BASSETERRE St.Kitts September, 28th, 2011 - From time to time over many years I have listened to bits of one or other of the talk shows. I have heard dear old Elton Marcus Hull being angry about Mr. Amory, Mr. Brantley and then when he switched allegiances about Mr. Parry. I was surprised to find last week that it was my turn.
He was angry with me for ‘misrepresenting myself’ in a letter to Windsong as a Nevisian. Poor Elton, he must have been bottling up all this anger since September 2010, just one year ago, when my open letter to the Trustees of the Windsong Trust was published by SKN Vibes, and the CCM Website Nevis Politics.
If you had asked me, Elton, when we played tennis at Four Seasons a few weeks ago, I could have told you that I have been a citizen of St. Kitts Nevis since 1988, and that I travel on my St. Kitts Nevis passport, and when I arrive in the UK I do not go to UK and EU passports, I go to ‘Other Passports’ where I am asked ‘How long do you intend to stay in this country, Sir?’. My inclination is to say ‘For the shortest possible time’, but the actual answer is likely to be ‘Three weeks’. Also, Elton, I find you declaiming ‘And Mr. Gaskell is still a guest in this country’.
Perhaps this is just a ready cliché that came to mind or should I say to voice. It is difficult to see how a citizen can be a guest in his own country, any more than a man can be a guest in his own home. With citizenship comes responsibilities as well as rights. Nothing more to be said on this non point really, except, as Webbo might say, to treat it as a ‘light moment’.
What actually puzzled me was the host, Mark Brantley’s response to Elton. He did not comment on what apparently angered Elton, but said that I had been involved in the School Meals Programme (SMP) which was a worthy programme, an excellent programme, and how sad it was that I had not partnered with Windsong for it. He then got his political rhetoric into stride ‘Mr. Gaskell says he also agrees with NRP not to take any money from Windsong.
He chooses to curse them because NRP comes first, and School Meals come second. Mr. Gaskell was at one and the same time begging people for money and was at one and the same time part of the obstruction’. By this he means that in some way I was preventing the US$1 million which he claims Windsong would disburse in Nevis from benefitting the island. None of this is true.
I wrote to the Trustees of Windsong after the Minister of Education (Mr. Parry) had, we are told, instructed the Principals of all schools not to apply to Mark Brantley as agent for Windsong. I was not part of that decision, but I have to accept the situation that it creates. What is that situation?
It is simply that no Windsong money will be made available to State schools whilst Mark Brantley is the self proclaimed sole agent for Windsong. In order to break this log jam and access for Nevis this US$1 million, I suggested to Windsong that they appoint on Nevis a non-partisan committee instead of Mark Brantley, just as we were told they would do, and as they had already done in Anguilla.
You may say in the first place that the Government’s policy is an obstruction, but once that policy is announced, the obstruction becomes Mark Brantley as sole agent for Windsong. I suggested to Windsong that they clear away that obstruction. It would have been, and still is, so easy for Brantley himself to advise Windsong to appoint a committee.
Instead, one year after my letter, which was trying to bring about a solution, he seeks to claim that in some unspecified way I was part of the obstruction. Why? No cursing from me, just some polite suggestions. NRP comes first for me he states. Well, it does not.
My priority is to increase the size, scope and quality of the SMP, and to that end I and my colleagues Hastings Daniel and Mark Roberts together with donors have produced/raised almost EC$400,000.00 to provide professional kitchen equipment for St. Thomas’s Primary, the Elizabeth Pemberton Primary and the Charlestown Primary schools. No-one else has done anything remotely like this.
The Prime Minister may talk at the UN about the need for the Caribbean to confront the Non Communicable Diseases that plague the Caribbean. Caricom also speaks of this problem. This is good, but we are the only ones in Nevis actually doing something designed to have a beneficial impact. Mr. Brantley also seems to be saying that we should not have been, as he calls it, begging people for money, but instead should have partnered with Windsong. Frankly, we would have taken money from any legal source. You certainly can’t raise money unless you ask people for it.
I am very grateful to all those who did contribute money or free services. Bernuth provided free shipping for a 40’ and 20’ container. The two Port Authorities waived all charges. National provided insurance, TDC transport from St. Kitts to Nevis, Andy Liburd, inland transport and handling, Eric Stapleton, Claudius Liburd, Orville Manners, Stedroy Pemberton, Dave Arthurton, 'Marcel's Metal Works' and their teams, installation work. Tim Hoffman provided invaluable contacts and Anne Hersch gave architectural services.
Undoubtedly this is/was a most commendable effort by all concerned. The restoration of the idea of voluntary community service is a benefit to the island of Nevis. Our private initiative is not subject to Administration policy relating to whom we may approach to fund the purchase of kitchen equipment.
Mr. Brantley’s connection with this Windsong money for Nevis is somewhat confusing. He writes in July 2010 on ‘Nevis Politics’ ‘The US$1 million which has been pledged to Nevis by the Windsong Trust for the education of under privileged children under the age of 18 is not yet in hand, but I expect it to be shortly.
The Windsong Trust did make a one off donation to a school here on island of US$50,000.00 to assist with some financial difficulties they were experiencing, but that donation is not part of the US$ 1 million which has been pledged. The general public will be alerted when the funds are in Nevis and when applications for disbursements will be taken.’
Earlier, in May 2010 Brantley is reported as saying: ‘Trustees for the (Windsong) grant would be selected locally once the arrangement was complete – they would consider and evaluate applications, and decisions would be made accordingly…we expect the monies to be remitted to Nevis within a matter of weeks…’
Nevis people want to know where is this money which Brantley, in July 2010, said should be in Nevis shortly. I believe that private schools have applied and that Elton wanted money for his tennis programme. And, indeed, on behalf of our School Meals Project Hastings Daniel personally delivered an application for funds to Windsong care of Mark Brantley, on or about May 4th 2011. No acknowledgement was received. Did this US$1 million arrive and has any of it been disbursed for the benefit of the people of Nevis?
The SMP private initiative will need money for kitchen equipment for the next school kitchen. We have secured the pro bono services of a specialist kitchen architect for the Jocelyn Liburd Primary School, and we would welcome funds from Windsong.
Mr. Brantley said to me recently that he had always supported the SMP and that he thought it an excellent programme. If he can influence the Windsong Trustees to put up funds for kitchen equipment for the Gingerland Primary School, many would rejoice
About US$140,000.00 would be needed. As I wrote in an article in May 2011, the Windsong Foundation could pay the US suppliers direct. We, the Private Initiative, now have a track record of serious assistance to three schools. We have shown that our efforts are worth backing.
We shall continue to apply to the Windsong Trustees, now for funds for the provision of all necessary kitchen equipment for the Jocelyn Liburd Primary School. We would be glad, not sad, to partner with them.
The new kitchen at Charlestown, to work well has to have a Head and Sous Chef experienced in mass catering, with an interest in healthy eating and good managerial skills. Could ‘On the Mark’ announce this, requesting interested persons to apply to the Nevis Education Department?
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