannot get him to stop, and it MY HUSBAND is hurts me real bad to see behaving like a Mama`s my husband doing this. boy, and because I Things got to a head started treating him like the Mama`s boy he is, it when he came to bed, is now a problem. I have expecting me to have sex spoken to him, time and with him. I refused. He got really angry and time again, about how almost physical. I told attached he is to his him to go to his Mama mother; but he takes a for it. defensive stance We are not on the whenever the talk comes right course at this point, up. and our marriage is He takes his laundry quickly heading down to be done at his mother`s house, and also the hill. I cannot see myself continuing with criticises my cooking,

Dear George,

this marriage if he does not wake up and realise that he is married to me, and not to his mother.

equal respect and understanding, and he should be made to realise how disrespected you feel when he does the things VEX that you say he is doing.

Of course, he also needs to learn where the Dear VEX, boundary is between life You are right in at home before and after saying that your marriage. husband needs to realise I suggest that you two that he is now married to go seek some further you, and that he will counselling, to have this have to focus on situation resolved. If left establishing his own unattended, your family unit, with both of marriage can certainly be you operating as equal on a fast track to an partners. This calls for eventual crash. His mother will always be his mother, but at the same time, he needs to remind her that he needs to let his wife be his wife.

George

an attempt to defame your character, then you have the option of taking legal recourse. Unfortunately, you will not be able to stop others from saying terrible things about you, but you have the option of taking legal action if they persist in doing so.

George

Thirty-five and still a virgin Dear George, I AM A thirty-five-year-old female and still a virgin. I am extremely lonely and do not have a man in my life. Everyone around me thinks that I have somebody in my life, and it is out of shame that I have not attempted to inform them differently. I pretend that I have this imaginary boyfriend, and would talk about my ``sex life`, only because I want to match their experiences.

My friends do not know that I am a virgin who is in turmoil.

How can I get to the stage of having a man and eventually getting married without letting my friends know that I have been living a lie all this time? I do not want to be lonely anymore!

Pain Dear Pain, While there is nothing wrong with being a virgin at thirty-five, it is unnecessarily burdensome to be pretending to be what you are not. Living this lie can be extremely stressful, and this stress will stand in the way of you not seeing clearly enough to find yourself a man, especially a man of your dreams. There is nothing wrong in letting your friends know that you are single and available. Maybe if they have this information, they would be in a position to make some recommendations.

Be true to yourself and start putting yourself in the way to meet new people. This can be done responsibly by attending social activities and giving yourself a new look if it comes down to that. When you become confident in yourself and feel good about YOU, this positive vibe will transcend others, and that may include the individual whom you are destined to meet.

George

Leisure

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) It's a great day to attend social functions. Take your time and try not to overload yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself. One-sided relationships are likely.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) You will get bored quickly, so make sure that you have scheduled enough activity to hold your interest. You may find yourself caught in a triangle. Rewards for past good deeds will be yours.

Networking will be a necessity.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Opportunities for travel and socializing are evident. Use your obvious talent to work with detail and you can come up with something great. Offer good conversation and a nice soothing lunch.

If boredom has set in, find new and unique directions that offer interesting friendships.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) You haven't been totally honest with yourself and it's time to review your motives. You will have to check your cash flow before you decide to indulge in hobbies or entertainment that may be beyond your budget. Attend to things that you should have done yesterday.

Real estate investments could be prosperous.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Sudden changes at home will affect family members more than you anticipated. Opportunities for romance will flourish through travel. You may want to sign up for lectures or courses that will bring you mental stimulation.

Your input into their activities will help bring you closer together.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Put your energy into your work or moneymaking ventures rather than into your emotional life this week. You may want to make plans to take a vacation together. Trips should be your choice.

Your involvement with groups will raise your self esteem.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Don't hesitate to voice your ideas and opinions. You can expect opposition from family as well as colleagues. Don't rely on others to handle the workload.

