Nobbie's Blog: September 2016

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

SAINT LUCIA EMERGENCY SHELTER LOCATIONS

GROS-ISLET
1 Gros Islet Roman Catholic Church
2 Gros Islet Primary School
3 Gros Islet Infant School
4 Gros Islet Church of Nazarene
5 Gros Islet Secondary School Monchy
6 Monchy Roman Catholic Church
7 Monchy Combined School
8 Monchy Human Resource Centre Grand Riviere (Gros Islet)
9 Grand Riviere Combined School BABONNEAU
10 Babonneau Multi-purpose Centre
11 Babonneau Secondary School
12 Babonneau Infant/Primary School
13 Babonneau Roman Catholic Church Fond Assau
14 Fond Assau Combined School La Guerre
15 La Guerre Combined School
16 La Guerre Mothers & Fathers Hall Boguis
17 Boguis Mothers’ and Fathers’ Hall
18 Boguis Combined School Des Barras
19 Des Barras Combined School Balata
20 Balata Combined School Union
21 Dame Pearlette Louisy Primary School 3.
**********************************************************************
CASTRIES NORTH La Clery
22 La Clery Roman Catholic Church
23 VBCC Club house
24 Maranatha Seventh-Day Adventist Church Vide Boutielle
25 Vide Boutielle Combined School
26 Vide Boutielle Secondary School
27 Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School Morne Du don
28 Morne Dudon Combined School
**********************************************************************
CENTRAL CASTRIES
29 Camille Henry Memorial School
30 Carmen Reneé Memorial School
31 St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Boys’ Primary School
32 St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Boys’ Infant School
33 Ave Maria Girls’ Infant School
34 Ave Maria Girls’ Primary School
35 Anglican Infant School
36 Cannon Laurie Primary School
37 Holy Trinity Anglican Church
38 Castries Seventh-Day Adventist Church
39 Castries City Hall
40 Castries Methodist Church
41 Salvation Army Church CASTRIES EAST
42 Bocage Combined School
43 Bocage Secondary School
**********************************************************************
MARCHAND
44 Marchand Combined School
45 Marchand Parish Centre
46 Marchand Roman Catholic Church
**********************************************************************
ENTREPOT
47 Entrepot Secondary School
48 Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School
**********************************************************************
CASTRIES SOUTH EAST
Bexon
49 Bexon Infant School
50 Bexon Roman Catholic Church La Croix Maingot (East)
51 La Croix Maingot Combined School Ti Rocher (Castries)
52 Ti Rocher Combined School Dierre Fort
53 Dierre Fort Seventh-Day Adventist Church
**********************************************************************
CASTRIES SOUTH
Ciceron
54 George Charles Secondary School
55 Ciceron Combined School
56 Ciceron First Baptist Church
57 Ciceron Secondary School
58 Ciceron Methodist Church
59 Lady Gordon Opportunity Centre
60 Ciceron Community Centre Tapion
61 Tapion School (Private) The Morne
62 St. Benedict Roman Catholic Church Odsan
63 Odsan Combined School
64 Odsan Seventh-Day Adventist Church Marigot
65 Marigot Secondary School (Jon Odlum Secondary)
