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For visitors to the Caribbean there is a distinct attraction in the idea of a simple life lived on a beautiful tropical island. And the approachable people of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis seem among the gentlest and kindest islanders in the whole region. But while a simple life may seem desirable, even enchanting, living on a small island can in fact be unexpectedly tough. People face the same problems as they do elsewhere else in the world - social and economic deprivation and often sexual, emotional or physical abuse – and they can be that much harder to cope with in the pressure cooker atmosphere of a small and poor community where there is no chance of escape.
The Change Centre offers the possibility of high quality counselling, case management and referral services to people in need on the twin islands of St Kitts and Nevis. Its work includes crisis counselling, legal advocacy, support and related assistance to victims of domestic violence and child abuse, financial assistance to the economically disadvantaged, health and medical referrals, and finally education and training.
A major component of the work of the Change Centre is the sharing of information through its Citizens Advice Bureau. Through networks within the community at home and abroad, the Centre is able to connect people with resources to those who have none. As part of the Centre’s advocacy on behalf of its clients it also conducts research and keeps the government and local agencies informed on a variety of issues. In the course of its work the Centre hopes to contribute significantly to the social development of the people of the islands, helping them to keep pace with change and to take advantage of the many economic programmes that the government of the islands pursues.
(Please read here for an extended review)
Please see below for ways to help with this aim… |
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The Change Centre at the 2007 Flora London Marathon
On April 22nd 2007 Scott Rice will run the Flora London Marathon in aid of the Change Centre. He will join an estimated 40,000 other runners for the iconic event, along the 26.2 mile course that meanders through London between Greenwich and the Mall.
An Englishman married to Kittitian, Scott has been a runner the whole of his life and competed in athletics at county and national level. When visiting St Kitts he saw the work of the Change Centre and he has decided to raise funds for them by running the race.
The Change Centre is St Kitts and Nevis’s leading NGO. It offers qualified counselling to women and children in crisis, helping with medical referral, financial assistance in dire need and legal advocacy in cases of crisis.
The race is just a few weeks away and so Scott is gearing himself up with a heavy schedule of training that he squeezes in around family life. He has even run a few 15 milers before church on Sunday mornings.
Please see below for ways in which you can support Scott's efforts. |
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Ways to Donate
To help this worthy charity please send donations to:
Bank Name: RBTT BANK SKN LTD
Bank Address: P.O. BOX 673, CHAPEL STREET, CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS.
Tel: 1 869 469 5277 Fax: 1 869 469 1493
SORT CODE; BOFAUS3M (ALSO KNOWN AS BIC CODE)
SWIFT CODE: 066007681 (ALSO KNOWN AS ABA CODE)
Donations from the US can go through the Bank of America branch, quoting the Change Centre account number 20752.
Bank of America A/C # 1901150141
By making your donation to the Change Centre you can rest assured that your donations and services are going directly to those in need and making a difference to their lives.
This is what a donation of US$50 can do:
Provide lunch and transportation to and from school for 1 child for 1 month
Provide nutritious and balanced meals for a family of 4 for 2 weeks
Provide uniform, school books and supplies for 1 grade school child for 1 year.
Alternatively, The Change Centre welcomes donations of cash, books and other reading materials, new and used clothing and household items in good condition.
To contribute to the Centre, please contact:
Salome James, Manager @ (869) 469 1887 or via email on changecentre@yahoo.com |
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History
The Change Centre opened its doors to the public in 1993 in response to the ongoing challenges faced by the poor and disadvantaged in the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis. The government’s acknowledgement of the growing complexity of many social problems within the Federation meant that policymakers were only too willing to collaborate with the Centre in helping to relieve many of the social issues that were becoming increasingly more evident. This itself was an accomplishment in a country where the focus on economic development has from time to time inadvertently overlooked many of the needs of people struggling to make it from day to day.
Residents of St Kitts and Nevis clearly faced ongoing problems such as domestic violence, child abuse and molestation. Major problems of mental illness, in particular, an increase in cases of depression and destructive behaviour related to substance abuse were evident and it was clear that the public needed to rally forces to supplement the provisions made by the government.
