Vincentians have successfully been able to use their own resilience and helpfulness to aid those affected by the recent floods.{{more}}

And Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, speaking at the “Hope” Concert held last Sunday at the Victoria Park, said that he is pleased thus far with the work being done on the ground to bring comfort to the victims of the Christmas floods.

According to the Prime Minister, with the country’s own resilience and the assistance that has been received from outside, those affected have been able to see some normalcy over the past two weeks.

“With our own resilience and helpfulness to one another, the support we have received from various countries and organizations and agencies have been put to good use over the last two weeks, to bring back some semblance of normalcy to many, many lives which have been threatened,” Gonsalves said.

But there is still more work to be done.

“And I know that when we are finished with the immediate problem, the news agencies may move on to the next disaster, even though we have not yet fully recovered from ours, but we have to keep the faith in addressing how we give generously to the poor and less fortunate among us,” Gonsalves said.

If we take care of them, the good Lord will take care of us, the Prime Minister said.

“I say that we formulate a clear and precise position as leaders,” he said.

And for Vincentians, Gonsalves urged them to arise in God.

“With six R’s: relief, reconstruction, river defenses, reforestation, relocation (including houses) and rivers (including bridges) – arise SVG with six R’s and when we do that, we believe that we will be redeemed – that is the seventh ‘R,’ making it perfect,” Gonsalves said.

He stated that leaders must show love and their faith in God will be made complete by their deeds.

And according to the Prime Minister, as a leader you also need to know the times.

“And the times after the flood, people are suffering and together we got to do something about it,” Gonsalves said.

He said people also needed to know the times, and the problems today and how to take care of them tomorrow.

“And in leading, we must obey the injunction that we must avoid our vanities and our childish ways – when I was young, I thought like a child. Too many leaders still think like children,” he said.

“But I have grown up and become a man and a woman – I think like a man or a woman; I throw away childish things,” Gonsalves said.(DD)