Church prayers, an environmental activity, awarding of scholarships and a stakeholders’ gathering will mark the 26th anniversary of the Grenada Education and Development Programme (GRENED), starting Saturday, 16 July.
After a very quiet few years and no celebrations in the past 3 years, GRENED will publicly mark its anniversary.
- The first outreach is a request for church prayers on Saturday, 16 and Sunday, 17 offering thanksgiving and petitioning for continued blessings on all. The nation is kindly asked to pray for GRENED.
- A community clean-up and tree-planting activity will follow in the Telescope-Grenville areas. This environmental activity will be a collaboration with SOROPTIMIST International Grenada, SIG, a worldwide service organisation for girls and women. Young people at Telescope, St Andrew are expected to contribute to the effort as a response in the fight against climate change which has caused tree loss and other beach-front damage
- Offering scholarships, mentorships and social skills development opportunities have been the hallmark of GRENED. In 2022, six students will graduate and some fourteen will continue. They will all be celebrated on Saturday, 30. Over the decades, hundreds of students have been helped by GRENED to access and complete their secondary, tertiary and professional school education. This year will be no different as scholarships will be renewed for 2 students at St George’s University, 5 in TAMCC and 7 more in secondary schools. Another 10 or more new students will be taken in from Carriacou and Petite Martinique, St Andrew, St David and St Patrick, the rural areas where GRENED concentrates its support.
- During the Covid-19 years, GRENED conducted climate resilience community development projects in Balthazar and Telescope. The main features were education on the “green solution” to climate disasters, planting coconut, almonds, mangoes and other fruit trees, and strengthening community capacity and coherence. These are seen as buffers to floods in Balthazar and to sea level rise in Telescope and Grenville.
- A day of stakeholders’ celebration is scheduled for 2 pm on 30 July 2022 at Rainbow Inn, Grand Bras, St Andrew. Stakeholders will hear reports and extend goodwill to one another. GRENED will highlight all its graduates since 2019, welcome new and returning students, parents, and members to the organisation and enjoy local foods and drink. A gala fundraising is planned for the end of 2022.
Previous celebrations have been held. Some highlights are: On 18 July 1999, the organisation held its inaugural celebration at the Grenville Roman Catholic Church. Jacqueline Cornwall, a senator, delivered the keynote address during the cultural gathering. The St Andrew’s Development Organisation (SADO) received praise for its crucial contribution to the restoration of Grenville’s Old Roman Catholic Church on Sendall Street. Additionally, the Grenlec Rainbow City Allstars steel band, which were assisted by several GRENED students, offered entertainment with the melodic sound of the steel pan. Along with dancers, Tivoli drummers provided further entertainment.
In 2006, to commemorate its tenth anniversary, GRENED held a thanksgiving service at St Andrew’s Roman Catholic Church which was led by Reverend Fr. Leroy Hopkin. This was followed by a Fun Fair and Tea and concluded with a luncheon held at Rainbow Inn.
GRENED extends thanks to the general public for support over 26 years. We invite all to join in the celebration as we continue to build youth leadership throughout Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
GRENED is registered as a non-governmental organisation, is governed by a Board of Directors and is based in Grenville, St Andrew. All funds received are voluntary contributions from donors in Grenada and the USA. Donations and nominations are welcome. Call (473) 442 6277 or (473) 423 5124 Email: [email protected]. Website: www.grened.net; Facebook: www.Facebook.com/grenedprogramme/