**********************************************************************
ANSE LA RAYE
Anse La Raye Village
66 Anse La Raye Primary School
67 Anse La Raye Seventh-Day Adventist Church (Aux Tabor Hill)
68 Anse La Raye Roman Catholic Parish Hall Jacmel
69 Roseau Combined School
70 Jacmel Roman Catholic Church Millet
71 Millet Primary School
72 Millet Infant School Tete Chemin
73 Tete Chemin Seventh-Day Adventist Church
74 Tete Chemin Human Resource Centre
**********************************************************************
CANARIES
75 Canaries Primary School
76 Canaries Roman Catholic Church
77 Canaries Seventh-Day Adventist Church
78 Canaries Parish Centre
79 Canaries Community Centre
**********************************************************************
SOUFRIERE Fond St. Jacques
80 Fond St. Jacques Roman Catholic Church
81 Fond St. Jacques Primary School
82 Fond St. Jacques Parish Centre
83 Fond St. Jacques Pre-School
84 Raymond’s Disco (Private) Soufriere Town
85 Soufriere Roman Catholic Church
86 Soufriere Primary School
87 Soufriere Infant School
88 Soufriere Seventh-Day Adventist Church – Temple
89 Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary School
90 St. Isidore Hall
91 Christ is the Answer Church – Fond Beniere Bouton
92 Bouton Combined School
93 Disco – Chateau Belair Ebores
94 Les Etangs Combined School
**********************************************************************
CHOISEUL
Piaye
95 Piaye Secondary School
96 Piaye Combined School Saltibus
97 Saltibus Combined School
98 Saltibus Roman Catholic Church
99 Daban Mothers and Fathers Hall
100 Saltibus Multi-Purpose Centre River Doree
101 River Doreé Anglican Church
102 River Doreé Combined School
103 River Doreé Mothers and Fathers Hall La Fargue
104 La Fargue Mission Evangelical Church
105 Choiseul Secondary School
106 (Church of God) Holiness Roblot
107 Roblot Seventh-Day Adventist Church
108 Roblot Combined School
**********************************************************************
Choiseul Village
109 Choiseul Roman Catholic Church
110 Reunion Primary School
111 Reunion Enrichment Centre
112 Reunion Pentecostal Church
113 Why Wonder Disco (private) Victoria
114 Victoria Roman Catholic Church
115 Victoria Seventh-Day Adventist Church
116 Cool Joint Disco (Private) Mongouge
117 Mongouge Combined School Dugard
118 Dugard Combined School
119 Vibration Disco – Dugard (Private) Delcer
120 Delcer Combined School
121 Delcer – Jacques Dance Hall (Private) La Pointe
122 La Pointe Pentecostal Apostolic Church
123 99 Disco Ravineau (Private)
124 La Maze Community Centre
**********************************************************************
LABORIE
Augier
125 Augier Pre-School (St. Francis Xavier)
126 Augier Combined School
127 Augier Roman Catholic Church (St. Francis Xavier) Laborie Village
128 Laborie Boys’ Primary School
129 Laborie Girls’ Primary School
130 Laborie Roman Catholic Church
131 Laborie Roman Catholic Parish Centre
132 Laborie Community Education Centre Banse/La Grace
133 Banse La Grace Combined School
134 Banse La Grace Evangelical Church
