BOATERS FOR BOOKS

Margaret Allan's Outreach Literacy Program
on the Island of Carriacou in Grenada

[Margaret Opens Book Boxes]

A short distance from the Grenadines, Boaters for Books discovered a wonderful remedial reading program on the island of Carriacou in early 2003. The reading program, orchestrated by 81 year-old, British born author Margaret Allan, a retiree of the U.S. postal service, was in desperate need of books and could not wait for our fall 2003 shipment. To expedite books, Kathy contacted Heather Grant on Union Island and sailing friends Joan Hamner and Bob Welch, on Viking Rose in nearby Tobago Cays.

Within a week, Heather had pulled together an assortment of beginning reading books for Helen's program from the shipment of books sent to Union last season. Joan and Bob sailed the books from Union to Carriacou and delivered them to Susan Hopper at Tyrell Bay Haul Out. Susan delivered them to Margaret the next day. The wonderful story of Margaret's mission is printed here to give you insight into what is being accomplished to improve literacy among the children of the Caribbean.

The Story of Margaret Allan's Outreach Literacy Program (as told to Kathy Oberle)

I had barely arrived on the island when it became known that I had teaching qualifications and I was pressed into service to teach English and English literature at Bishop's College, one of the two Secondary Schools here. I did this for four terms as no other teacher was available. From that it became common practice for students, young and old to come and ask for help with English, prior to examinations. One year ago it was decided that all the children in the primary schools would automatically pass up to the Secondary Schools regardless of their ability. My personal strong opinion is that this was an utter disaster, however, that could not be allowed to take away from the slower children that chance to learn to read and I was approached and ask to organize a program for them. It seemed to me that the place to start was in the pre-schools and even in the nursery schools so we now have a basic reading program going in the six primary schools and their kindergarten branches. The program I bought in the U.S. is called "Zoophonics" and the children learn to read by associating the phonic sound of the initial letter of the animal's name with that letter of the alphabet. At the end of the first year some progress has been made. I do not yet know how many non-readers will be coming up to the Secondary Schools in Sept, hopefully less and less as the years go by. Their needs are for Primary Readers (like) Books 1 and 2, such as "Lucky Bear" which you included in this consignment. The ex-patriots here are most supportive of the program for which I am very grateful - as grateful as we all are for the books so generously donated by your organization. I was thrilled when Susan delivered them to me today and will arrange for a lockable closet in the library and a proper system of checking them out to the students. Hopefully they will be the “cornerstone” of the end of illiteracy in Carriacou. Now in my 81st year, perhaps I will have more time to continue with the reason for my retirement here, to write. In 7 years I have managed to get two books published and one more being printed. They are available on the I/net at Barnes and Noble and Amazon Books and being Caribbean based give readers an insight into life on a small island.*

Again, many, many thanks for the thoughtfulness of all your contributors and especially to yourself and those who have made the delivery possible. Margaret Allan (2003)

A Thank You from Carriacou, Grenada, West Indies, for the Fall 2003 shipment

Here is a gracious acknowledgement from Margaret Allan in Carriacou, whose sudden passing in February 2004 was a shock to all of us who worked with her. Margaret’s program was continued by Susan Fretwell, co-founder of the program and a group of dedicated volunteers. Boaters for Books in Carriacou is directed by Melodye Pompa.

“Those of us involved with the Remedial Reading Programme, helpers and students alike, are quite overwhelmed by the generousity and caring of the people who visit the shores and waters of the Caribbean. Once again they have come through for us with a wonderful supply of books for our young, struggling readers. Last week I received a large and varied collection of reading material for children of all ages, some have been sent to the Community Library, others to the primary Schools, some to meet the needs of individual children and the rest kept for the reading programme. A very big " thank you" to Boaters for Books and best wishes for happy sailing from all of us involved in Carriacou.”

Margaret Allan. Programme Organiser

*Margaret Allan's books are published by iUniverse. Preview and purchase information can be found on www.books.google.com among other sites. Her first book is the novel Blood in Blue Water published in March of 2002. Her second book, Mango Chutney is a set of short stories published in October 2002. Five White Egrets, her third book, was published in August 2003.

;[Margaret

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