BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – MARIA LOUISE BARKER and Agnes Crossley are being bestowed the prestigious awards of Star of Merit and Medal of Honour respectively as part of the Federation’s 29th Independence Celebration.
The announcement was made yesterday (Sept. 16) via a release disseminated by the St. Kitts-Nevis Information Service (SKNIS).
Barker – according to the release – is being awarded the Star of Merit for her many years of contribution to the Federation’s nursing fraternity and this is an addition to the scholarships and awards she received throughout her career.
The 77-year-old became a student nurse at the tender age of 17 years at St. Kitts’ Cunningham Hospital before continuing her education abroad.
Her contribution to nursing was not just limited to St. Christopher and Nevis and, as SKNIS informed, she served as Assistant Head Nurse at Halifax Infirmary in Canada, Assistant Head Nurse in Cleveland, Ohio and Nurse Supervisor at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
From 1968, she was instrumental in the establishment of the School of Nursing which was used “to educate nurses from St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla to support Human Resources Development for a newly-built Joseph N. France General Hospital (JNF) and other local health care facilities”.
She was also instrumental in pinning down funding for repair of the JNF and the Alexandra Hospitals after they were damaged by Hurricane HUGO in 1989.
For more than 55 years of her life, Agnes Crossley made invaluable investments in the agricultural landscape of the twin-island Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis.
The 75-year-old made her start as a small-time vendor of produce and was crafty in ensuring that even in times of insufficiency her clients were taken care of. She has been successful in securing contracts for supply of vegetables to a number of restaurants and hotels in St. Kitts.
“Beginning as a small business vendor in farm produce, Mrs. Crossley set up her stall outside RAMS Supermarket on the Bay Road before moving to the Basseterre Public Market. Her business strategies demonstrate a clear understanding of the economies of scale.
“In times of scarcity of specific vegetables, she seeks these out and purchases them for resale to her numerous customers. This demonstrates another business strategy of networking and seeking out contacts, for she has established functional business relationships with vendors from other OECS countries thus maintaining her reputation of being a reliable supplier.”
Patronage of her business was not limited only to locals but – as the SKNIS communique suggests, “On Saturdays, in particular, one can witness several French, German, British and other European nationals frequenting her stall in the Public Market. She has become a regular one-stop-shop for locals and a number of Windsor and Ross University students as well.”
With Barker having “made significant strides in the field of nursing in St. Kitts and Nevis” and Crossley “generally regarded as the most successful vendor of farm produce in St. Kitts”, both are deserving of their award.
SKNVibes takes the opportunity to congratulate both women on their achievement.
