Kitchen garden upgrade . . . Sandals Foundation helps St Lucy school go green again

A group of 20 plus Sandals Foundation volunteers descended on the Half Moon Fort Primary School in St. Lucy recently, to plant over 100 seedlings in the school’s vegetable garden.

The initiative came about after the school was added to the Sandals Foundation’s Christmas Toy Drive in December 2019, and the volunteers expressed concern about the state of the kitchen garden there.

Chairman of the Sandals Foundation Barbados chapter Sharon Yearwood explained that it was one of Sandals’ team members who suggested the idea. “One of our ladies of the housekeeping division, Rachel Parris, on her way back to the hotel suggested a tree planting exercise as part of the community events we could sponsor and action and we all thought it was a really good idea.

“Now, after weeks of planning and donations, we are happy to be here today to plant romaine lettuce and watermelons in the tire garden of the school,” said Yearwood.

The Sandals Foundation volunteers, Operation Manager Nicholas Jordan, Rooms Division Manager Annette Forbes and other members of the management team joined Principal of the school Barbara-Ann Brome Bailey, Senior Teacher Sonia Shepherd, parents and students in the exercise.

The garden, which contained 40 tyre gardens and a few palm trees, was irrigated and refilled with fresh soil and fertilizer to aid with the successful growing of the new crops, all of which will be used by the school and the community.

“Sandals has always been very supportive of us and our efforts here at the school whether it be our graduation events or last year’s toy drive and we are very appreciative,” said senior teacher Shepherd.

The Sandals Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), the Caribbean’s leading family-owned resort company.  The 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was created to continue and expand upon the charitable work that Sandals Resorts International has undertaken since its founding in 1981 to play a meaningful role in the lives of the communities where SRI operates throughout the Caribbean.

The Sandals Foundation funds projects in three core areas: education, community, and the environment. One hundred per cent of the monies contributed by the general public to the Sandals Foundation go directly to programmes benefiting the Caribbean community.

Yearwood added, “It was also a very personable experience to meet with the children and show them how to plant and care for these crops as the intention is for the school to be self-sufficient in some regards and to also teach them life skills which they can continue to use into adult life.” (PR)