By Klieon John
The Community Achievers Project will be conducting a summer camp for kids, but unlike most camps, this one will be an agricultural based one.
The camp, owned by Sydney ‘Cuppie’ Coker-Berkeley, is located in Half Way Tree and seeks to teach young children how to become useful and productive members of society whilst learning valuable life skills.
Berkeley, a seasoned farmer, will teach the children how to cultivate the land and grow crops that can be sold on the local market. In addition to farming, Llewelyn ‘Chaca’ Jones will teach the children how to grow beautiful flowers and plants.
The camp will also focus on other aspects of cottage industries such as pottery, sculpting and handicraft.
Ras Tesroy, a skilled sculptor, will teach the children to mould and shape clay into useful utensils and other artifacts. Fearless, a woodcrafter, will teach the children to make jewelry using natural resources.
Children attending the camp will be educated on how to maintain proper diets and thus combat obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Dr. Mary Jo Cannon, MD. and Dr. Jose Lopez, pediatrician, will act as facilitators for that aspect of the programme.
Victoria M. Baucom, executive director of the Community Achievers Project, organized the programme because she feels very strongly that learning these disciplines not only gives children a physical skill but is important to their social development as well.
“This gives these children discipline that a lot of them don’t have, because nobody is at home teaching them about having manners, being on time or working hard and some of the other social skills. Working the soil teaches the children these things. A lot of these children are now raising themselves on TV. They don’t have an adult there instructing them on right from wrong. What this programme is doing is giving them a sense of purpose and they naturally start to learn social skills,” she explained.
She said that the children will also be learning the merits of economy by being taught the business opportunities of the skills they learn at the camp.
Baucom has extended an invitation for donations from persons interested in aiding in their endeavour. The Ministry of Education has provided transportation to the site but funding is still needed to upgrade instruments and the facility so that the children will be given the opportunity to operate at their full potential.
She also thanked the Honourable Sam Condor, Minister of Education, and Prime Minister Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, who have been very supportive of her efforts to organise the camp. Baucom added that Dr. Catherine Garner, Dean of the International University of Nursing has provided books and learning games to enhance the children’s reading skills. She also thanks Alsted Pemberton, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development in Nevis for arranging transportation for the children on their excursion to Nevis.
The camp started on Saturday June 16, 2007 and will run every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Kids between the ages of 5 and 16 who wish to attend the camp will be picked up at the Irishtown Primary School at 8:30 a.m.