Difficulties will result if you have to deal with controversial groups this week.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) New methods and innovative technology will make your job far easier than you anticipated. Praise will be yours if you have been pursuing your goals. Secret affairs can only lead to devastating circumstances. You can expect to have a passionate time if you go out with someone you are romantically interested in.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) Family may not want to get involved but an entrepreneur will. You will inspire confidence in others. You will be up and down emotionally. Your lack of interest in your partner is a problem.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) You will have the getup and go to con tribute a great deal to groups of interest.

Avoid any erratic behavior or it could cause isolation at home. Use your creative talent in order to accomplish your goals. You may have the day off but your thoughts will be on your work and your cash situation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19) Don't let others know about your private affairs. It might be time to do some of those chores at home. Don't give them the use of your credit card. Don't push your luck with your boss.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Build on friendship rather than starting out in an intimate encounter. Your outgoing, aggressive nature will attract someone you've been eager to meet.

Chances to express your ideas and beliefs can bring popularity as long as you're not arrogant. Travel and communications will not run as smoothly as you had hoped.

ACROSS

47. Suez or Panama 1.Poisonous snake 51. Cars from 4. Teacup flaw 8. Record players Munich (abbr.)

54. Position 11. Haunted 56. Historian’s house division shout 57. Jacob’s first 12. Half (prefix) wife 13. Bartlett, e.g. 58. Oprah’s 14. Troop doctor entertainment 59. City rails org.

60. Price __ 15. Med. sch.

61. Bargain course hunter’s 16. Egyptian lure goddess 62. Speckle 17. Infield covers 19. College sports DOWN gp.

21. __ standstill (2 1.Touch on wds.)

2. Slammin’ 23. Civics, e.g.

Sammy 27. Loftiest 3. Without 31. Greene of money “Bonanza” 4. Respectable 32. Tycoon 5. Barnyard bird Onassis 6. “__ Ordinary 33. U.S.A’s Man” “Uncle” (2 wds.)

35. One, in French 7. Throw 36. Low tides baseballs 39. Overstuffed 8. __ Plaines footstool 9. __ alai 42. Aromatic bulb 10. Last-year 44. Atmospheric students content (abbr.)

45. Nevada’s 13. Cliburn’s neighbour instrument

18. Good buddy 20. IM provider 22. Hee-hawer on the farm 24. __ major 25. Actress Magnani 26. Noticed 27. Astronauts’ OJ 28. __ rug 29. Perjurer 30. Truth, in China 34. NYC transit org.

37. Notably luxurious 38. Obedience school command 40. Make giggle

41. “…man __ mouse?”

(2 wds.)

43. Complains 46. Laugh sounds (2 wds.)

48. Destitution 49. Singer Guthrie

LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 33.

50. Famous __ words 51. Lunch counter letters 52. “Tell __ story” (2 wds.)

53. Sing of a happy pup 55. Zilch --

34. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 35.

SVGS and TSSS Secondary Schools Athletics Champs THE ST VINCENT GRAMMAR SCHOOL (SVGS) came away with a fourth consecutive hold of the male divisional Top performer St championship, and Vincent Grammar Thomas Saunders School.

Secondary School (TSSS) regained the female division, when the Inter-Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships concluded last Wednesday, at the Arnos Vale Playing Bethel High School trio- Shannel Lampkin (left) Field.

Brad Slater (center) and Akani Slater.

In pinching the The Thomas Saunders male title, the St Right: Deslorn Lawrence Vincent Grammar Third among the females School had to ward off a challenge was the Junior Girls from the Thomas Saunders Secondary. was the Central Leeward Champion, with Brad Secondary with 189 points.

The SVGS’ final score was 253 points Slater, the In the individual categories, and the TSSS’ 232.

Intermediate Male Bethel High School dominated, Third place was the Bethel High Champion. taking four such titles: Akani School on 157 points.