In a society where the only resort for victims was a legal system that many neither understood nor could afford, the Change Centre fulfilled a critical and unmet need by providing counselling and support to help victims cope in times of crisis but by also doing the type of advocacy work that would contribute to the reformation of the legal system.
Significant funding to start the work of the Change Centre came from The Nevis Island Administration, the Canada Fund, and The Global Fund for Women, the Nevis Co-operative Credit Union, and local donors. From humble beginnings in space donated by the Nevis Cooperative Credit Union, the Centre continues to provide:
crisis counselling
legal advocacy support and related assistance to victims of domestic violence and child abuse
financial assistance to the economically disadvantaged
health and medical referrals
Education and training
The Change Centre’s work has received commendation from organizations and individuals both locally and abroad. In 1994, the Centre received notable commendation from the late Governor of Florida, Lawton Chiles, for its work with domestic violence victims and in educating children about child abuse issues. In 1998, the Helen Prize Foundation based in Montreal, Canada awarded Salome James, Change Centre Executive Director, the Helen Prize Award – an award to women whose work has been less celebrated but has significantly impacted the lives of women.
For several years this success translated into funding and the Change Centre was supported by agencies both locally and abroad. Recently though, financial support from abroad has shrunk in the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Centre (it had the affect of turning support elsewhere, largely within the USA), and the wider economic distress suffered by donors because of the ups and downs of the stock market.
The Change Centre is in need of funds, but it is still able to respond to the needs of the citizens of St Kitts and Nevis. It remains committed to its original mission of serving all sectors of the community. It is currently planning to expand its services by establishing temporary shelter services for persons in crisis. Overall, the Change Centre aims to continue to provide the sensitive, timely and effective response to people in need. |
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Objectives
The objectives of the Change Centre are to serve the people of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis. Their mission is:
To serve the people of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis through the provision of quality counselling, case management and referral services to persons in crisis. We will serve all families and individuals in need of assistance, regardless of religious affiliation, sexual orientation, race or socio-economic status and our services will always be carried out professionally, honestly and with the highest degree of integrity in a safe and sensitive environment.
The Change Centre aims to educate the public about social issues and continue to engage in research to better understand the needs of the public it serves. A key component of the service on offer is their Citizens Advice Bureau, which shares information that often helps clients to gain employment or to access much needed resources. |
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Programmes
The Change Centre accepts referrals from the courts, police, schools, churches and the medical service.
In the absence of a refuge house, the Change Centre finds safe havens for persons in crisis with families in the community. However, this arrangement is too tentative and invasive, not to mention unstable, for victims needing time to get on their feet. Therefore, it is far more prudent to provide a refuge house that would temporarily house victims in a comfortable non-intrusive space so that they might have the time to reflect and make decisions toward the future.
There are currently about ten families in the programme. Some are single parents or teenage mothers with difficulties at home. They may be from families that have been separated by the courts. The Change Centre provides the recipients with weekly food parcels, uniforms for their children to attend school and other assistance, even scholarships in some cases, where a child needs to get away from an impossible family situation. In cases where the Centre is unable to help directly it finds sponsorship from a member of the local community, sometimes a homeowner from abroad, or a Nevisian resident, to assist with education.
The Change Centre believes strongly in empowering clients to take on challenges themselves. To this end, the Centre provides ongoing training and workshops as well as one on one counselling. The Change Centre also provides counselling and support to its clients through the ongoing commitment of the Nevis Island Administration as well as local and international donors.
The Change Centre has a long history of collaboration with local, regional and international agencies in providing training in areas such as domestic violence and child abuse response for local law enforcement, health personnel and other first line crisis response persons.
Workshops are conducted in the following areas:
Crisis Management Training
This involves sessions that help victims to identify problems, their causes and to develop appropriate responses that would peacefully resolve them.
Child Abuse Training
This involves sessions that help victims to identify warning signs that a child is being or has been abused. Trainees are also taught to prepare children to discern the differences between ‘good and bad touches’ and other forms of abuse.
