Marksman: Vincentians need to look out for each other

Noting that it was fortunate that this country does not exist in the “hot spot” or dangerous areas of the world such as Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan, President of the local Red Cross society Bernard Marksman believes that this country still has the heavy challenge of poverty plaguing the state.

In an interview with Searchlight, Marksman said that this year’s theme “Together for Humanity” was most appropriate for the problems facing the world and encouraged Vincentians to “look out for each other.”{{more}}

He said many Vincentians were living below the poverty line and there was a need for members of the Red Cross and other volunteer groups to be more proactive in helping the poor.

Marksman however pointed out that Red Cross members involved with the humanitarian work were also suffering from the same poverty scourge, so it was a situation where the “poor was trying to help the poor.”

The Red Cross President explained, “Although this is the sad reality, our volunteers when they help the poor, were helping from the heart. Our volunteers give of themselves because they do not have material things, so they give from the heart which carries more weight.”

Pointing out that the stigmatization of persons living with HIV/AIDS was another main challenge the local Red Cross faced, President Marksman called on Vincentians to be more sensitive to the needs of persons living with the disease.

This country commemorated Red Cross Day with the rest of the world on Tuesday May 8 and during the week, held several activities. Tomorrow various leaders and stakeholders of the Red Cross society would hold a meeting to examine projects.

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross has been present for almost 60 years in this country with some 20 active groups. (SG)