Some of the traditional cookery programme participants and facilitators at Pond Hill Community Centre showing off the mouth-watering products of their labour. Mr Jefferson Wallace is 3rd left on back row, and to his right is Ms Marie Mason.

Charlestown Nevis (April 19, 2004) -- About twenty school children spent their two-week Easter school-break learning new culinary skills at Easter Programmes organised by the Department of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports of the Nevis Island Administration that were held at two venues in Charlestown and Gingerland.

 

Mr Jefferson Wallace, director of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports, speaking on Friday at the closing ceremony of the Easter Programme held at Pond Hill Community Centre in Gingerland said that at the end of two hectic and exciting weeks for the children he was happy to see that they had indeed accomplished the goals of the programme and had learned how to prepare traditional dishes.

Pointing at the table that was laden with an array of traditional foods made by the children, Mr Wallace noted: “You would notice that on this table is a whole range of traditional dishes, traditional things that we ourselves loved when we were growing up. We have Eastern buns, jonnie cakes (fried and baked), sugar cakes, tarts, peppermint fudges, salt fish, and traditional conkie.”

 

While thanking the programmes’ facilitators who were drawn from his department, the director said he was happy with the accomplishment and added: “I believe that the children who have been here have benefited tremendously from the exercise and we hope that we can extend it sometime, maybe in the summer or maybe another occasion.”

 

Lead facilitator for the two programmes, at the Charlestown Multipurpose Centre and at Pond Hill was Ms Marie Mason who is the Skills Training Officer at the Department of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports. She was assisted by Ms Joyce Moven, Ms Jacqueline Brookes, Ms Vera Herbert and Charmaine Howell. From outside the Department, help came from Ms Paulette Walters who showed the children how to make conkies.

 

“We were emphasising on local foods, the old fashion way of making local foods,” said Ms Mason, who noted that the children were aged between seven and fifteen. “The kids had a lot of fun and were really enthusiastic and we had a lot of fun too watching them and you can see they are eager to learn and I am hoping this will continue in the near future.”