Newsletter for November 2020

Glen Herbert The Grenadines Initiative

We've been very touched by the response to the Ron Cutajar Memorial Fund. The intention was to honour his memory by supporting programs on Bequia that were dear to him. Ron was directly involved in creating the fund, asking that the Junior Sailing Academy of Bequia and the Sunshine School would benefit from it. I'm delighted to say that, given the level of response, we're well positioned to make a lasting contribution to both. For the JSAB, we've been looking to source a new boat, something a bit larger, to add to the academy's fleet, to be christened in Ron's name. An Optimist to bear the name "Mr. Ron." We've sourced one, thanks to Peter Gibson, in Tennessee (!) and are working toward making that purchase and setting up delivery. The donations will also help to offset operating costs at the Sunshine School. The school is home to a woodworking shop that Ron was instrumental in creating, and which has become a key program offered there. The shop is a teaching facility, though students also use the space to make cutting boards and gifts that are sold in the harbour.

We’ve also been delighted to see that painting classes have resumed at the Hub Collective in Port Elizabeth. They are run every Tuesday by the Hub’s Creative Director Colin Peters. There are classes offered for both children and adults. The Hub Collective is an inclusive arts education non-profit organization on Bequia, and the model is one that we share: bring people together around shared passions and projects, in turn developing talent and aspirations. You can learn more about the painting classes and other programs by visiting them online by clicking here.

Volunteers needed

We have an opportunity to partner with a leading mosquito-borne illness expert, Dr. Fiona Hunter, to look more closely at the spread of dengue on Bequia. This year, as we all know, has been particularly bad. While there’s perhaps not much we can do to mitigate the spread this year, Dr. Hunter is interested in turning some of her attention to SVG once travel is normalized and she and graduate students are able to visit. In the meantime, though, we can get a jumpstart by gathering data about breeding sites. This would include taking photographs and creating maps of locations on the island that are particularly at risk, such as around schools and common gathering areas. To that end, we’d love to gather a team of auditors. It could include students and adults. If you have ideas on how to mobilize a team, or have any questions, email me at [email protected]

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Contact: Glen Herbert [email protected]

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