Volcanic eruptions in the Caribbean strike close to home

During this very 'online' year at Newton Prep, behind the scenes many of us have had endless cause to be grateful to our IT Technician, Darnell Davis, for getting us out of an AV/Zoom/live-streaming tight spot. Now it’s our chance to show our appreciation and give back….

On the 9^th April, just a couple of weeks ago, La Soufriere volcano began erupting over its island of St Vincent, in the Grenadines region of the Caribbean, in its first eruption since 1979. Soon, ash and pyroclastic flows were shooting up to six miles into the sky and raining down on the homes, hotels, crops, jungle and beach below. Within a week, what had been a jungle/beach paradise for residents and visitors alike, had become thigh deep in thickly-piled ash, lush green foliage choked, sand blanketed by grey scum and water supplies contaminated.

15,000 people have been displaced permanently, including Darnell’s family and community, and are now homeless and in real danger of catching Covid19 in the shelters that have been arranged for them. With the hurricane season just weeks away, there is a real danger that life can only get worse for them, so there is an urgency in getting help on the ground right now.

Darnell has been working every night since the eruptions started, packing up containers with donations from his friends and community here in London to send directly out to St Vincent. The airport is currently closed, with continued eruptions threatening its reopening, so getting the stuff there by ship is the quickest way. Once the containers land, Darnell has arranged people on the ground in St Vincent to disseminate the supplies out to those who need them most. It is help at its most immediate, most cost-effective and most targeted.

But Help SVG UK (Help St Vincent’s Grenadines) needs your help to keep this huge effort going. Up until now, Darnell and his fellow volunteers have funded the help out of their own pockets or relied on calling in favours for free shipping and ground-handling. Nappies, bottled water and formula milk have been donated by generous corporations. But now they need to pay for these things themselves.

No matter how little you give, a little can become a lot if everyone gives. With all monies raised, the people of St Vincent stand a better chance of surviving the hurricane season and rebuilding their island paradise.

Please click here to donate and follow Darnell and his fellow volunteers on Instagram at @HelpSVGUK