SVG takes top sailing prize

Newsletter for December 2022

Jamark Osborne from Bequia is this year's SVG Sailing Association National Champion

Each island sent their best sailors to the competition which took place on 17th December. Jamark Osborne, a member of the Junior Sailing Academy Bequia was named National Champion. Huge congratulations to Jamark! He will go on to represent St Vincent and the Grenadines in the youth International Sailing Competition next year.

Robots invade the Learning Center

by Tylisha Miller

The Learning Center was lucky enough to be recipients of robots, that's right, ROBOTS! TLC was gifted 6 programmable Lego robots along with two bags of Legos from Danielle Coleman and her husband Brian Cullen, owners of Provision restaurant.

For the upcoming school term kids attending The Learning Center will be able to build and program robots of their own with the help of the teachers who are currently training in assembling them.

The Learning Center staff and students will love to extend our gratitude for the continued support from persons like Danielle and Brian who are always looking for ways to improve the quality of education we are able to provide. Thank you!

Celebrating achievement at Bequia Kiai Karate

by Elena Glynn

Saturday December the 3rd was a special day for the St Vincent Karate Association. The students of the St Vincent and the Bequia Kiai Karate Schools were taking their exams in the hope of being promoted to their next rank, at the purpose-built dojo in Arnos Vale

The St Vincent Karate Association is officially affiliated to the ISKF (International Shotokan Karate Federation) and teaches the traditional ethics of Shotokan Karate - an Oriental Martial Art.

For the last couple of years it had not been easy and at times demoralizing for the karatekas [Japanese for karate practitioners] to navigate through the Covid restrictions. However, through the determination and dedication of their instructor Sensei Gibson, they never gave up.

It was great to see some parents come to support their children. Even better, there were two fathers and their respective sons in the Bequia school training together and taking their exam together. Involvement from parents and family is something that the school strongly encourages.

The students took their exam under the stern and vigilant eyes of three ISKF examiners: Sensei Peter Warren who flew in especially from Barbados, Sensei Ivo Providence and Sensei Gibson.

It's a happy bunch that boarded the ferry back to Bequia, they looking forward to their certificates and belts to be awarded next week.

The students are getting the unique opportunity to develop physical and mental skills in learning the art of Karate from qualified Instructor Sensei Gibson who himself started practicing at the tender age of 6 years and was taught by some of the greatest Masters in Japan including the founders’ successor Master Teruyuki Okazaki.

”To seek perfection of character and endeavour” are some of the key words in the essence of karate teaching. Regular classes are held in St Vincent and Bequia and open to all from 5 years and up.

Above: Linda Sagan Harrier director of the Friends fo the Grenadines Initiative was on hand to help celebrate, and was delighted to have a chance to present the

The kids are alright

Reflecting on getting kids together, and learning, and laughing. For all of that, it's been a great year.

This year brought many things, and perhaps a bit more good news that maybe we've had in a while. The first time I went to an event without a mask was a theatre night at De Reef. That was pretty great. We looked into each other eyes, across a table, and could see our smiles mirrored back to us in the smiles of others. With the experience of the pandemic receding a bit, there was less contention in the air. And, frankly, the fact that I was on Bequia for that event at De Reef was itself a bit of good news. That was in April, and my first time back since, well, you know.

The biggest highlights this year were seeing young people get back together around learning, and growing, and feeling a sense of belonging. The Junior Sailing Academy of Bequia was an instance of that. The sailing on Saturdays drew record numbers, boys and girls together on the water. “I just enjoy having the kids out, letting them have fun on Saturday, keeping them out of trouble," Fritz Leslie said earlier this year. But he's being modest. He loves showing them what they are capable of, building skills and sharing time together.

The work of the Learning Centre, too, got back to normal and then some. Tylisha launched some new programming, including a reading challenge. They also introduced robotics (see above) thanks to Dani Coleman and Brian Cullen who donated the equipment. When the kids weren't coding and building robots they learned math, and threw water balloons, and shared stories.

We were particularly gratified this year to get to know Elena Glynn and Sensei Gibson a bit better. They run Bequia Kiai Karate, a dojo in Port Elizabeth just in behind the Anglican Church. We were delighted to sponsor participants, and to help out with the examinations that happened earlier this month (for more on that, see Elena's piece above).

And, as ever, we can't say enough about the great work being done at the Hub. The Creative Recovery Summer Camp was an inspiration. We look forward to supporting that work again next summer.

We love all of these things because of what they mean for children. I recently visited with the people who run these programs, and they all have the same vocabulary. They talk about fun and learning, respect for others and respect for self. They talk about what it means to belong. "Some of them, they come and at home their family is going through problems," says Fritz. "You can see the anger in their face. But when they leave in the afternoon everyone is smiling, having fun. That’s it for me."

There are great things happening on Bequia, thanks to all those people who choose to work with kids. We are gratified, proud, inspired to be able, thanks to our donors, to be able support them in that work.