25 February 2002
Bequia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines

Contact: Heather Grant, Erika Marine Service
784-485-8335 (Erika@Caribsurf.com)
or Kathy Oberle (kathy@boatersforbooks.org)

Boaters for Books Director Kathy Oberle announced today the expansion of its Caribbean children’s book project into St. Vincent & The Grenadines. “We have been aware for some time now of the tremendous need SVG has for reading materials for its young,” explained Kathy, “but the challenge was to find an effective means of distributing storybooks among the various islands once they arrived in Kingstown.”

Kathy found a local volunteer willing to face just such a challenge. She is Canadian Heather Grant, owner of Erika’s Marine Service on Union Island. As a resident of SVG and a business owner, Heather is committed to improving reading skills among young locals. Erika’s is a combination Internet café, office resource center, laundry and travel agency. It caters primarily to cruising yachts. Heather understands that the growth of her business and the continued rejuvenation of Union Island will depend upon literate employees. “I began talking with Kathy about Boaters for Books more than a year ago,” says Heather, “and despite the obstacles we faced, I just knew we would eventually find someone well placed in government to take a personal interest in the project.”

Early this year Heather found an enthusiastic partner in the Honorable Edwin Snagg, Parliamentary Secretary for Labour & Grenadines Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister. Senator Snagg hails from Union Island. He is deeply concerned about the literacy needs of the out islands of Union, Mayreau and Canouan as well as those of Bequia and the far reaches of St. Vincent. It was largely due to the individual efforts of Senator Snagg that a small single room library was established this year on Union Island. That small library, however, has more shelf space than books at this stage of its life.

Heather Grant and Kathy Oberle met with Senator Snagg on Friday, February 15th in the Prime Minister’s office in Kingstown. At that meeting the parameters of the SVG program were put into place. It was agreed that storybooks would be received by the Prime Minister’s Office once they arrived at the dock in Kingstown. Senator Snagg will then personally expedite the distribution of books to the schools and libraries he and Heather Grant have determined are most in need.

“This process should eliminate the red tape that might delay the distribution of books,” explains Heather, “ I look forward to working with Senator Snagg to make this project a great success.”

Donated books are being shipped free of charge by Tropical Shipping, the largest shipper to the Caribbean. “Without the continued help and support of Dan O’Neil at Tropical Shipping our project would be at a stand still,” explains Kathy, “We are forever grateful for that assistance.”

The challenge that remains for Boaters for Books is the fund raising effort now required in North America to provide books for three countries: St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Grenada and Trinidad & Tobago. “This is going to be a huge undertaking and we expect it will take more than three years to begin to fill the pipeline. The more than six thousand books sent already to Grenada is just the beginning. We need books, money, and volunteers to shop and pack books, canvas for book donations and spread the word.”

Donations of new and used children’s storybooks
and cash donations may be sent to:

Boaters for Books, Inc. P.O. Box 510685 Punta Gorda, Fl. 33951-0685

To learn more about Boaters for Books and for help in selecting books appropriate to the islands of The Caribbean, go to www.boatersforbooks.org.

Heather and her husband, Iain Grant, originally settled in Union Island to assist with the completion of a community and training centre at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. The Grants also donated computers and expertise, bringing computer literacy to many local people through an ongoing training program. “In today’s world, computer literacy is a necessity, enabling people to be able to compete at an international level,” explains Heather.

l to r: Heather Grant, Honorable Edwin Snagg

l to r: Heather Grant, Kathy Oberle

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