“Sir, I only have one thing left and that’s my passport and the reason I have my passport is because it’s with the Sports Division.”
Those were the words of Under-13 cricketer, Josley Valmond, of Coulibistrie who lost practically everything during passage of Tropical Storm Erika on Thursday, August 27, 2015. His story touched the hearts of the staff of the Sports Division and spurred them to act.
Sports Coordinator, Trevor Shillingford, said they were very concerned when they heard of the calamitous effect that the tropical storm had on certain areas of Dominica, including the village of Coulibistrie where two of their most promising U-13 cricketers reside.
The Sports Officer for the Districts on the West Coast was deployed to take account of the sportspersons in those areas and that’s when he met with Valmond and heard his story.
“I was touched by this story so I decided that the Sports Division would make a contribution to this young man. He shows a lot of promise and we believe that he can produce a lot of good so that Dominica can reap rewards from his performance in the future,” said Shillingford who was in Coulibistrie recently along with Thomas Kentish, former National and Windward Islands Cricketer, and Sports Officer, Kevin James, visiting the young players.
The Sports Division provided Valmond and the other promising young cricketer, Kemuel Lovell, with clothing, school bags, water and soft drinks as a means of encouraging them, and there’s more on the way.
“I’ve also been in touch with our equipment suppliers overseas trying to source some form of funding so that we can assist them with their school books. We are aware that they have lost everything as their schools books and supplies would have already been purchased,” added Shillingford.
Valmond and Lovell were elated to receive the supplies. They said it meant a lot to them that the Sports Division remembered them and it shows that they care.
The youngsters were in training for almost a year and were supposed to travel to St. Lucia on Friday, August 28, 2015, the day after TS Erika dealt Dominica a devastating blow, to compete in the U-13 Goodwill Series.
The series was abandoned but there is a light at the end of the tunnel since discussions with counterparts in St. Lucia may see it coming off in December.
Poor guys. It is also extremely difficult for children who lost everything. Their young minds may not be able to comprehend it as adults would.
Poor everyone who lost so much. God is good! He sends help to ease the pain, sorrow and burden. There is more to come.
Good luck guys! Keep up the spirit. Keep studying and playing sports. You could go places. At the moment you cannot fathom it. Some years from now you will reap the benefit.
God bless you and protect you!
So sad, but there is a bright future ahead of both of you. Keep reaching for the stars.
When God start with us, He always starts with a difficulty; that is what TSErika was meant to be.
It won’t be right now; because we must experience the effect of that difficulty–it will also be too hard for some of us. But the good days are coming; and in those days our memory of Erika will most certainly be lost and gone.
Nonetheless God will still want the glory! That is the reason He allows those things in our lives in the first place.