Deslorn Lawrence Slater was the meet’s Victor The female division was taken by of dethroned female champions, the St the Thomas Saunders Secondary by Ludorum and Male Senior Champ, an Joseph’s Convent Kingstown, won the some distance, as their 273 points award he also took at last year’s female senior title and was the Victrix outdid the Girls’ High School’s 193. championships; Shannell Lampkin Ludorum.

Secondary School female team.

The SVGS’ Shayne Lynch was the male junior champion, while the Girls’ High School’s Shantell Williams copped the females’ intermediate title.

As has been the case for some time now, last Wednesday’s Track and Field Meet was the most competitive and patronised Meet so far for the year. It could well occupy that billing when the year closes.

Prep retains Primary Schools’ Athletics title THE KINGSTOWN PREPARATORY SCHOOL (‘Prep’), despite not having any dominant individual athletes, ran away with the title of Primary Schools Athletics Champions, once again.

‘Prep’s’ retention of the title came as they amassed a total of 313 points at the 2015 Inter Primary Schools Athletics Championship, held last Tuesday, March 24, at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

Their closest rival, the Layou Government, romped home with 234 points , with third place Lowmans Anglican School on 188 points.

Prep built their total of 314 on 153 points contributed by the males and 161 from the females, resulting in them taking first place in both male and female divisions.

Individual champs Rural schools did not go away unrecognised.

The coveted awards of Victor Ludorum and Victrix Ludorum were taken by Tyrique Bushay of the Layou Government Left: Dejuan Collis- Stephanie School, and Dexcian Browne Primary- male under-11 Williams of the champion. Right: Victrix Ludorum Pamelus Burke Primary, respectively. and female under -9 champion – Dexcian Williams of the Pamelus Bushay captured Burke Primary. the Boys 11 and over category, and titles went to: Kacey John of Williams was declared the the Kingstown PreparatoryGirls under-9 champion Under — 11; and Ulanda Anna Miller of the Layou Lewis of the Buccament Government and Saniah Primary — 11 and over.

Peters of the Evesham Other Boys divisional Methodist shared the accolade champions were; Jaheim in the Girls Under 9 division.

John of the Layou The other girls’ individual Government and the Spring

Kingstown Preparatory School retained the Inter- Primary Schools Athletics Championships.

Right: Second place- the Layou Government.

Village Methodist’s Jamaine Keil — joint Under 7 champs; Curwen Mc Dowald of the Questelles Government — Under 9; and Dejuan Collis of the Stephanie Browne Primary — Under 11.

Some forty-six Primary Schools participated in this year’s Inter Primary Schools Athletics Championship.

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36. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Sports

Walters/Skerritt set up Rivals win

selection. Desron Maloney batted well in compiling an impressive half century, but AN ELEVEN-WICKET MATCH haul by fast-improving his dismissal could also be attributed to allrounder Casmond Walters, and a battling half an overzealous attempt to impose himself century from Harley Skerritt, saw defending champions, on the game. Having made 56, inclusive Team Rivals, chalk up another comfortable sevenof nine well-struck fours on both sides of wicket win, this time against Carl Joseph Law the wicket, he attempted to hit Walters Chambers ASCO, at the Sion Hill Playing Field, last over mid-off, but only succeeded in finding weekend. the hands of Kesrick Williams. His Scores: Carl Joseph Law Firm ASCO 176 & 134, dismissal opened the floodgates, and his Team Rivals 220 & 95/3. team slipped from 108/3 to 141/7, with Walters, who was among the runs and wickets in Walters capitalising on the poor choice of Casmond Walters (right) returned match figures of 11/115.

Rivals’ opening match, came good with the ball, in shots from the batsmen. It took the cool head of conditions which offered ‘something’, and against a wicket/keeper batsman, Zian Da Silva, 23, to team that once again looked partly interested in add vital runs. Da Silva employed the sweep tackling the task ahead. shot to good effect. He was last man out, caught Sent in to bat, ASCO looked to be comfortable at and bowled by left-arm spinner, Deighton 108/2, but it all ‘went South’ through what may be Butler. described as some ill-advised and reckless shot Walters finished with 5/60 from his 16 overs, while Butler finished with 4/43 from his 12.3 overs.

