Grass mat made by inmates to be displayed at PM’s residence

The largest vetiver grass mat to be produced in SVG is now on display at the Prime Minister’s official residence at Old Montrose.

The mat, made by 12 inmates of Her Majesty’s Prisons (HMP), will be showcased as part of a ‘Heritage and History’ tour, designed for cruise ship passengers who will visit the residence, beginning in November.

When the cruise ship Britannia makes a call at Port Kingstown on November 17, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves will conduct a tour of the residence for some of the visitors.

The 180 sq ft mat took six weeks of teamwork to produce under the direction of artist/designer Vonnie Roudette, coordinator of the Prison Sustainable Livelihoods Programme.

The training at HMP began with male and female inmates in August 2015 and has been sponsored by the Mustique Charitable Trust since September 2016. Since its inception, 42 male and five female inmates have been certified as professional producers, with three inmates having achieved professional trainer level.

The vetiver products have been developed to high quality and are marketed under the label ‘Grow in Time’ and after selling out at two Mustique Craft Fairs, they now enjoy a permanent outlet in the Mustique Depot on Mustique Island.

“The income generated through ‘Grow in Time’ sales enables inmates to improve their own lives, assist their families and provide themselves with financial support upon discharge from prison.

“Whilst the programme provides inmates with a sense of productivity and creative possibility, the impact of the project is to be found in alternative livelihood creation, with many discharged inmates from the programme continuing their practice,” a release from Grow in Time said.

A selection of Grow in Time prison products will be on display at the ‘Everything Vincy’ Expo from October 27 to 29 at the ET Joshua Airport site.