By Kimmy Lennon:
Hello everyone,
It’s carnival season in St. Vincent and the island is more exciting than ever before! Carnival is a huge Caribbean celebration that takes place throughout the month of June, however the main festivities officially start this Friday and I’m really looking forward to experiencing this part of their culture. I went to the Kids Carnival this past weekend, which was a lot of fun and I was amazed at some of the costumes. I also spent last Sunday on a yacht with some friends, which was beautiful! I’ve never been on a boat like that before so it was pretty spectacular. I have a lot planned for the month of July, starting with this Friday when I’ll be going to the “Miss Carnival” show, which was described to me as being a kind of beauty pageant. I’m also going to a massive paint party that takes place on the downtown streets. I admire how much work is put into all the carnival events; it reflects the pride people hold for their country and culture. I have a few more trips planned for after carnival season, starting with a trip to the volcano. I’ll also be making a day trip to the Vermont Nature Trail, Fort Charlotte and DarkView Falls.
The Olympic Committee doesn’t have a lot of employees, however there are always representatives from different sport organizations who stop in throughout the day and introduce themselves. They are always trying to get me involved in different activities, so I’ve started to play netball after work sometimes, in fact I’m going to an award ceremony tonight. I’m also playing soccer with a group of girls my age and taking salsa lessons on Saturday night.
The work itself is coming along nicely, however I only received a few responses from my survey, which was expected but very frustrating nonetheless. Anyway, Mr. Joseph who is the General Secretary for the Olympic Committee has agreed to take me to different clubs next week to speak with a few club representatives in order to collect more information. My framework is divided into two parts both of which have been identified as the two most prominent issues facing the sport community. The first is Human Resources and the second is Finances. I hope that my framework can help these clubs become more sustainable, but I’m sure I’ll have a better idea of what sport organizations need assistance with after my visits.
Until next time,
Kimmy