July 2, 2021
With thousands of persons still displaced on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, (SVG), from the La Soufrière volcano of April 9th, two leading private Caribbean investment agencies last week handed over some US$50,000 worth of supplies officially to the government, through the National Emergency Management Organization, (NEMO) SVG.
Felicia J. Persaud, founder and CEO of Invest Caribbean, the global private sector investment agency based in New York and South Florida, and Danielle Corbin, executive chairman of The Ritzury Group, the global project services agency of the Caribbean, based in Barbados, paused their joint international investment efforts on April 10th to set up the “Saint Vincent Volcano Disaster Relief” to accept donations soon after the volcano erupted. Corbin flew to St. Vincent soon after the eruption to assess the situation in the red and orange zone areas and meet directly with residents and farmers who lost homes and livelihoods and were forced to live in basic shelters with nothing but the clothing on their backs.
On June 16, 2021, a larger donation of supplies from the group, sent over from Barbados via the British High Commission in SVG and their navy ship, and the Barbados Coast Guard, were handed over by the group’s local on the ground partner, Pastor Althan Nelson Samuel, to aid the medium-term relief.
In receiving the items at a handing over ceremony last week, Director of the National Emergency Management Organisation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Michelle Forbes, expressed heartfelt thanks to Invest Caribbean and The Ritzury Group on behalf of NEMO and the government of SVG, while Minister with responsibility for Gender Affairs, Dr. Orlando Brewster, said he was happy to be witnessing the handing over of the items that are needed at this time, since most residents displaced in the north of the country had to leave behind everything.
The groups focus now, through its Saint Vincent Volcano Disaster Relief GoFundMe, is raising additional funds to financially help Sponsor A Farmer, a Small Business Owner and a Family, to help them relocate and build back stronger amid the hurricane season.
The needs are still critical. Support the effort today at the Saint Vincent Volcano Disaster Relief on GoFundMe or https://gofund.me/7231b33f