Preparation to Enter the Job Market
Sessions are held to help victims to develop their self-esteem and interpersonal skills as well coaching in dress and etiquette in applying for a job, preparing for a job interview and finally landing a job.
Domestic Violence Training
Sessions help victims of domestic violence to understand the factors leading to abuse and to plan for leaving abusive situations. The session also includes discussions about the law as it relates to victims of domestic violence, the court process, rights of domestic violence victims as individuals before the law, provisions of criminal and common law.
In the area of public outreach, the Change Centre will continue to educate the public through:
TV Programme – ‘Small Talk, Big Issues’
A monthly programme hosted by Executive Director Salome James. This programme keeps the public informed of the work of the Centre but also about issues related to policy and social changes within the Federation and abroad.
Newsletter
A bi-annual letter informing existing and potential donors of the work of the Centre and about ongoing issues related to areas such as domestic violence, child abuse and other issues of concern to the community.
Radio Programme
A monthly radio programme designed to keep the community informed of the work of the Centre, to raise funds and to continue to educate listeners about issues related to domestic violence, child abuse and other areas of social development. |
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Achievements
In collaboration with the FAVACA, a Florida-based non-profit organization, the Centre educated all elementary school children on Nevis about child abuse.
The Change Centre’s Thrift Shop supported and run by donors and volunteers helps to raise funds for various areas of programming.
One of the Centre’s major projects was recently undertaken by a group of 6 people from Granville, Ohio. The group painted the Children’s ward of the Alexandra Hospital donated 4 fans and various medical and personal items. They also built and donated benches and tables to, and carpeted the floor of, the Maude Smith Pre-school at Bath Village, Nevis. |
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Case Studies
Sally was abused by her stepfather from the age of 9. In an effort to stop the abuse, she had a child, but it didn’t stop. The Change Centre assisted her in setting up life on another island, where she now has a job.
In another case Betty, a mother of five, who had been physically abused by her husband for many years, decided to move out of the family home. She began the process of educating herself. She was counselled for a year and at the same time the Change Centre approached her husband to ask his permission for her to get a job. Eventually he agreed. Her counselling included self-esteem building and motivational issues as well as legal advice, and assistance in determining her position before the courts. Finally separated from her partner, Betty has managed to support herself through various self-employment strategies throughout which time she has sent all of her children to college. One of her children is pursuing a medical degree and the others are holding down important positions in the public and private sectors of the economy.
(Names used in these examples are fictional to protect the identity of the clients) |
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Needs
Volunteering in Nevis is still a novel and largely unorganised activity. The ongoing emigration of the population has made it difficult to rally and maintain steady support for any social venture. At the same time, however, the changing social and economic structure of the islands increases the need for the services of organisations like the Change Centre.
As the only organisation of its kind in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Change Centre and its services are unique. However, in order to be able to continue to serve the community, the Centre must focus on vigorous fundraising strategies. Recently the members of staff have been forced to spend more and more time fund-raising rather than counselling and engaging in other projects. This is why the support of donors is now so badly needed.
To read more…
The Change Centre would like to establish a shelter to assist persons temporarily in need. Shelter services will include therapeutic counselling as well as assistance in finding jobs and preparation to start life on their own.
Based on the established needs of the population, the Centre is interested in forming partnerships with interested volunteers in the following areas:
Collaborating with persons abroad to visit the island and undertake community work. Volunteers may be persons with medical and other social service credentials and experience but from time to time they need the assistance of volunteers who have skills in construction and related trades.
Offering services such as free primary health screening for children and adults such as dental screens and eyesight tests.
Assisting children with identified illnesses requiring treatment abroad to visit other countries like the United States to obtain the treatment. People overseas can help by offering to find referrals for treatment or to provide housing and living expenses for a child. Anyone who has an idea for assisting should contact the Centre to establish what the specific needs might be at the time.
Liaising contributions to the work of the Centre and the people of the Federation from persons living abroad. The Centre can assess the needs of the community and inform donators of what might be needed. Assistance may also be given in passing donations of food, clothing etc to the people most in need.
