Dahlia Joseph, Theodore Hobson and Sandra Maynard

The St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association (SKNBA) gave a generous gift of EC$10,000 to the Single Parent Support Group (SPSG) of Nevis on Tuesday, 9th March. This came about after the association had held a dinner and ball gala along with a silent auction at the St. Kitts Marriott on 11th December, 2009.

SKNBA generated $20,000.00 from the event, and decided to give $10,000 to a worthy organization in Nevis and to one in St. Kitts. The donation was given to a St. Kitts organization called "Diamonds in the Rough".

This programme was established to provide compassionate counselor interaction, confidence tools, and actions to provide a positive impact on students' self-esteem and their overall performance within a school situation and beyond. The organization got its name through the comparison to a diamond, which when removed from the earth has rough edges, yet once given care and attention, becomes elegant and fine. Its guiding ethos is that children need support, fostering and caring relationships to help them excel. The organization has been in existence for two years.

During the donation ceremony in Nevis Theodore Hobson, vice president of SKNBA, noted that it was the first time in the Federation's history that funds raised were divided equally between the two islands. He deemed the gala and auction "a tremendous success" and that twenty grand was "a fairly hefty profit".

Dahlia Joseph, a member of the SKNBA, handed the cheque over to Rhonda Forbes of the SPSG. Mrs. Charmaine Hanley was responsible for suggesting that this group be chosen for the donation.

After accepting the cheque, Rhonda Forbes thanked the SKNBA and encouraged single parent men to join their group.

The SPSG, founded by Ms. Sandra Maynard, is in its seventh year of existence. Ms. Maynard expressed her gratitude to God, Mr. Hobson, Mrs. Hanley and others.
"This only encourages us to do better in our initiative," she said, referring to the group's mission to advance the welfare of single parents, in the core group, hoping they in turn would motivate and enhance the lives of single parents in the broader community.

Some of the group's activities are listed below:

• An annual Parenting Seminar which caters to 50 parents (for 5 years now)
• Educational sessions for group members. Topics include disciplining children, budgeting and women's health issues.
• Cooking classes.

Ms. Maynard also pointed out that they aim to positively impact the economic and social lives of the single parents. A meeting is held every third Monday at the Department of Social Services located on Government Road in Nevis.

The SKNBA is an association comprised of Federation lawyers, led by its president, Mr. Charles Wilkin.