Anse la Raye
Flash back to the 1960s and up to the early 80s, Anse La Raye was a village beaming with pride. The community was alive and bustling with activity. We were widely known for our musical prowess, with melodious singing at the school level, winning on several occasions the school choir competitions and also hearing the voices of the adults through the Cecilian Rays. Music appeared to be an innate gift shared by all citizens of the community.
Anse la Raye was also the winner of the Plus Belle Village competition which was held nationally as a way to help communities take pride in beautifying and keeping the communities clean.
People of the community exuded a sense of purpose, pride and productivity. There was a strong sense of family life, people supported each other and discipline was the order of the day, where children adhered to the rules and worked towards excellence. Families attended church services together and ensured that their children were grounded spiritually.
Our people were seen as industrious, waking up early in the morning, and holding to the mantra, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” The people of Anse la Raye turned to farming, travelling daily to “Bordnav” and Millet to cultivate the land and later returned to the community with sufficient food to provide for family and to supply the community.
The fishermen were usually up at 4 a.m. in the morning, mending the nets and going out to sea, and by 7:00am would have returned to make that sale of the catch of the day whether it was tuna, mackerels or whatever they had received. Our people also enjoyed carpentry, joinery, baking and worked tirelessly at the craft.
There also appeared to be strong business acumen with Anse la Raye being home to a cinema, two gas stations, clothing and variety stores and even a meat emporium.
In the sporting arena, we were also dominating in cricket and football having many of our community folks represent the island of St. Lucia regionally. These were the sports that held our community together. On Sundays, the cricket matches brought people to the field and it initiated that spirit of friendly competition, drive and togetherness in the community. Life in Anse la Raye was good, and we were proud to chant, “Manmay kote ou sorti- nous sorti Anse la Raye. Those were the good old days.
In recent times however, we seem to have lost ourselves and our community pride. Is it the constant pressure of others calling us “poorest of the poor?” Or perhaps it’s the great demands of consumerism and trying to outdo each other. Whatever the reason or excuse, we need to be able to pause, reflect on the current situation and chart a way towards a new vision for this community.
Many of us lament the state of affairs in our community, but we do not seek solutions to the problem, nor are we prepared to be a part of the solution. The onus is on all of us Anse la Rayans, here in St. Lucia or abroad to assist in the development of our human resource and to elevate this community to where it ought to be. We must always remind ourselves that we are a people of rich, diverse talent who can accomplish many great things if we work together for the common good.
Look around our community, we will find sporting greats, producers, doctor’s, lawyers, engineers, musicians, teachers, skilled workers such as technicians, mechanics and a range of individuals who have chosen other career paths who are excelling. Our people are making tremendous contributions at the local level, and also regionally and internationally, in several fields of endeavour such as medicine, law, technology and in education. We must be proud!
It is therefore necessary to harness the creative and academic talent of our people to develop a well-thought out strategic plan for this community that will propel us far ahead into the future, making Anse la Raye a safe, viable and proud community to live in. A few suggestions of key priority areas that we must target and values that we must uphold are listed below.
Education
A quality education attained by anyone will allow an individual to make great personal strides, improve the standard of living of families and improve communities. Greater opportunities must be created to ensure that more students are able to attain tertiary level qualifications. For many of our children their formal education comes to a halt at the secondary level due to financial constraints. Funding must be sourced and made available to allow more of our students to pursue education at the college and university level.
Individuals must also recognize that education is a lifelong process of continuous learning. Too many have the notion that an education cannot be attained if they did not succeed at common entrance or did not attain all subjects at CXC level. We must put the structures in place for individuals to recommence their education at any level so that they can find a path to pursuing their dreams.
The educational institutions of our community, including CARE, must come together to determine what the needs of our community are, as it relates to skills, and create opportunities towards the attainment of qualifications that will create value in the market. . We must also shift from a sole focus of traditional subject areas, allowing individuals to explore their creative and technical intelligences, as well including subjects such as agriculture, art and technology into the curriculum.
Music and Creative Arts
Our community has always had a rich history of singing and music. The work of The Late Pertronilla Deterville also gave music even greater prominence in the community when she established the Cecilian Rays. In the later years of her career, she later went on to establish the Charles Cadet Youth Orchestra, which brought about a group of vibrant young persons rendering sweet music on instruments such as the saxophone, violin and bass. A number of students who were tutored by her obtained a livelihood through music. This shows that music is certainly a viable option for our children to pursue. We also have the likes of famous calypsonians such as Herb Black, Walleigh and Black Pearl who have made their mark on the local and regional scene, along with local bands such as West Coast Band and the New Reggae Generation Band, NRG.
A new generation of musicians is also emerging on the scene with individuals like Glenn Henry, Antonius Henry, Yogi the Producer, Infinate, Jozzy and Ransom as a producer.