Team Rivals then found themselves in serious trouble at 94/6, as young pacer, Darrius Martin, ripped through the top order.

However, the temperamental Skerritt then buckled down and together with the lower order, shepherded his team to a first innings lead. Hyron Shallow made 37 at the top of the order.

Martin, who may be getting looks of interest Deighton Butler (in sun glasses) returned 4/43, with from the selectors, finished with 4/66 from his his off spin, in ASCO’s first innings.

15 overs. three more wickets to those in the pre-tea session, With a lead of 44, Team Rivals set about as ASCO were dismissed for 134. Walters finished creating early pressure in search of an outright with 6/55, a match haul of 11/115, and the pacey win, in the limited time available. Despite seeing Kesrick Williams, 3/35. their opponents going to tea 80/5, with time and Set 90 for victory in 14 overs, Team Rivals, led by overs running out, Team Rivals remained in the Hyron Shallow 44, reached 94/4 in 12.4 overs. hunt. Upon the resumption, Walters grabbed Zian Dasilva (batsman) batted well against the spin.

Stories by E. GLENFORD PRESCOTT

News Spartans/Police Two take honours NEWS SPARTANS, benefiting from embarrassing fielding lapses by LIME Radcliffe, came away with the upper hand in their drawn match at the main Arnos Vale Playing Field, in the national Premier Division match played last weekend.

Scores: News Spartans 298, Lime Radcliffe 157 & 54/0.

Gidron Pope hit 67 for News Spartans.

Winning the toss and batting in conditions which looked to be made in ‘Batsman Heaven’, News Spartans, on the back of an opening century stand (104) between the talented Gidron Pope and Joey Welcome, and the acts of ‘Fielding Angel’, batted down the order to fall just under the 300 runs mark, having motored along at just under five Teron Simon took 4/46 for News Spartans. runs an over.

Spartans resuming 298/9, was delayed The opening pair played and missed by more than an hour, after minimal during the early spells of the new ball overnight rain resulted in seepage, pair of Westwick Straugh and Jamel from what was described as subNash, then settled into batting with standard covers at the main Arnos confidence, before Welcome (38) was Vale Playing Field. sent packing, edging off spinner Riche LIME Radcliffe looked set for a Richards behind. He struck five fours. comfortable afternoon when openers, Pope looked set for three figures, Michael St. Hillaire (43) and Romano but was dismissed by off spinner Dyke Pierre (24), raised 65 for the first Cato for 67, with the score 120/2. He wicket. But with St. Hillaire adjudged struck eight fours and one six. News caught at the wicket off Teron Simon Spartans then lost a couple cheap (a decision he hotly contested), their wickets, but Reinaldo Coombs, batting ship floundered helplessly and they in his usual cavalier style, hit 58 with were all out for 157. Off spinner five fours and three sixes.

Simon, 4/46, was the top bowler for First Kissinger McLean (37), then News Spartans. Batting a second time brother, Nixon McLean (36), used the after being asked to follow on, LIME heavy willow to good effect, to push Radcliffe ended 54/0. their team to a good total.

In another match played last Cato found time between his spate weekend, Police TWO took first of drop catches to finish with 5/77 from innings points from Victors ONE in his 23 overs, and Richards 3/99 from their drawn match at the Stubbs his 20 overs.

Playing Field, after faulty covers saw The start of play on Sunday, with play starting late on both days.

Scores: Police TWO 271/9 - Salvan Browne 65, McLeon Williams 50, Marcus John 42, Atticus Browne 3/29; Victors ONE 160 - Laurin Baptiste 48, Donwell Hector 41, Kenneth Dember 3/34, Elmore Alexander 3/37.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 37.

