Rotary Village Doctor goes to Canouan!
The Rotary family in St. Vincent and the Grenadines kicked off September – Basic Education and Literacy month, with a Back-to-School edition of its signature Rotary Village Doctor project. This project has become increasingly popular with residents of the Southern Grenadines since the passage of Hurricane Beryl, and on Sunday September 1st, 2024, it was the turn of the residents of Canouan to receive free medical aid and donations of personal essentials and back-to-school supplies.
Supported by a number of corporate partners, members of the Rotary Club of St. Vincent, Rotary Club of St. Vincent South, and the Rotaract Club of Kingstown journeyed to Canouan aboard the Bequia Express for a day of service at the Canouan Secondary school compound. Over 224 residents were attended to by a team of 13 medical professionals comprising doctors and nurses of varying specialties. Residents were also able to fill their prescriptions on site compliments the SVG Pharmaceutical Association and dispensed by professionals from Express Pharmacy and Q Care Pharmacy. Sono SVG, a partner in Rotary’s Breast Health Awareness project, also accompanied the team to provide ultrasound and X-ray services. Attendees in need of eye care benefitted from donations of 25 vouchers for free eye care and spectacles valued at EC$12,500 from Eyes R Us – a longstanding supporter of the Rotary Village Doctor programme.
The return of the Rotary “Free Market” was a welcomed addition, which provided an opportunity for residents to access donations of 75 backpacks with school supplies compliments the St. Vincent Co-operative Bank Ltd., Digicel St. Vincent Ltd., and Jax Enterprises Ltd. The “Free Market” also featured essential personal care items, books, shoes and clothing donated by the Rotary family and the SVG Association of Ex Coast Guard Officers in collaboration with Caring for Others Inc. Many residents openly expressed their gratitude for the support, especially as they prepared for the new school year.
The Rotary family was joined by several corporate volunteers who took to the streets of Canouan to make their own goodwill contributions to the community. Massy Stores Ltd. supplied cases of water and food packages to the elderly, while Courts Unicomer Ltd. made donations of computer monitors
to the school, pillows and mattresses for the school’s Sick Bay, and a microwave oven for the Officers at the Canouan Police Station.
This edition of the Rotary Village Doctor was a success thanks to the power of partnerships within our community. We are particularly grateful to Mr. James Lane for his donation to the chartered vessel and to the Management and team at Bequia Express Co. for their willingness to facilitate these efforts. We say thanks as well to Mandarin Oriental for the donation of lunch for our volunteers, and Dr. Omar Edwards and the Mandarin Oriental medical team. The Rotary family is grateful to all private and corporate partners, donors, volunteers and friends of Rotary who have been instrumental in planning and executing this Village Doctor initiative.
The Rotary family remains committed to enhancing the lives of our Vincentian community through service projects in Rotary’s areas of focus – Disease prevention and treatment, Basic education and literacy, The environment, Peace and conflict resolution, Maternal and child health, Water, sanitation and hygiene, and Economic and community development. If you are interested in partnering with us or have a project idea which could significantly benefit our community, feel free to get in touch with us at [email protected]
Alternatively, if you wish to support our efforts, the Rotary Family in collaboration with Republic Bank (EC) Ltd. has also set up a relief fund to receive monetary contributions.
Bank: Republic Bank Ltd.
Account Name: Hurricane Beryl Relief Fund
Account Number: 200000169348
