By Lesroy W. Williams

Observer Reporter

(Basseterre, St. Kitts) - One of the hallmarks of the Organization of American States is offering technical assistance to its member states, the OAS Representative in St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starret Greene, said.

“St. Kitts and Nevis fares very well from technical assistance from the OAS,” Mr. Greene said.

There are six technical corporation projects in the pipeline covering areas in education, sustainable development and the environment to be funded by the OAS, Mr. Greene said.

Four of the projects are in the area of education and two are in the areas of the environment/sustainable development.

The four projects in education are: the development of a special curriculum; a pre-school to primary school transition program; a reading assessment program in primary schools; and a computer (business-oriented) training course.

The two projects in the environment and sustainable development are: the development of a recycling program, before which, a feasibility study would be carried out to see the possibility of such a program; and a rural based agro/eco/tourism project.

The OAS is contributing US$130,000 for three of the six projects which are to come on stream next year. The other three projects which are presently ongoing have been injected with US$102,000 from the organization.

For the 2008/2009 academic year, the OAS granted 11 scholarships to nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis, three at the undergraduate level and eight at the graduate level. Each scholarship awardee was granted US$30,000.

The OAS also grants scholarships for professional development courses which are shorter in duration, lasting anywhere from three weeks to 18 months.

Mr. Greene also outlined that St. Kitts and Nevis, through help from the OAS is involved in four multi-national projects covering the areas of political science and tourism development.

“The OAS is strongly committed to providing assistance to a small developing country like St. Kitts and Nevis,” Mr. Greene said.