(St. Christopher National Trust) St. Kitts and Nevis – July 18, 2017: All remaining sessions of the National Trust’s children’s summer storytelling series are now free for all children, thanks to the generosity of sponsors who have pledged to cover the cost of registration fees for the remaining weeks.
Caribelle Batik owner and National Trust Member Mr. Maurice Widdowson came forward earlier this month and offered to pay the fees for twenty five children for the first two weeks of the Dasani-Harper’s Heritage House Storytelling Series.
There was a $10 registration fee to cover the cost of supplies and a party on the last Saturday, but Mr. Widdowson said he was concerned that the fee would make it out of reach for some parents.
“There may well be several single mums to whom $10 per session is a tough option…I just want all children to have the opportunity to attend. I hope that other companies will come forward and sponsor a future session,” Mr. Widdowson told the Trust.
And come forward they did! Individuals, Caribbean Reads and the Department of Youth have committed to covering the cost of most of the remaining weeks, allowing the Trust to offer the series free of cost.
The ‘Heritage House’ Series, designed for children aged 6-12 years old, features stories about and set in St. Kitts and Nevis. The Governor General and the Deputy Prime Minister are among the storytellers slated to be part of the series.
So far the children have enjoyed sessions with National Trust President Schneidman Warner and Entrepreneur Troy “Spuddy” Hendrickson.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Youth Shawn Richards will be the storyteller this weekend (Saturday July 22nd) sharing a story by Carol Ottley-Mitchell about Chee Chee the vervet monkey and his adventures.
In August, the Governor General His Excellency Sir S.W. Tapley Seaton GCMG, CVO, QC will share the story of Betto Douglas, an enslaved woman who took on the court system in the 1820s.
Composer, Musician and professional storyteller Creighton Pencheon, will tell the tale of Marcus of the Woods, who led a band of enslaved Africans who had escaped captivity and roamed the forests of St. Kitts in the 19th century.
Also onboard are Coordinator of the Sea Turtle Monitoring Network Dr. Kimberley Stewart and Habitat Monitoring Offer at the Department of Marine Resources Tricia Greaux. The two will be teaming up for a session called, ‘Sea Talk.’
The Saturday morning storytelling sessions are being held from 9:30 – 11:00 inside the National Museum, in a room that is transformed into a fun, storytelling space. Space is limited, so parents are being urged to resister their children by the Friday before each session to avoid disappointment.