Sports

Of shocks and stocks

BY YESTERDAY, a fairy tale of the United States Virgin Islands advancing to the next round of the World Cup qualifiers would have taken a dramatic development. It would either have doubled or flattened.

The USVI secured a one/nil win over Barbados in the first round of the World Cup qualifiers. That was in Bridgetown. The return was in the USVI yesterday.

Barbados missed two penalties. Their Brazilian born coach must be dumbstruck by such an occurrence. His counterpart is Somali born.

Whatever the results yesterday, USVI would have lived the dream for at least three days, before facing reality. Things have never been rosy in football for that near carefree outfit. But the game is becoming more even, no matter how one may think the odds are stacked against them. An inspired ninety minutes, plus some for extra time, could prove fatal for many a team.

There is an open period of uncertainty, and no one knows exactly what a coach might conjure up.

The team could respond and, as has been seen, the best team can be made to look horrid under any circumstance.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines face its World Cup test June, against Guyana. This is a critical juncture. We are in a must win situation from the onset. There will not be time to recuperate.

Guyana is starting as favourites, on the basis of their progress in the last round of the World Cup qualifiers.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines have to rekindle the flame which made them a symbol of regional soccer. There is no choice. The Windward Islands tournament will provide an indication as to the chemistry of the squad.

They will have to handle this passage delicately, ensuring the reserves are in place for the battles that are ahead. That depends on the results column.

Even when the attention shifts to securing points in order to advance, it is good to adopt the safety first method and be in a positive direction.

Soccer is more than the time spent on the field of play. The cultural and scientific spheres must mesh within the team’s network. The quicker and more readily players and the organisation realise the trend, the easier it would be to achieve the objectives.

The support structure will ensure that the soldiers are equipped for the battles. There is no sense complaining about the lack of ammunition after the war has been lost.

It cannot be a matter of course that matters are taken for granted. Players’ interest must be a priority. It cannot be a question of breakdown in communication such as what has embarrassed West Indies cricket in the eyes of the rest of the world.

There is a thin line upon which sportsmen have to operate. No one must question their pay when it raises eyebrows. For no one knows the returns they engender, even to the sponsors who make the investments.

Sports continue to play a prominent role in the development of many a nation. St. Vincent and the Grenadines will do well to acknowledge this situation, and make use of the talent and opportunities that are available.

New basketball initiative takes hold

Darwin Vanloo, Coordinator of the local Pilot Project of the International Enrichment

by HAYDN HUGGINS in the sport; programmes to Certification Programme, encourage parent support is pleased with the progress made to date.

A STRUCTURED move is being made for participation in their to get young people in St. Vincent children’s activities; and of most because and the Grenadines playing efforts aimed at engaging service you must have the coaches on basketball again. clubs for support. board for the sustainability of the The effort to revive the project,” he explained. seemingly dying sport in many Pilot Project The coordinator added, communities here, has already “Working towards getting parents begun to benefit from the U.SThe local pilot project of the in sporting activities and based International Coaching ICECP commenced in January encouraging them to develop Enrichment Certification 2015 and ends tomorrow, healthy lifestyles was not as Programme (ICECP) Saturday, March 28, in South encouraging as I anticipated.”

The mission of the ICECP is to Rivers.

However, despite the provide national level coaches, Darwin Vanloo, a former challenges, Vanloo is pleased with and those responsible for the national basketball player and the progress that has been made development of the national certified Level 2 coach, with some in meeting some of the objectives, sporting structures in their 15 years’ experience in coaching and he is satisfied that the countries, with a practical young basketballers, is the Cocommunity as a whole embraced programme oriented towards ordinator of the pilot project. He the project. developing proficiency in the was so designated by the SVG “The project will not solve all areas of sport sciences, talent Basketball Federation. the problems that the sport faces”, identification, athlete He told THE VINCENTIAN Vanloo admitted, but, “it would development, coaching education, during an interview on Monday, help to stimulate activities to get coaching management, grassroot that South Rivers was chosen for the youth playing basketball sport development and ethical the pilot project because it is again in a structured way.” aspects of coaching at all levels of considered to be “a sports-knitted Saturday’s closing of the pilot competition and across multiple community.” project in South Rivers will take sports.

