We found some great teachers & students to help in 2009 / 2010!

Shakia studying his flash cards

In 2008/2009 we focused on three Caribbean school-based projects, summarized below, and we plan to find new schools for 2010. Would you like to help? We are taking charitable donations in cash (these are tax-deductible) and in-kind donations of children's books, art supplies, school supplies, dictionaries, some textbooks, and some reference books. Cash donations are put toward purchasing items on teachers' "wish lists" and for shipping the items to the Caribbean. Although we work hard to find shipping "angels" to donate shipping services, we still incur some shipping costs. Items will be shipped to the schools and then we follow

Learning to read at the Special Education School in Nevis

up in person and re-visit the schools. Please e-mail us if you'd like to help. If we don't answer right away, we are either at sea or at anchor in a place without a reliable Internet connection, so please bear with us — thank you!

Throughout the 2007 to 2008 winter season in the Caribbean we were struck by the beauty of the islands and the people. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, and Nevis are three independent countries with tourism-based economies and an average of 25% unemployment. Outside of the resorts, the charter boats and the cruise ships that call for the day, these economies are struggling. We are concerned about the potential negative effects on these economies due to the global economic slowdown in 2008/2009. For example, on the tiny island of Nevis, the Four Seasons Resort accounts for one-third of the GDP and 50 percent of the work force. The resort is closed in the winter of 2008/2009 because of damage from Hurricane Omar, and the economy is feeling the effects. The teachers we met are dedicated and devoted to their schools and could certainly use more resources than their governments can provide.

April 2009 Update!
Stephanie Browne Primary School • Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Hooray! The children's books donated by Hands supporters are unpacked by eager students at the Stephanie Browne Primary School

Thanks to Erika's Marine Services, which is run by Heather Grant, the local Boaters for Books representative, the boxes of children's books donated by Hands supporters arrived successfully at Union Island. Heather's assistants, Chille and Shereeze Alexander, had picked the boxes off the boat from St. Vincent two days before Hands Across the Sea sailed into the harbor of Clifton — so the books were waiting for us! The next day, with the help of a local bus driver, we carted the books up and over the hill to Stephanie Browne Primary School where we greeted the Principal, Mrs. Lorette Coy-James. Before Lorette was named school principal, she was a candidate for a Bachelor degree in Education Administration from the University of the West Indies. As part of her senior project, she raised funds and organized a room to create a school library

Mrs. Lorette Coy-James, the school's Principal, gives the new Xerox printer/photopier a warm pat

at Stephanie Browne Primary. The library is a sunny, bright room with a large table and chairs in the center, a smaller table and chairs and reference section around the periphery, and now has a full-time librarian.

Lorette had asked us for specific texts to encourage young readers and generate excitement about reading. With the help of book donors whose children had grown, we were able to fulfill her request for Berenstain Bears, Thomas the Tank Engine, Dr. Seuss, and Disney's Wonderful World of Reading, among other popular children's books. We spent the rest of the morning sorting books to assist the librarian with her huge cataloging task. A few students helped us — mostly by pulling books from the piles and taking them to the corner to read! Two kind Hands' supporters had donated a digital printer/photocopier to the school, and we can attest that it was in near-constant use. Two office assistants were busy printing and copying exams. The following day, Harriet spent the morning at the school working with the sixth grade class to write thank you notes to book donors, and reading to the first grade. The first graders filed into the library and sat rapt on blankets on the floor while she read Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and Amos and Boris by William Steig. It's hard to say who had more fun!

March 2009 Update! • Newtown Primary School • island of Dominica

Newtown Primary students with their new books and bookcases. Thank you, Hands donors!

They made it! The 10 boxes of children's books donated by Hands Across the Sea supporters have made 247 schoolkids at the Newtown Primary School, on the island of Dominica, very happy. Shipment and customs clearance of the books was accomplished with the vital help of Kathy Oberle of the non-profit organization Boaters for Books, the trucking company AIT Worldwide, the shipping company Tropical Shipping, and the Dominica Lion's Club. Along with Solange Payne, the school's French teacher, we attended a "handing over ceremony" at the Dominica Lions club, which had cleared the books through Customs rapidly. A huge thank you to Boaters for Books, AIT Worldwide, Tropical Shipping, and the Dominica Lions Club for their assistance!

We spent the next five weeks volunteering at Newtown Primary, a school with 247 students in grades K through 6. Harriet tutored remedial readers, organized the teachers' resources room, unpacked and sorted the books, and substitute-taught on a few occasions. She was thankful to have Betsy Baillie from the sailing yacht Belair with her on one Friday to help teach and tame some energetic third graders. We were rewarded with hugs at the end of the day.

Meanwhile, TL purchased lumber and supplies to construct 12 bookcases, one for each classroom at the school. Building bookcases was a team effort over several weeks and weekends. We enlisted help

Harriet gets a hug from Ekane, a 3rd grader

from the principal, Jerry Coipel, and 5th former (10th grader) Jonel Lawrence, who signed on as part of his required community service hours. TL designed, hand-sawed, and managed assembly of the bookcases. We received sanding and painting help from cruisers Jim and Katie Thomsen on the yacht Tenaya. TL, inspired by the energy of the schoolkids, chose bright Caribbean colors for the bookshelves. It's been a real joy to see the students and teachers cluster around their bookcases, picking out exciting books to read. The teachers have new books to read aloud and students have a variety of books to choose from when it's time for silent reading. Thank you to everyone who donated books or made a tax-deductible cash contribution to Hands Across the Sea. We were fortunate to witness firsthand what your contributions mean to these students — we've been amply rewarded in hugs! Finally, if you are interested in a volunteer opportunity on the beautiful island of Dominica, please click here to learn about the Irie Eco Third Annual International Summer Program.

February 2009 Update! • Special Education School • island of Nevis

Special Education Coordinator Andrea Bussue, left, accepts the teaching materials from Hands

We returned to the Special Education School, on the island of Nevis, to find the school and students thriving. The TV, DVD player, rolling cart, LeapPad items, and learning resources contributed by Hands donors were prominently displayed in the courtyard for the benefit of the local TV station as they filmed a formal "handing over ceremony" led by the Special Education Coordinator, Andrea

Students during the Christmas Program

Bussue, and attended by the teachers and students. The staff and students are grateful to all the Hands donors who made these gifts possible, and it was wonderful to see the outcome of Hands donors' efforts. Later in the week, we met with the teachers to create a list of resources that the Keith Middle School (New Bedford, Massachusetts) 8th graders can make in their art and sewing classes for the Special Education students as part of a community service project this winter. We also attended a delightful Christmas program — the students sang, danced, drummed, and recited poems before Santa arrived with a gift for each child. While special education students tend to be placed in mainstream classrooms in the U.S., it's clear that here on Nevis, these children were thriving being together in one school to develop skills to the best of their abilities.

ways you can work with Hands...
network with Hands If you have a project in which Hands can help — or if you want to help with projects near your location that we know about — contact us!

collect books for Hands If'd you'd like to collect children's books for Hands, please go to our Hands Book Drop page

join the Hands Log eNews group If you would like to receive the Hands Log (e-mail newsletter) please click here. Just type "Subscribe" in the subject line of your e-mail and we'll keep you updated on where Hands is and what's next!