On Wednesday 22nd, April “Earth Day”, SHARP Inc. launched the Salybia Heritage and Restoration Project at the old Salybia Primary School building.
SHARP Inc. is an NGO in the Kalinago Territory founded to highlight the historical importance of Salybia (also known as Saint Marie de Caraibes or just Saint Marie) and to call attention to the land slippage issue affecting that community.
Salybia (the community’s Kalinago name) became the home for Kalinagos seeking refuge from colonial land appropriations and society and became identified as the Carib Quarter by the colonial government of the day.
In 1903, much of the present day boundaries of the Carib Reserve (Kalinago Territory) was established by the colonial office.
Salybia remained the core of the Kalinago settlement for many years, housing from different periods the police station, Roman Catholic church and presbytery, cemetery, preschool, primary school, junior secondary program, health center and playing field.
However due to severe land slippage resulting in widespread damage to buildings and roads in the area, most facilities were relocated in other parts of the Kalinago Territory.
The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) recently approved the award of US$50,000 grant to SHARP Inc. as seed funding for the project titled: Salybia Heritage and Restoration Project for Historical and Cultural Values and Sustainable Livelihoods for Kalinago Community.
The memorandum of Agreement was officially handed to the Project Coordinator Cozier Frederick by the Chairman of the GEF-SGP National Steering Committee, Garnette Joseph.
SHARP Inc. aims to restore and develop the old sites and facilities thereon into a heritage tourism park to provide sustainable alternatives for households in the area, especially former banana farmers, whose practices contributed to land degradation and poor conservation.
Elements of the project include the planting of trees in strategic areas for land conservation, including the watershed area of the Salybia river, the development of a heritage orchard of traditional fruits and herbs, a camp ground to serve as a stop-over for hikers on the WNT, river cleaning, restoration of the old Roman Catholic church as an open museum and planting of trees required for craft and other cultural practices, organization and community capacity development and skills training. Research and documentation related to the site is also a major component.
During this initial phase of the project SHARP along with other Kalinago Territory groups and organisations will also work to secure greater attention from government for the maintenance of the area, as well as, to secure investment for more extensive land conservation and rehabilitation measures for the area, and enhancement of the tourism product and valuable heritage of national significance.
Present at the launching of the project were Parliamentary Representative and Minister of Kalinago Affairs, Casius Darroux, two Kalinago Councilors, the National Coordinator and three members of the National Steering Committee of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), other GEF-SGP grantees and members of the Salybia and wider Kalinago community.
I just hope that the money given will be put into the project it was allocated for. Our kalinago people need to get their priorities straight. I just hope this money don’t enter anyone’s pocket.
kalinago if you are as you are called why do you speak the truth or fact instead of making comments when you know damn well that the government received 10 million us dollars for development of the people and the territory and no one can account for where that money went to….
I always refer to Dominicans as a special breed of people, in that, once you flash a silver metal object before them they forget every wrong, right, family, moral’s, even our GOD.
but what really worries me is that the kalinago people are worst, they knew that those government hacks squandered their monies but for plywood, 2×4, rum and an old wooden house, they sell all their rights to live in a modernized community..