How we help the children
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Recreation
We will be coordinating the collection and delivery of sports equipment and the building of community playgrounds so that children may best develop physical strength and agility while having fun. Sports celebrities from Grenada and abroad will provide examples of inspiration to the children to make wise choices for their bodies. These same figures will be featured in posters and announcements that will urge the children to read and stay in school.
Games that are more of an intellectual nature can be simple, easy and also great for neurological development. Our games and puzzles drive is to collect good condition small games and puzzles e.g. chess and draughts to send to children in Grenada. If you are traveling to Grenada soon, please get in contact to help us minimize the cost of shipping these items by "filling a back pack" with games and puzzles!
We are providing musical instruments and books to children in schools in rural Grenada so that more children can experience the joy of learning to play a musical instrument. Currently we are sourcing musical recorders to supply to fourteen primary schools in rural Grenada.
Education
REACH Grenada aims to help raise the standards in primary schools, particularly in the areas of reading and writing skills for children aged 4-11. Over the next five years, REACH Grenada aims to enhance curriculum content and delivery in all of the nation's primary schools, reaching over 5,000 children. REACH Grenada will work alongside government and in partnership with local primary schools by providing children's educational resources including curriculum and story books, computers and teacher training. Approximately 4,000 books have been shipped to Grenada since August 2008 and in December, 2008, REACH Grenada delivered literacy training to teachers from the parish of St. Andrews. See news section for updates. REACH Grenada believes in empowerment of individuals through the provision of expert training and resources. We recently purchased from a local supplier brand new lap top computers and printers along with a years supply of paper and ink that have now been successfully installed in eighteen of St. Andrew primary and secondary schools. As well as giving a boost to the local economy, this generous donation improves the provision of quality computer equipment and it is hoped to encourage open dialogue between teachers to share successful teaching and learning strategies across schools. Our goal is to provide continued support to schools so that the positive changes are sustainable. We will achielve this by providing a yearly supply of ink cartridges and printing paper, sourced locally to support the economy.
Agriculture
Working in collaboration with the Government of Grenada’s Ministry of Education, REACH Grenada has provided funding to develop chicken projects and short crop growing to help support Grenada’s National School Feeding Program.
We decided to support this project as it is in keeping with our mission to help the development of Grenada's children through the provision of expertise and resources to empower and educate rather than to provide quick fixes. The funding for the chickens and seeds required to kick-start this project was relatively minor and the annual budget required to sustain the initiative is also manageable. Ongoing costs will include the provision of gardening tools, seeds for growing food e.g. tomatoes, sweet corn, lettuce, grow frames, fertilizer and additional chicken broilers!
Cocoa exports plummeted in the aftermath of the hurricanes that ravaged the island of Grenada in 2004 and 2005. Fortunately the world cocoa market is demanding more quality organic dark chocolate and we see this as an opportunity for Grenada to revive a once glorious industry. The problem is that demand is outstripping supply as the current harvest is still just a fraction of what it was pre-hurricanes. Funds are required to refurbish neglected lands. REACH Grenada is assisting the Ministry of Agriculture and the Grenadian Cocoa Association in this and is helping to create a standard for organic farm certification as well as helping to develop additional sales channels for its superior and tasty cocoa products! REACH Grenada intends to negotiate a percentage of sales proceeds with new buyers that can be funnelled back into children's programs to benefit local farming community families.Community
Our philosophy is that the 'circle of life' and the continuity of loving support should not be broken by calamity or loss and that all children should be given equal opportunity to learn and grow. With limited time and resources it is difficult to determine which children are most in need, however we do know that the children who are currently being cared for in Grenada's orphanages and homes for the abused and abandoned are top of the list.We intend to support the children in these homes in several ways by providing psycho-social counseling training to care workers and intern medical students as well as social emotional support through discussion groups and guidance in relaxation, breathing and meditation. Additionally, through our ongoing Yoga, Chocolate, Charity retreats held at Laluna Hotel and with the help of our retreats volunteer participants, we aim to beautify the environment of Queen Elizabeth Home for the abused and abandoned to inspire, calm and motivate the children.
Health
Beginning in 2009 and in partnership with the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF) of St. George's University in Grenada, REACH Grenada will administer a health care program centering on health promotion and the reduction of childhood infectious diseases. We will aim to reduce the incidence of intestinal worms (Helminth infection) and Streptococcal infection (related to Rheumatic fever) in children on the island. Intestinal worms are easily transmitted and can severely damage a child's general health as well as cognitive function due to depleted levels of nutrition, in particular, iron deficiency. This condition, as well as Rheumatic fever, lead to unnecessary yet preventable school absences.Further and in collaboration with world renowned Drs Brazelton and Sparrow of Touchpoints Foundation we will work closely with local Grenadian medical professionals, nurses and pediatric caregivers to train them in a structured set of observations aimed at helping parents and care givers to identify a newborn's capacity for behavioral adaptation. The benefit is that the child is given the best opportunity to develop as comfortably as is possible and helps the parents to better understand their baby's individuality, allowing for authentic bonding.
