Soufriere Foundation to manage funds for Education Recovery Project in District 8
Soufriere, St. Lucia - On Thursday 29th March, the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation (SRDF) received a cheque donation of US$21,095.25 (EC$56,324.37) from the Government of St. Lucia, to undertake an Education Recovery Project in District 8. The money which was procured by the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), represents a donation from Chevron to the island’s post Hurricane Tomas restoration efforts. Chevron is a founding member of PADF’s Disaster Management and Emergency Response Program (DMERP), a unique program designed to engage the private sector in disaster relief efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The signing of the agreement and cheque presentation was held at a small ceremony at the SRDF office in Soufriere. Saint Lucia’s Ambassador to the United States of America and Permanent Representative to the Organisation of American States (OAS) Dr. Michael Louis presented the cheque to Mr. Dominic Alexander, General Manager of the SRDF. According to Dr. Louis, “The Government of St. Lucia recognized the devastation that Hurricane Tomas effected on the schools in Soufriere and immediately decided that these monies, though small, should be used in the recovery efforts of the schools within the district.” He added; “The schools have developed a detailed plan as to how these monies will be used and the SRDF will be responsible for the management of the funds.”
The Soufriere infant and primary schools, both located near to the Soufriere River, suffered heavy infrastructural damage during Hurricane Tomas. The Soufriere Infant School has held a number of fund raising activities to generate much needed revenue to undertake renovations. Though public support has been forthcoming, the raised amount is far short of what is required to replace the damaged infrastructure.
Upon receiving the cheque on behalf of the Soufriere Foundation, Mr. Dominic Alexander stated that, “We are thrilled to receive this donation from the Government of St. Lucia for an education recovery project in District 8. For the last three (3) years, the Soufriere Foundation has placed education at the top of its development agenda; therefore, we are excited about the opportunity provided to manage this project and recreate a conducive learning environment for our community’s children. The SRDF looks forward to working very closely with the District Education Office to ensure that this project is executed within time and budget.”
Chairman of the SRDF, Mr. Lyton Lamontange, who was also present at the handing over ceremony had this to say, “This money will go some way to help us achieve our objective but we do need more help.” He continued, “We also need assistance to make improvements to the Soufriere Hospital and other vital community institutions which were affected by the hurricane. I appeal to your good office to assist us however possible.”
The SRDF plays a key role in the development of the community’s human resources. Last year, about EC$150,000 was spent on 199 students who benefited from the SRDF’s scholarship programme. The organisation presently runs a tertiary level education programme, which affords residents the opportunity to obtain diplomas in various fields without travelling outside their community; is partnering with Soufriere based properties to provide internships for 20 trainees of its bartending programme and facilitating Spanish language training for about 15 residents.
For more information about the Soufriere Foundation and its projects, please visit its website at http://www.soufrierefoundation.org/.