Assisting in grant-writing and researching sources of funding for the Centre’s work.
Assisting in research and production of the Centre’s bi-annual newsletter. |
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Staff
The work of the Change Centre involves staff and volunteers that report to a board of directors. The board of the Change Centre includes two lawyers and a Permanent Secretary to the Nevis Island government. Board members provide an invaluable service to the Centre and by extension to the federation of St Kitts and Nevis.
Board members donate their services freely but also assist in developing networks and performing advocacy work on behalf of clients. Each of our board members is selected because of a genuine interest in improving the welfare of the citizens of the Federation and working to advocate on behalf of the disadvantaged and dispossessed.
Mary Spooner PhD - Founding Director
Dr Mary Spooner is a public policy analyst with expertise in gender and family issues, criminal justice and juvenile delinquency issues, family violence and gender and small business development. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science where she completed a master’s degree in Social Policy and Planning in developing countries and the University of Massachusetts, Boston where she obtained her doctorate in Public Policy.
Dr Spooner has spent significant time working with the poor in the informal sector in the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis and started working to establish the Change Centre in July 1990. Dr Spooner has recently published two articles addressing the problems of HIV/AIDS and domestic violence in Caribbean communities at home and abroad in a book entitled “The Health and Well-being of Caribbean Immigrants in the United States” published by the Haworth Press 2004.
Dr Spooner is presently Director of Program Evaluation with the State of Michigan’s largest non-profit organisation serving the needs of adjudicated youth and their families. She has wide experience in the evaluation of programmes in the field of health and social welfare and economic development and the management of non-profit organizations. Dr Spooner continues to work with the Change Centre, primarily in public relations and fundraising endeavours. She is married and has two daughters.
Reverend Salomé James - Executive Director
Rev Salomé James is an Adult Education Co-ordinator with the Nevis Island Administration and the pastor at the Wesleyan Holiness Church in Charlestown, Nevis. She holds an Associate degree in Theology and an Associate Degree in Christian Education, and a Certificate in Gender and Development Studies. An Ordained Minister for 28 years, Rev James has been trained in Domestic Violence Prevention Crisis Counselling. Rev James has come face to face with the challenges that many residents on the islands experience. Her years of pastoral care and training makes her the ideal person to undertake the kind of empathetic counselling that is so needed by the clients that the Centre serves. A recipient of the Helen Prize Foundation from Montreal, Canada in 1998, Rev James is married, has four sons and one grandson. She is presently pursuing studies towards her MBA in Counselling. She has been working with the Centre since 1993.
The Centre is run with the volunteer help of qualified counsellors. The members of staff, all professional counsellors, are trained in family counselling - particularly where it concerns family violence.
Please see here for the founder’s philosophy: |
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Getting Involved
The Change Centre would like to collaborate with people abroad wishing to spend their vacation time helping others in the community by doing any form of charitable work. They have had persons assist in refurbishing the children’s ward at the hospital, working in the office, helping the elderly and disabled in the community, making presentations on topics of interest related to health and well being, teaching a craft, etc. Any ideas presented will be considered and feasible ideas will be supported by the Change Centre.
The Change Centre also needs assistance in running its thrift shop and organising fundraisers. Persons abroad wishing to volunteer are welcome to contact Mary Spooner PhD at mspooner@comcast.net.
Local volunteers should contact Salome James at 1-869-469-1887 or changecentre@yahoo.com. |
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Contact Us
Address: The Change Centre,
P O Box 647,
Charlestown,
Nevis.
Tel: 001 869 469 1887
Email: changecentre@yahoo.com
Website: www.changecentre.org
Persons in the United States, Canada, the UK or other overseas locations can contact Mary Spooner Ph D – mspooner@comcast.net |
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This feature page is sponsored by DefinitiveCaribbean as part of the DefinitiveCaribbean Charity Support Scheme supporting Caribbean charities. We hope you will give generously to this excellent St Kitts Nevis charity that does so much to help the less fortunate children of St Kitts and Nevis and please remember to mention DefinitiveCaribbean when you contact or make your donation to the The Change Centre.
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