We believe that every child deserves the opportunity, the resources, and the environment to help them reach their full potential. Our team are all volunteers who take no salaries. 100% of funds go directly to helping children in need across the island of Saint Lucia.
We provide one-to-one coaching, after-school tutoring, and as-needed projects like school refurbishments, as well as permanent programs that run throughout the year. These include our pet-care classes, introducing children to the joys and responsibilities of pet ownership; and our tea-party for teens program, to empower young girls, celebrate womanhood, and debunk some of the myths around menstruation.
We concentrate on programs that have a long-term, and sustainable impact -- where, through education and resources -- we can provide children with experiences and knowledge that help them realise the world of opportunities open to them. We give children a reason to dream bigger about their future, and then turn those dreams into success that benefits everyone on the island!
Saint Lucia is a small island in the West Indies, where an estimated 150,000 people, over 80% of the population, live in rural communities. There are an estimated 21,500 children under the age of 10 and from the most recent government data (2016), only 53% (N 1,279) of students who sat the national Common Entrance Examinations were at or above the national mean score. There are around 74 primary schools serving these children, but 35% (N 26) of them have a pupil-teacher ratio equal to, or over the U.S. national average.
The island relies heavily on tourism, with over 21% (N 21,476) of the total labor force employed as service and sales workers. Many families are still struggling from the ongoing impact that COVID had on tourism to the island, as well as the global economic situation. There were not the same level of furlough or economic support programs put in place which resulted in many families having no wage coming in –- few tourists were able to enter the island for 18 months, and then (to protect the single hospital) strict requirements were in place until early 2022. Youth unemployment in 2021 was 42%.