Welcome home Batch 15! Come again

Dey’s ah ole quote dat says: “If you love someone, set her free. If she comes back, she’s yours. If not, she was never meant to be,”  Yes, members of “Batch 15”, our proud Nurses of de prestigious Florence Nightingale Fraternity, well dey come back home, but not to stay. And dem Beautiful smiles yuh see in de photograph says it all:”

Our ladies are happy to be Home!” Home to celebrate de Ruby Milestone, an Anniversary dat took dem 40 Years of Nursing both in SVG and their adopted homeland de USA to achieve.

Back in 1983 all 17 ladies in de photo had successfully completed de SVG School of Nursing Program. Today dey speak highly of dey Alma Mater way it all began: “de Program, de Lecturers and de EC$381. 00 = US $140. 00 monthly allowance dey got as student Nurses.”

But sadly foh SVG, our noble sisters had to move to Greener Pastures, and foh “Batch 15” it was de USA (Uncle Sam Country) and what ah Blessing it was. Today after four decades of sweat and toil in dat North America Cold, dey all have dey own lickle sucess story to tell, be it Academics, Administration or just delivering proper Health Care doing more dan one job.

And now dey are back foh ah short visit to celebrate In-de-pen-dance with families, colleagues, old friends. De program of ah week of activities began with ah Church Sevice at de Kingstown Baptist Church on Sunday 29th October. Lie-Za doh miss eh, she had to be present, and speaks of the warm reception given to our visiting health professionals, who in keeping wid de spirit of de season were fashionably dressed in de colours of de Nah-shun-all Flag.

Monday was ah visit to MCMH, de former work-place, for a presentation of Medical Paraphernalia etc. Tuesday, picnic at Mount Wynne Beach. Dey was ah Dinner for former Colleagues and Lecturers (retirees) on Wednesday evening. Thursday dey’s ah Boat-ride and picnic in Bequia. By week- end dey should be gone.

Lie-Za wants me to Big Up “Batch 15.” Now we need to see Batch 16, 17 up to Batch 20. We need more of our Die-us-poorer family to come to SVG during vacation, Every US dollar spent at home helps to build our economy. Last but not least you should be please to know dat de lickle but regular remittances dat comes thru Money Gram and Western Union adds up; it is exactly ten per cent of our GDP. So please continue to Send Dis! Send Dat! But come more often.

And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.