A new thrust towards agriculture has begun. The New Challenges Foundation (NCF) has taken on the challenge of reviving the interest in agriculture by introducing the first Hydroponics system to the island of St. Eustatius. Thanks to the collaborated financing of the Ministry of Social affairs & Labor, NuStar, The Agriculture Department and the New Challenges Foundation, this project got on the way on Monday 16th March 2015..
A presentation on Hydroponics was part of the Community Tourism conference that was held in September 2014 by the St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation. The result of this presentation gives New Challenges Foundation the vision of developing and introducing hydroponics as a great way to teach life science and an educational tool to stimulate learning and employment. Two representatives of the New Challenges Foundation, Mr. Gene Herbert and Ms. Mystica Hassell, visited the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) on St. Kitts in September 2014, to get a better understanding and insight on the use of Hydroponics. They were met by Dr. Kelvin Daly, the president of the college, who spoke enthusiastically of the model developed by one of the lecturers at the college, Mr. Stuart Laplace. On returning to St. Eustatius the proposal was discussed with the Interim Director of NCF, Ms. Francine Foe, who immediately gave her support. A willing partner was soon found in the agriculture department through the person of Dr. Teresa Leslie, who at the time sat in the chair as joint interim manager of the department.
In November of 2014, Mr. Stuart Laplace, a lecturer of CFBC and designer of Climate Smart Hydroponics Model, visited Statia on the invitation of NCF and made two presentations. The first presentation was to the different persons of interest and stakeholders who included the commissioner responsible for agriculture, Mr. Carlyle Tearr, representative of CNSI, representative of STENAPA, prospective farmers, representative of the agriculture department, teachers of the Gwendolyn van Putten School and instructors of the New Challenges Foundation and other persons of interest. The second presentation was tailored for the students of the schools on the island.
The New Challenges Foundation is tasked with the responsibility of catering for second chance education to all students between the ages of 18 to 24 on the island who have dropped out of school or who for some reasons did not acquire a start qualification. It is also charged with the responsibility of executing the social Job programmes on the island. It was from these responsibilities that the need to be creative and innovative in finding work places derived. The observation was made that there are some students who will have extreme difficulties in finding a job in the normal way, in the labour market. A youth employment opportunity project was written. Included in this project is the development of a handy craft sector, sewing, small appliances and bicycles repairs and Hydroponics.
Two systems are being installed on the island. The first one is stationed on the grounds of LVV and the other one at the New Challenges Foundation located on Rose Mary Lane. Each system has the capacity of a minimum of 300 plants and can facilitate up to 900 plants depending on the type of plants. Cucumbers and okras seeds were planted.
Training in the care and handling of the system will commence during the month of April 2015 by Mr. Stuart Laplace. The candidates for this training are expected from the SKJ program of the New Challenges Foundation, SVPCN clients, and other interested persons. It is the hope that the youth on the island will take the opportunity to learn this system and that it will rekindle their interest in agriculture.
The New Challenges Foundation wishes to thank The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, NUSTAR, The Agriculture Department, Dr. Teresa Leslie and Bradley Brooks for making this project a reality. A special thank you is also extended to the Dr. Kelvin Daly and his staff at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College on St. Kitts for sharing Mr. LaPlace and his invention with us. So many accolades can be bestowed on Mr. LaPlace, but his humility demands a simple thank you.
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