**********************************************************************
VIEUX-FORT SOUTH
Vieux Fort Town
135 Beanfield Secondary School
136 Vieux-Fort Special Education Centre
137 Vieux-Fort Primary School
138 Victory Pentecostal Church – St. Jude’s highway
139 Plain View Combined School
140 Vieux-Fort Comprehensive School Campus ‘A’
141 Vieux-Fort Comprehensive School Campus ‘B’
**********************************************************************
VIEUX-FORT NORTH
Belle Vue
142 Belle Vue Roman Catholic Church – St. Isidore
143 Belle Vue Combined School
144 Belle Vue Human Resource Development Centre Pierrot
145 Pierrot Combined School
146 St. Martin De Porres Roman Catholic Shrine
**********************************************************************
Vigier
147 Vigier Combined School Grace
148 Community Centre – Coolie Town
149 Fair Trade Centre
150 Grace Roman Catholic Church
151 Grace Combined School
**********************************************************************
MICOUD SOUTH
Desruisseaux
152 Fond Desruisseaux-Mothers and Fathers Hall
153 Desruisseaux Combined School
154 Desruisseaux Seventh-Day Adventist Church
155 Desruisseaux Roman Catholic Church
156 Desruisseaux Multi-Purpose Centre
157 Desruisseaux Evangelical Church
158 Anse Ger Secondary School Blanchard
159 Blanchard Pentecostal Church – Solid Rocks
160 Blanchard Combined School
161 Blanchard Community Centre
162 Redeem Christian Fellowship Church – Blanchard
**********************************************************************
MICOUD NORTH
Mon Repos
163 Mon Repos Roman Catholic Church
164 Mon Repos Combined School
165 Mon Repos Seventh-Day Adventist Church
166 Praslin Community Centre
167 Bible Baptiste Church (Wooden) Patience
168 Patience Combined School
**********************************************************************
Micoud Village
169 Ebenezer Seventh-Day Adventist Church
170 Micoud Secondary School
171 Micoud Primary School
172 Micoud Roman Catholic Church
173 Micoud Multi-Purpose Centre
174 Faith Tabernacle Church
175 Lime Light Disco – Micoud Highway 17.
**********************************************************************
DENNERY SOUTH
Dennery Village
176 Dennery Roman Catholic Church
177 St. Peter's Infant School
178 Clendon Mason Memorial School La Caye
179 St. Mary’s Anglican Church 18.
**********************************************************************
DENNERY NORTH
La Ressource (Dennery)
180 La Ressource Day Care Centre
181 La Ressource Roman Catholic Church
182 La Ressource Parish Centre
183 La Ressource Combined School
184 La Ressource Mother’s & Father’s Hall Grand Riviere
185 Grand Riviere Secondary School
186 Grand Riviere Seventh-Day Adventist Church
187 Grand Riviere Human Resource Centre Gardette
188 Gardette Day Care Centre Richfond
189 Richfond Combined School Aux Lyon
190 Aux Lyon Combined School Derniere Riviere
191 Denniere Riviere Apostolic Faith Church
192 Denniere Riviere Combined School Grand Ravine
193 Abbot’s Disco (Private)
**********************************************************************

