Saying farewell to Faustina Harry-Shotte at the Biabou Methodist Church

EDITOR: I am LeRoy Providence of the village of Troumaca in the parish of St. David and now resident in Arnos Vale for several decades. I have had respectful regard for a number of families in the community of Biabou over many years.

In some respects, I can claim to have been a Biabou boy, as I spent a few years here attending the Biabou Methodist Primary School and I lived with the family of Mr Esau Ballah who was the Head teacher of the school. We were next-door neighbours to the Harry, Faustino family with whom we enjoyed a warm relationship. There was no fence between the two properties!

It was from the Biabou Methodist School that I sat the Entrance exams to permit me to attend the St. Vincent Grammar School. When I later joined the staff of the St. Vincent Banana Growers Association, under the management of Mr Frank Williams, I again had regular contact with the members of the community of Biabou for several decades.

On reflection I think that we need to return to those days when the progressive families had beneficial influence in our land, and they were shown respect and given support in their various endeavours by other members of the society and it was noticeable, that when those families prospered, the community shared in the benefits.

Today, it is sad to experience that members of families are treated with injustice and disdain, even by other members of their families. This results in the impeding of the growth and development of this traditionally agriculturally-oriented community of ours. We who had been recognized regionally on the strength of our healthy foods!

As our calypsonian IPA has drawn to attention in song- when the families fail, the society will fail. Let us therefore endeavour to revive the strong family bases in our land, as we strive to rebuild our country in Peace and Justice.

At funerals we lament with and give support to the families who have lost loved-ones and so today, we lament the passing of the gentle sister Faustina Harry-Shortte. But I feel impelled to lament our failure, regarding the reinstitution of the Local Government apparatus, despite the fact that we had been promised its reintroduction several decades ago.

This community of Biabou had its people’s interest addressed earnestly by the members of their Village Council, even when the British were in control here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Quite a number of agonies which are burdening the villages could have been successfully dealt with by the Village Council.

Two issues which readily come to mind are (1) effective heath care for the elderly, and the economically disadvantaged and (2) the timely intervention in cases where young children in the community need critical support.

We have enough resources to address those issues. Considering all the circumstance. The Harry and Shortte families have done commendably well! May our sister Faustina now rest in peace!

Leroy Providence