He noted that children (boys the form of a Basketball The intention is to train and girls) between 9 and 13 years Jamboree, sponsored by General participants (coaches) to identify old were targeted, and as a result Employees Cooperative Credit and develop athletes, by providing of the effort there, three coaches Union (GECCU). the coaches with the skills and have been trained and three The Jamboree includes a competencies needed to educate teams formed. competition, and the winning aspiring coaches, who, in turn, “I have been impressed by the team will receive a trophy. The can impart practical applications turnout of the children. I had most outstanding players will also at the community level to some challenges and I had to be awarded with trophies and encourage growth of sport. work hard to overcome them,” prizes.

In practical terms, the Vanloo said.

Vanloo is required to submit a programme will entail: coaching One of the major challenges, final report to IECP at the clinics around the country, so as according to Vanloo, was completion of the pilot project, to build a cadre of volunteer conveying the idea, ‘the message’, after which he will journey to Switzerland to do a thorough coaches; activities for young to the coaches. evaluation. people to stimulate their interest “This is what I was concerned

Georgetown Secondary on the double in schools’ volleyball IT WAS THE GEORGETOWN Secondary School all the way, when the 2015 secondary schools male and female Volleyball titles were decided last Thursday afternoon, at the Girls’ High School hard court.

That institution left the court with both titles clutched in their palms.

The females had to come from two sets down to stop a confident Girls’ High School team.

After going down in the first two sets 24 — 27 and 23 — 25, the Georgetown girls dug deep into their arsenal, and rallied to register victory in the remaining three sets, 25-19, 25-17 and 15-7.

Then the males achieved what

The Georgetown Secondary School Male Volleyball team which won the schools tournament for the first time, last Thursday.

had eluded them in three previous outings at the final, by upstaging their nemesis the George Stephens Secondary 3 sets to one, with scores of 18-25, 25-11, 27-25, 25-16).

The Georgetown girls reached the finals when they erased the Thomas Saunders Secondary 25-4, 25-10, while the Girls’ High School recorded a 25-9, 25-19 over Georgetown Secondary School’s the George Stephens female Volleyball team.

Secondary. games played during the The male semi-finals saw tournament was much higher than Georgetown beat the Dr J.P. Eustace Memorial 25-9, 25-14, and last year... It is evident that some schools after last tournament, the George Stephens Secondary went back to the drawing board outdid the West St George and practised, practised, Secondary 25-21, 18-25, 15-10 practised.”

Taking the third places were As for the finals, Mc Master the George Stephens Secondary assessed, “At the finals, it was and the West St George anybody’s game, because no one Secondary, in the females and team was superior to the other... males divisions, respectively.

Competition was keen, and each George Stephens outdid the Thomas Saunders Secondary, 25- point was fought for.”

The local Volleyball head 15, 25-8 in the female play off, and the West St George Secondary had revealed that, with the schools’ a 29-19, 25-17 win over the Dr JP tournament completed, a training squad will be selected to prepare Eustace Memorial. for the Eastern Caribbean A satisfied president of the St Volleyball Association (ECVA) Vincent and the Grenadines Volleyball Association, Alana Mc Under-20 and Under- 21 tournaments scheduled for next Master, in evaluating the tournament, said: “The level of the month.

38. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015. 39.

Classifieds

ZELMA MAUREEN LAIDLOW

SILVANUS A. FINCH

Diamond Deliverance Assembly Sunday 22nd March, 2015 3:00 p.m.

Vermont S.D.A Church Sunday 22nd March, 2015 2:00 p.m.