GROS-ISLET 1 Gros Islet Roman Catholic Church 2 Gros Islet Primary School 3 Gros Islet Infant School 4 Gros Islet Church of Nazarene 5 Gros Islet Secondary School

Read more at: http://www.damajority.com/complete-list-emergency-shelters-per-district-201617-saint-lucia/#

GROS-ISLET 1 Gros Islet Roman Catholic Church 2 Gros Islet Primary School 3 Gros Islet Infant School 4 Gros Islet Church of Nazarene 5 Gros Islet Secondary School Monchy 6 Monchy Roman Catholic Church 7 Monchy Combined School 8 Monchy Human Resource Centre Grand Riviere (Gros Islet) 9 Grand Riviere Combined School BABONNEAU 10 Babonneau Multi-purpose Centre 11 Babonneau Secondary School 12 Babonneau Infant/Primary School 13 Babonneau Roman Catholic Church Fond Assau 14 Fond Assau Combined School La Guerre 15 La Guerre Combined School 16 La Guerre Mothers & Fathers Hall Boguis 17 Boguis Mothers’ and Fathers’ Hall 18 Boguis Combined School Des Barras 19 Des Barras Combined School Balata 20 Balata Combined School Union 21 Dame Pearlette Louisy Primary School 3. CASTRIES NORTH La Clery 22 La Clery Roman Catholic Church 23 VBCC Club house 24 Maranatha Seventh-Day Adventist Church Vide Boutielle 25 Vide Boutielle Combined School 26 Vide Boutielle Secondary School 27 Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School Morne Du don 28 Morne Dudon Combined School CENTRAL CASTRIES 29 Camille Henry Memorial School 30 Carmen Reneé Memorial School 31 St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Boys’ Primary School 32 St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Boys’ Infant School 33 Ave Maria Girls’ Infant School 34 Ave Maria Girls’ Primary School 35 Anglican Infant School 36 Cannon Laurie Primary School 37 Holy Trinity Anglican Church 38 Castries Seventh-Day Adventist Church 39 Castries City Hall 40 Castries Methodist Church 41 Salvation Army Church CASTRIES EAST 42 Bocage Combined School 43 Bocage Secondary School MARCHAND 44 Marchand Combined School 45 Marchand Parish Centre 46 Marchand Roman Catholic Church ENTREPOT 47 Entrepot Secondary School 48 Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School CASTRIES SOUTH EAST Bexon 49 Bexon Infant School 50 Bexon Roman Catholic Church La Croix Maingot (East) 51 La Croix Maingot Combined School Ti Rocher (Castries) 52 Ti Rocher Combined School Dierre Fort 53 Dierre Fort Seventh-Day Adventist Church CASTRIES SOUTH Ciceron 54 George Charles Secondary School 55 Ciceron Combined School 56 Ciceron First Baptist Church 57 Ciceron Secondary School 58 Ciceron Methodist Church 59 Lady Gordon Opportunity Centre 60 Ciceron Community Centre Tapion 61 Tapion School (Private) The Morne 62 St. Benedict Roman Catholic Church Odsan 63 Odsan Combined School 64 Odsan Seventh-Day Adventist Church Marigot 65 Marigot Secondary School (Jon Odlum Secondary) ANSE LA RAYE Anse La Raye Village 66 Anse La Raye Primary School 67 Anse La Raye Seventh-Day Adventist Church (Aux Tabor Hill) 68 Anse La Raye Roman Catholic Parish Hall Jacmel 69 Roseau Combined School 70 Jacmel Roman Catholic Church Millet 71 Millet Primary School 72 Millet Infant School Tete Chemin 73 Tete Chemin Seventh-Day Adventist Church 74 Tete Chemin Human Resource Centre CANARIES Canaries 75 Canaries Primary School 76 Canaries Roman Catholic Church 77 Canaries Seventh-Day Adventist Church 78 Canaries Parish Centre 79 Canaries Community Centre SOUFRIERE Fond St. Jacques 80 Fond St. Jacques Roman Catholic Church 81 Fond St. Jacques Primary School 82 Fond St. Jacques Parish Centre 83 Fond St. Jacques Pre-School 84 Raymond’s Disco (Private) Soufriere Town 85 Soufriere Roman Catholic Church 86 Soufriere Primary School 87 Soufriere Infant School 88 Soufriere Seventh-Day Adventist Church – Temple 89 Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary School 90 St. Isidore Hall 91 Christ is the Answer Church – Fond Beniere Bouton 92 Bouton Combined School 93 Disco – Chateau Belair Ebores 94 Les Etangs Combined