Among so many other things that keep Solana Gooding busy, she expertly runs our food security program, principally through the distribution of food vouchers. For recipients unable to make it to Port Elizabeth, Solana hand delivers the vouchers. Below, Solana she writes beautifully about one of the people she visited and was inspired by.
Also, please note that we'll be hosting a casual reception at Provision on March 12, between 3 and 5. This is an opportunity to acknowledge the donors, friends, volunteers, and supporters of the Grenadines Initiative. For more information, or to attend, email me at glen.herbert@grenadinesinitiative.org
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Journeying Through Margeray Kydd-Ollivierre's Home: A tribute
by Solana Gooding
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Step into the warm embrace of Margeray's kitchen, where memories are kneaded into every loaf of bread. My first encounter was when I popped up at her kitchen door. Picture her at 96 years young, her hands dancing in flour. When I asked what she was doing there, without missing a beat in her witty voice, she replied “ah making bread.” Her spirit radiating brighter than the morning sun, she quickly passed me her morning harvest of a freshly picked mango, a memory I cherish forever. In her presence you felt light. As time rewinds, and you’re transported to a simpler era, one where planting peas and sharing bountiful harvests were the rhythms of life.
As she regales tales of yesteryears, with her head thrown back, her laughter echoes the wisdom of generations past. She says out loud, “The place gone through,” uttering the words, “people don’t share like they use to in the olden days. People grow selfish nowadays, nobody nah plant and rep like before.”
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Watching her sit at the base of her doorway talking, I never wanted her to stop. I sat quietly, observing her face, the lines that defined her smile because she smiled often and hard. Even though times had changed for her, she still smiled. Her hands tell a story of a woman who worked hard for her family, and even at her age, made sure bread was still on the table. The way she gracefully sat, making sure her dress was always properly fixed and legs elegantly crossed. And then there was her head covering, which she was always seen wearing. She made sure each time it was properly tied, neatly tucked, and re-tucked if ever her hair was to come out of place—a symbol of her crown, the family matriarch, a title she so fiercely wore.
Margeray's hands, weathered yet resolute, speak volumes of her dedication to family and community. With every visit, we witness a living legacy of resilience and grace. And although Margeray has recently passed, the fire she lit within us lives on —the fire to continue to look after our cherished souls.
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Through initiatives like The Grenadines Initiative Food Security Program, we continue to extend a support system to souls like Margeray's. Over 1000 food vouchers distributed in the last three years alone. Each one a testament to the generosity of our supporters, reaching homes of the elderly, needy, single mothers or fathers, homes of families with relatives that have the inability to provide for themselves, and homes of those that deal with mental health challenges.
To those who have lent their hearts and hands to this cause, we offer our deepest gratitude. Your contributions have illuminated countless homes and lifted spirits in ways words cannot fully capture. Together, we nurture a community where compassion knows no bounds.
Though we cannot physically take you on these journeys, know that your impact resonates in every smile, every shared meal, and every moment of solace. Thank you for being the beacon of hope in the lives of Bequia's cherished souls.
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We'd love to hear from you. Please feel free to email me with thoughts, ideas for programs we should support, thanks for programs underway, or just to say hello. |
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Glen Herbert
Executive Director
Ph: 289 439 7052
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