DORIS ADINA ALEXANDER NEE NEVERSON Mt. Zion Spiritual Baptist Church Sunday 22nd March, 2015 2:00 p.m.

EUNICE EVELYN SMITH

CENIMA ALVINA ³&´ *28/'

05 ),7= *(5$/' ROBERTSON Aka PAPA

Church of the Ascension Sion Hill Saturday 21st March, 2015 2:00 p.m.

Kingdom Life Ministries Barrouallie Saturday 21st March, 2015 2:00 p.m.

Troumaca Methodist Church Saturday 21st March, 2015 2:00 p.m.

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

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MINISTER STEPHENSON DELIVERS FOR DISABLED PERSONS DISABLED PERSONS here are set to benefit, with some preference, from the Lives for Life Programme (LLP).

According to Frederick Stephenson, Minister of National Mobilisation, Social Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Persons with Disabilities and Youth, disabled persons stand to benefit from a housing facility under the auspices of the LLP. One-bedroom wooden houses are to be made available, free of cost, to those disabled persons who are in need of housing.

And these benefits will begin to redound when 100 houses roll off the ‘assembly line’, in the not too distant future.

Minister Stephenson announced the ‘good news’ last Friday, at the rally at Victoria Park. The rally climaxed the annual Awareness March, through the streets of Kingstown, organized and hosted by the National Association of disAbled Persons (NSDP).

Minister Stephenson has been a consistent participant in the rally since he assumed ministerial responsibility for the Disabled, in 2010.

He pointed to the housing assistance programme as a joint collaboration between his Ministry and the Ministry of Housing, and anticipated that there should be little to no encumbrance in the process, as far as qualified disabled persons were concerned.

A list of eligible disabled persons has been prepared, with input from the NSDP and the National Society of and for the Blind, among other organizations.

This list is already in the hands of the Ministry of Housing, Stephenson assured.

Other assistance In addition to accessing the Poor Relief Assistance Programme and the soon to come on stream provision of complete housing units, assistance is also forthcoming for the construction of ramps and rails, and improvement of washroom facilities at places of abode of disabled persons.

“We mean to improve the physical living standards of all our disabled, differently challenged citizens,” the Minister told the gathering, to much applause.

Towards this end, Special Officers from the Ministry have been assigned to serve persons with disability.

With respect to a call for Vocational/Technical

Wheel-chaired persons leading the march last Friday.

Frederick Stephenson, Minister Training to be made available to disabled of Social development, etc. persons, a call made at the rally by bringing good news President of the NSDP, Mrs. Patricia for disabled persons Cumberbatch, Minister Stephenson assured that the four Technical Institutes at last Friday’s rally, hosted by the in operation here, were open to all National Society of persons, disabled persons included, Persons with between the ages of 19 and 35 years.

He urged those disabled persons with DisAbility. an interest, to access these opportunities.

The Lives In concluding what must have been one of the for Life more pleasing addresses made to disabled persons Programme is here in a long time, the Minister appealed to the a Cuban area business sector to make work opportunities of assistance available and accessible to disabled persons. from which St. He cited the job of a telephone operator as one Vincent and the such possibility.

Grenadines was “Disabled persons don’t want handouts, they need the only CARICOM opportunities for work,” Stephenson said with aim territory to benefit. It at the business sector. was primarily focused on And to the disabled persons, he gave the countries of Central and South America. guarantee that his government was not going “to The programme assistance rendered to SVG, leave any one citizen behind” as they sought to included a comprehensive survey of households deliver on the promise to meet the needs of all here, with the aim of detailing the numbers of sectors of the society. disabled persons in the country, and the conditions He reiterated what has become his clarion appeal under which they lived. to the disabled: “Don’t make people feel sorry for After careful study of the report as submitted, it you, because of your disability. Demand your place.. was clear to the relevant government personnel, respect. Never allow your disability to keep you that one of the major needs of persons in the back.” disabled sector, was adequate housing; thus, the first response of the programme.

Note on Lives for Life Programme

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