School CHOISEUL Piaye 95 Piaye Secondary School 96 Piaye Combined School Saltibus 97 Saltibus Combined School 98 Saltibus Roman Catholic Church 99 Daban Mothers and Fathers Hall 100 Saltibus Multi-Purpose Centre River Doree 101 River Doreé Anglican Church 102 River Doreé Combined School 103 River Doreé Mothers and Fathers Hall La Fargue 104 La Fargue Mission Evangelical Church 105 Choiseul Secondary School 106 (Church of God) Holiness Roblot 107 Roblot Seventh-Day Adventist Church 108 Roblot Combined School Choiseul Village 109 Choiseul Roman Catholic Church 110 Reunion Primary School 111 Reunion Enrichment Centre 112 Reunion Pentecostal Church 113 Why Wonder Disco (private) Victoria 114 Victoria Roman Catholic Church 115 Victoria Seventh-Day Adventist Church 116 Cool Joint Disco (Private) Mongouge 117 Mongouge Combined School Dugard 118 Dugard Combined School 119 Vibration Disco – Dugard (Private) Delcer 120 Delcer Combined School 121 Delcer – Jacques Dance Hall (Private) La Pointe 122 La Pointe Pentecostal Apostolic Church 123 99 Disco Ravineau (Private) 124 La Maze Community Centre LABORIE Augier 125 Augier Pre-School (St. Francis Xavier) 126 Augier Combined School 127 Augier Roman Catholic Church (St. Francis Xavier) Laborie Village 128 Laborie Boys’ Primary School 129 Laborie Girls’ Primary School 130 Laborie Roman Catholic Church 131 Laborie Roman Catholic Parish Centre 132 Laborie Community Education Centre Banse/La Grace 133 Banse La Grace Combined School 134 Banse La Grace Evangelical Church VIEUX-FORT SOUTH Vieux Fort Town 135 Beanfield Secondary School 136 Vieux-Fort Special Education Centre 137 Vieux-Fort Primary School 138 Victory Pentecostal Church – St. Jude’s highway 139 Plain View Combined School 140 Vieux-Fort Comprehensive School Campus ‘A’ 141 Vieux-Fort Comprehensive School Campus ‘B’ VIEUX-FORT NORTH Belle Vue 142 Belle Vue Roman Catholic Church – St. Isidore 143 Belle Vue Combined School 144 Belle Vue Human Resource Development Centre Pierrot 145 Pierrot Combined School 146 St. Martin De Porres Roman Catholic Shrine Vigier 147 Vigier Combined School Grace 148 Community Centre – Coolie Town 149 Fair Trade Centre 150 Grace Roman Catholic Church 151 Grace Combined School MICOUD SOUTH Desruisseaux 152 Fond Desruisseaux-Mothers and Fathers Hall 153 Desruisseaux Combined School 154 Desruisseaux Seventh-Day Adventist Church 155 Desruisseaux Roman Catholic Church 156 Desruisseaux Multi-Purpose Centre 157 Desruisseaux Evangelical Church 158 Anse Ger Secondary School Blanchard 159 Blanchard Pentecostal Church – Solid Rocks 160 Blanchard Combined School 161 Blanchard Community Centre 162 Redeem Christian Fellowship Church – Blanchard MICOUD NORTH Mon Repos 163 Mon Repos Roman Catholic Church 164 Mon Repos Combined School 165 Mon Repos Seventh-Day Adventist Church 166 Praslin Community Centre 167 Bible Baptiste Church (Wooden) Patience 168 Patience Combined School Micoud Village 169 Ebenezer Seventh-Day Adventist Church 170 Micoud Secondary School 171 Micoud Primary School 172 Micoud Roman Catholic Church 173 Micoud Multi-Purpose Centre 174 Faith Tabernacle Church 175 Lime Light Disco – Micoud Highway 17. DENNERY SOUTH Dennery Village 176 Dennery Roman Catholic Church 177 St. Peter's Infant School 178 Clendon Mason Memorial School La Caye 179 St. Mary’s Anglican Church 18. DENNERY NORTH La Ressource (Dennery) 180 La Ressource Day Care Centre 181 La Ressource Roman Catholic Church 182 La Ressource Parish Centre 183 La Ressource Combined School 184 La Ressource Mother’s & Father’s Hall Grand Riviere 185 Grand Riviere Secondary School 186 Grand Riviere Seventh-Day Adventist Church 187 Grand Riviere Human Resource Centre Gardette 188 Gardette Day Care Centre Richfond 189 Richfond Combined School Aux Lyon 190 Aux Lyon Combined School Derniere Riviere 191 Denniere Riviere Apostolic Faith Church 192 Denniere Riviere Combined School Grand Ravine 193 Abbot’s Disco (Private)

