by Glen Herbert
“This is a long haul,” Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of SVG, said recently. “Covid is going to be with us for the foreseeable future, maybe for the rest of our lives, and therefore we have to get into the habit of taking the vaccine and then taking boosters for us to get back to normalcy.”
It’s unclear what normalcy might be, but given the lack of interest—if not outright refusal—in vaccination, the country is not likely to see it soon. While Gonsalves calls on everyone to take the vaccination, there’s a weariness in his voice, like he’s already given up. “I am just alerting everybody, as is my job, to what are the risks which are ahead and the importance of us to take the COVID vaccine.”
He's checking boxes when he should be advocating. “I don’t understand why individuals are not taking it," he says, though, frankly, he should. If he truly doesn't know, he should be working hard to find out. One thing he's very clear on is the risk the country faces. "We’re not going to get back to normal," if the vaccination rates don't improve, "and the longer this problem of vaccine hesitancy continues, the more difficult the economic situation will be.”
Why not?
One reason (there are admittedly many reasons) is that people see it as a personal issue, not an economic one. The vaccine is being administered to their arm, after all, and for most the virus seems very far away. They don't know anyone who has been affected. So, given that there could be a risk, however small, they choose not to accept it, simply because they don't see that their health is in any jeopardy. Which I get. If someone said "take this pill and it will protect you from alien abduction" I'd say "Yup, no thanks, I'll take my chances." For many Bequians, this whole thing is just that—a solution to a problem they don't perceive. As such, they simply are making the best choices they see based on the information they have at hand. Which isn't great. Facebook is loud—the misinformation, misleading information, outright rumours masquerading as pure science—and the government largely quiet. The lack of convincing messaging from federal sources only aggravates the problem. Other countries in the region have been more proactive, more consistent, as the long lines at vaccination clinics attest.
The most compelling argument for vaccination, per Gonsalves and others, is for the good of the country. Which is asking a lot, frankly, given that many don't feel that those in government have extended the same level of courtesy/care, and who, when called, act only in self interest.
And so they wait. The country sent off tens of thousands of doses to be used in Trinidad and Tobago rather than let them pass their stale date. Which was great news for Trinidad and Tobago, to be sure. The world, sadly, is moving on. As I write this, I got my second dose just this morning where I live in Canada, a country that has fewer beefs with the vaccine, and it shows. The clinic I went to was packed. I felt like I was participating in something good, one of many helping to make things better. (Funnily enough, the woman who showed me to my seat was from the islands. It was great to hear that accent.) The population of SVG will say that they have the right to choose, and of course they do. But what are they choosing? What are they advocating for?
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Spreading the word
We've partnered with John Burstein to create a number of PSAs which are now running on radio, tv, in print and on posters. These to promote a $50 phone card incentive to anyone who gets a shot. Burstein has a long career in broadcasting, most noticeably as Slim Goodbody, who many will remember as an on-air health advocate, including regular appearances on Captain Kangaroo. The incentive is meant simply as a thank you to those who choose to vaccinate. You can hear a radio spot here and here.
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Now accepting scholarship applications |
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A long-standing initiative that we're very proud of is the scholarship program. We're expanding, and accepting applications now for the school year starting in September. |
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Two years ago we profiled Lauriel Stowe, who was then a high school student looking to become a volcanologist. “We had a geography class,” she said, “and [the teacher] was talking about plate tectonics, and I really found the topic interesting.” She did some of her own research and, among other things, learned that there is only one working volcanologist in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “I was thinking about what would happen if this person was to get old and can’t do the work anymore? And I thought that’s what I’d like to do.”
At that time she was a recipient of a scholarship, one that offset travel expenses, supplies, allowing easier access to a school on the mainland. She's one of hundreds who have benefited from the program over the years, and funded in part by the Brown Foundation in Houston, Texas. Selection is conducted by an independent board made up of local educators and social leaders. Selection criteria include exam results and personal aspirations. Funds are used to buy travel vouchers and supplies, at the direction of the Learning Centre, which are then given to the recipients at the beginning of each semester. A minimum grade attainment is required for a recipient to remain a beneficiary of the scholarship program, and grades are reviewed by the Board each term.
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A moving tribute to Vincy Power |
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If you haven't heard this, you must: "Vincy Power" is a project completed by the Hub Collective and ABS Productions. The song is a tribute to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in light of the La Soufriere volcanic eruptions that rocked the nation this year. It features 13 Vincentian Artistes as a show of solidarity, unity and strength. And it's brilliant.
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Sign up for the newsletter, submit a project proposal, volunteer, or offer insight into existing projects. |
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Choose from a range of projects requiring support, from scholarships, to classroom resources, to community health initiatives. |
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