Fundamentals Dance Troupe has also performed admirably in the area of dance, having won the Jete Dance competition twice. We must begin to recognize the arts as a career choice and encourage our youth to pursue these areas particularly when we know that this is where their talents lie. All of this amazing talent is around us and we need to harness this talent and brand this community not just as a fishing village, but as “Home of the Arts”. Let us applaud those who have excelled in this field and we call upon those who received mentorship from Mrs Deterville to begin to mentor the next generation of musicians and artists. Anse la Raye needs to be the hub, and the go to place for musical and creative talent.
Youth and Sports
Another important priority for us has to be Youth Development and Sports. The cliched tagline that “Youth Are our Future” cannot be mere spoken words. Effort must be made to equip them with the values, education and resources that they require to cement a solid future for themselves and their families. Youth empowerment will aid in reducing incidents of crime, drug abuse and unemployment.
A balance must also be struck between sports and youth development, since many young people are bent on sports and neglect the other aspects of an individual’s development. Skills of time management and self discipline must be taught so that students can make wise choices.
There are many benefits to be derived from sports such as discipline, remaining active and healthy, but by balancing the academics and sports, students are more likely to obtain scholarships which will surely reduce the financial burden of university. Sports also teaches values of teamwork and team building, brings out confidence, cooperation and increases social interaction among peers along with the mental development of students. We must applaud the works of Mr. Cosmos Robinson and Mr. Sommers Augustin who have worked continuously in the sporting arena.
The sports programmes here in the community must marry the aspect of youth development where students learn and are equipped with valuable life skills, personal branding skills and career guidance to make wise academic and personal choices. Students must also be held accountable for keeping their grades up in school and perhaps use that as a criteria for the selection of players in major team sports.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship education must become a part of our discussion, so that more of our people can develop curiosity and problem solving skills required to run successful businesses. Entrepreneurship will also encourage our people to embrace their talents and skills to generate employment through cottage industries. Having more businesses in the community can increase traffic flow to Anse la Raye and stimulate our economy to provide further employment for individuals. A host of opportunities would stem from such ventures with individuals raising their standard of living, families being able to provide for their children and helping institutions like the West Coast Credit Union to stay afloat.
Beautification and Sanitization
Anse la Raye is already a beautiful community with its unique creole houses and picturesque landscapes. These features must be enhanced and highlighted through beautification projects around the community. Not only will this make the community aesthetically pleasing, but this will help boost the confidence of citizens, make them proud to call this place home and take ownership of the place, Some beautification projects that can be undertaken include planting of trees and flowers, painting of murals and fences, bringing back the locally crafted street signs, along with mobilizing the people of every street to paint their homes in a “Paint the Street Campaign.”
Our people must also be encouraged to uphold high standards in cleanliness and sanitization. Proper disposal of garbage must become the norm. Garbage bins must be installed on every street corner and sensitize persons on the need to keep the community clean. The perennial issue of dogs roaming the street must also be curbed.
Counselling and Psychological Support
A significant part of the vision is the human resource. However, there are many who may not feel confident, worthy to step forward or feel capable of assisting due to trauma that they may have experienced through acts of violence, physical, sexual and even drug use. The cycle usually continues with children suffering the same fate as their parents and the problem remains with several generations.
Counselling services will be required to assist individuals in regaining their lives and to value themselves and their gifts so that they speak boldly without fear of ridicule and to know that they too can make meaningful contributions to the community. Avenues must be provided through the schools and community organizations to allow individuals to come into safe spaces to express themselves freely to begin their healing process.. Many would like to make a change, but the support systems are not available and as a result these individuals remain trapped in their grief and depression.
Embracing Values
Two values that we must embrace are the values of volunteerism and commitment. We must answer the question “ What can I do for the community?, and work towards community building. To get things done, we will have to make some sacrifices of our time, for the benefit of others who may be less fortunate. As with anything else, the ideas and proposed solutions must be nurtured and given time to flourish. We need to stay the course, focus on the vision and remain steadfast. Too often we start, but fail to reach the mark due to individuals dropping out and thus leaving the burden to one or two individuals. Many hands and many skills will be required. But, it is doable only if individuals commit wholeheartedly to see a better community.
There will not always be a stipend or salary, but in the long term, the rewards will be achieved and as an Anse la Raye community we will all be able to enjoy the fruits of our labour.
Tied to these values, there must be a strong sense of spirituality among our people.We must remember that all things are possible through the most high.
Conclusion
Anse la Raye is a gem with strong talented people and a beautiful landscape. It is rich with history and there are so many stories to tell. It is our responsibility to showcase what Anse la Raye has to offer, Let us together restore Anse la Raye’s pride. Let us begin to inspire each other and create greatness. Let us do this for the next generation. Let us do this for us. For those of us who have gone on to achieve success, let us pave the way for others to achieve. Anse la Raye can once again rise in sports, in academics, in the arts, and showcase the craft of fishing. This is our community, we can make it the best. Let us all play our part in creating this vision and also be a significant part in its development. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!! LET’S DO THIS NOW!!
What are your thoughts? Share in the comments.