Read more at: http://www.damajority.com/complete-list-emergency-shelters-per-district-201617-saint-lucia/#

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Nightmare in Choc Cemetery - Quelle Horreur

Click on thumbnail for larger photo

'Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to celebrate the life of...' and so begins the eulogy at many funerals around the length and breadth of Saint Lucia. Choc Cemetery has been synonymous with burials in Saint Lucia for decades. 'Death Announcements' as they are affectionately known, are big moneymakers for local radio stations and have now graduated to full length presentations on local television, appropriately called 'Telebituaries' which usually end, "the body will be interred in the Choc Cemetery." Over the years other cemeteries seem to feature much more regularly as the final resting place than they used to, in days gone by.

To be blunt Lucians love a funeral. Not as a festive occasion but because it lets them show their love for friends and relatives since it is almost a mortal sin not to attend. It is a guilt which has been woven into the psyche of our people that there can be no redemption if you miss the funeral of someone you know. Woe be onto the business which does not allow time off to attend a funeral.

Click on thumbnail for larger photo

So it is against this backdrop that we expect funerals to be events done just right. Grieving relatives travel from around the world to wail and moan in full public view so you better make it worth their hard earned money in these hard economic times.

For a very long time the cemetery has become a ghastly place for too many relatives and friends. Instead of a peaceful send-off amid sobs, wailing and moaning, and attempts by distraught loved ones to jump into the grave, or at least shrieking, "take me instead" - families have been further tortured by unthinkable cemetery faux pas of disrespectful proportions.

Recently while attending a funeral which ended up at Choc Cemetery the gathered family and friends were faced with a dilemma at the tomb. The casket bearing their loved one refused to enter the tomb. No amount of prodding and heaving by the funeral home personnel or the grave diggers could put this dearly departed to rest. The problem, under the blazing 12 p.m. sun, was a casket which was too big for the hole!

Quelle horreur!

Imagine the horror for the family who expected to be comforted by a wonderful send off being faced with grave diggers huffing and puffing with a casket. Pulling at the wrought iron fencing did not make a difference; plunging it in head first did not work either; almost vertical, no dice! In fact desperate scream and panic overcame many on the scene when the casket lid opened on one of the attempts to force it into the hole, revealing their recently departed to the midday sun. Bon Dieu!!

After much scientific calculations, of both Mathematics and Physics, it was concluded that the casket was a tad too long! It was hauled back to level position and one of the grave diggers descended into the grave with a mateau and chisel, disappeared from sight, and proceeded to administer ear shattering blows to the concrete encasement. The strategy was to break the concrete on one end and dig into the dirt in order to create a cavity of a few extra inches in order for the casket to fit. Isn't it a health hazard to breach the concrete wall of the tomb and allow a casket with a decaying body to protrude, unprotected, into the surrounding soil? Do the crabs and other burrowing critters enter that chamber then return to the surface to be trapped and eaten by unsuspecting individuals? Messieurs!

Graveside engineers

After half an hour or more, with multiple diggers sweating and grunting under the heat and humidity, the casket, which must have been worth several thousand dollars, finally scraped and screeched along the concrete walls of the tomb to its final resting place. It hit the bottom, with a metal on concrete thud. "Ee bon la" was the almost jubilant comment from one of the grave diggers.

How could this be possible? How could a grieving family spend thousands of dollars for a funeral and burial and be finally assaulted by such horrific events where their loved one is expected to be buried with dignity? Who is to blame for this nightmare in broad daylight? Shouldn't the funeral home, in cooperation with the C.C.C. (Castries City Council) or whichever agency is responsible for the particular cemetery, liaise before the burial to ensure that the casket would fit the tomb selected? It is a recurring story at so many funerals that some antics have to play out in the cemetery before loved one are put to rest. No wonder the expression "perfect peace" seems to be quite popular these days - it very well could be wishful thinking based on all these cemetery disasters.

Is that a bolom exiting the tomb?

All over the island the story seems to be the same. Coffins or caskets unable to fit and sometimes grave diggers racing with the night in order to get everything completed before dark. How many families have had their loved ones suddenly exposed to the sun when some mishap causes the casket to burst open while going down because of a burst strap. Have we become so numb in Saint Lucia that it is simply a matter of accepting that the contents of those caskets is already dead, and that's just the way things are in Saint Lucia?

