Vincentian diaspora unites to support homeland

By Lincoln DePradine

Vincentian nationals living in Toronto have concluded a series of meetings in which they agreed to “joint action plans’’ to assist their Caribbean homeland of St Vincent & The Grenadines (SVG).

The meetings were convened by CARI-ON, a non-profit organization, whose focus is in assisting SVG, with resources and supplies, “to mitigate real or impending disasters’’; and to help “families and communities return to a normal way of life during and after disasters’’.
The discussions, including a September 7 webinar, titled “The Silent Aftermath: Exploring Disaster-Related Trauma in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” involved representatives from St Vincent’s ministry of health and the group known as “The Hub Collective’’; and also Dr. Nick Kates, a professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences at McMaster University; and community leaders on St Vincent’s Union Island.

“The meetings concluded with an agreement to establish joint action plans that include follow-up workshops, expanded mental health awareness campaigns, and coordinated frameworks for psychosocial support, both during disasters and in everyday community life,’’ said Hayden Jason Jones, chair of CARI-ON, Conducting Active Relief Impacting Our Nation.
“We are ensuring that preparedness is not only disaster-focused but also addresses everyday mental health needs,’’ he added. “Dr. Kates, a recognized leader in global mental health from McMaster University, shared valuable expertise in integrating mental health services into disaster preparedness frameworks and strengthening community-based care. His insights underscored the importance of building systems that can respond not only in times of crisis but also in supporting long-term community well-being.’’

According to Jones, CARI-On is engaged in ongoing efforts aimed at “bridging Diaspora expertise with local needs, creating lasting frameworks for preparedness and community resilience’’.
“It reflects CARI-ON SVG’s commitment to developing sustainable strategies that address both the immediate and ongoing mental health challenges facing the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines,’’ he said.

The meeting series, said Jones, emphasized “four priority areas’’ including mental health preparedness, which addresses “disaster-related trauma, expanding access to psychosocial support, and reinforcing mental health response capacity across’’ St Vincent & The Grenadines.

Other priorities are “everyday mental health support’’ that includes ways CARI-ON can assist SVG’s health ministry with “ongoing mental health challenges’’; and engaging in partnerships, including with McMaster University, “to strengthen everyday services and resources’’ and also to “expand grassroots education’’;
Another priority calls for “deepening collaboration between government agencies, Diaspora organizations, academia, and local partners to deliver long-term, inclusive approaches to disaster preparedness and recovery’’.
LJI reporter

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