Needy women and children across St. Vincent and the Grenadines are to benefit from a supply of items recently handed over to the Ministry of National Mobilisation.
The items were made available through SimplyHelp, a Los Angeles based foundation, in collaboration with the Wu Thun-Chih Foundation for Charity and Public Welfare and the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The donation consisted of two containers of clothing and school supplies.
Taiwan ambassador to SVG, Calvin Ho, symbolically handed over several items to Minister of National Mobilisation, Frederick Stephenson in Kingstown earlier this month.
At the handover ceremony, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Mobilisation, Nerissa Gittens-McMillan, said she hopes the items can meet as many needs as possible. She thanked the organisations that saw the need and came to the country’s aid.
Meanwhile, Ho said he has great pleasure in handing over of the items to the Government and People of SVG. He commended and expressed gratitude to SimplyHelp and the Wu Thun-Chih Foundation for Charity and Public Welfare.
Ho disclosed that 455 boxes of items came in the containers, inclusive of toys, school supplies, baby items, and 426 rolls of fabric.
The fabric is valued at US$46,690, the diplomat said.
Ho advised that the fabrics be used to improve sewing skills and/or to provide sewing training.
He thanked SVG’s Honourary Consul General of SVG to Los Angeles, Cadrin E. Gill for collaborating with his embassy, McMillan for organising the ceremony and the distribution of the items, and Stephenson for his continued support to this project and anticipates forward collaboration.
Gill spoke of his collaboration with the SimplyHelp Foundation to use their containers to send medical supplies to SVG for the MCMH.
Gill thanked his supporting staff in Los Angeles, the staff of the Taiwan Embassy there, Tina Bow, and Dr. Jacqueline Gaymes and her team from the Caribbean Medical Mission 2018.
Stephenson said he is pleased and honoured to formally accept the items on behalf of Government and People of SVG. He told her Ho he is extremely grateful for their continued partnership and expressed thanks to all the donor organisations.
The social development minister said the fabric will go to community organisations and individuals to encourage skills training and gainful employment.
He urged prospective recipients to respect the items and the fact that they were donated and reiterated that the items are not to be sold.
President of the SVG Principals’ Association, Curtis Greaves, extended thanks to all stakeholders who made the donation possible. He said the fabric will be of great help to students who face financial challenges to source materials to complete their clothing and textile requirements for CXC. Greaves gave the assurance that the items will get into the right hands.
Representatives from the clergy, MCMH, Principals’ Association, Ministry of Education, and spokesperson of the Caribbean Medical Mission, Jacqueline Gaymes witnessed the handing over of items.
“Stephenson said he is pleased and honoured to formally accept the items on behalf of Government and People of SVG.”
As for me, I can only hide my head in shame for belonging to a nation of beggars of old clothing.