When will we no longer accept grave diggers and other funeral personnel dressed in the most inappropriate manner for a funeral? Coveralls unzipped to the crotch; barefooted, and sometimes in short pants going down into the tomb raggedy as hell cannot be considered as appropriately dressed as the last people to have contact with our loved ones.

Speaking to many friends after this incident I have been informed of this being a regular occurrence. It has now become so commonplace that it is almost expected that something will go wrong in the cemetery. And then to top it all off, these grave diggers will impose the final insult by standing on the casket of your loved one to seal the deal.

From Gros Islet Cemetery, to Choc, Babonneau, Vieux Fort, Canaries, and all over Saint Lucia, the horror is the same.

Final insult

Would you be happy with this?
(Click on thumbnails for larger photo)

Or this?

(Click on thumbnails for larger photo)

Why do we continue to accept this less than dignified treatment?

Monday, September 12, 2016

The Soup Takes On National TV

An all-woman panel is set to tackle issues and perspectives in Saint Lucia like never before. They will highlight the many accomplishments of great St. Lucians, whose everyday achievements go unnoticed. Believe it or not, those achievers face real everyday issues and have genuine stories to tell and they will do so on THE SOUP.

THE SOUP is stirred by women passionate about life and curious about what makes people tick and what’s cooking in the cauldron of indecision. Curiosity does not kill the cat. It empowers.

These enquiring women are:

Sergin Joseph – Live Wire Media personality and sales and marketing executive

Medalese Breen - Educator, media practitioner, cultural pioneer

Linda “Chocolate” Berthier – singer/songwriter, highly qualified nurse, media personality

Cindy James – a graduate of Grambling University, where she studied Marketing and was a top ranked cheerleader and for three years competed at the National Cheerleaders Association’s competition in Daytona, Florida.

From the Prime Minister to art designers, St. Lucians will finally get a bird’s eye view of the individuals behind it all. Not only the stories of entrepreneurs or successful business persons, but the parent, the family member, role models will be highlighted.

The SOUP premieres on Calabash TV tonight, Monday September 12, 2016 at 7:00 PM

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Saint Lucians Do It Again

Saint Lucian Chevening scholarship awardees

Six Saint Lucians have been awarded scholarships in the much coveted Chevening Scholarships global scholarship programme of the British government. The Scholarships are awarded to exceptional individuals with leadership potential and enable the recipients to study one-year Masters courses in a range of subjects at UK universities.

The aim of these scholarships, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, aim to support UK foreign policy priorities by creating lasting positive relationships with future leaders, influencers and decision makers.

Left to right: Miguel Trim, Tommy Descartes, Melissa Hippolyte-Descartes, Ernette Kangal, Tevin Shepherd, Christal Jean

Of the 4300 applicants from the Eastern Caribbean 43 were interviewed by the British High Commission in Barbados, and only 18 were selected - Saint Lucians making up 6 of the total.

Eastern Caribbean Chevening 2016 scholarship awardees

On Tuesday the awardees gathered at the British High Commission's office in Bridgetown where High Commissioner Victoria Deane congratulated the scholars and expressed pleasure that this year every single country in the Eastern Caribbean to which the High Commission is accredited had a scholarship recipient.

Saint Lucia also created a first for the scheme as husband and wife pair Tommy Descartes and Melissa Hippolyte-Descartes will both pursue degrees in Economics at the University of Nottingham.

Tommy Descartes said the fact that he and his wife were accepted to study at the same university shows that Chevening is pro family.

Melissa Hippolyte-Descartes said both she and her husband were passionate about economic development and excited to get an opportunity to study what they love which will allow them to return to the Caribbean and to serve as economists with the government of Saint Lucia.

Meanwhile, Christal Jean, who currently holds a bachelor's degree in Forensic Science will pursue her master's in Genetic Manipulation and Molecular Cell Biology. She says the opportunity to advance her passion in forensic science will benefit Saint Lucia.