Bearing in mind the words of Mahatma Gandhi “Be the change you want to see in the world”, Rise Up Bequia, a newly formed non-profit group comprising Bequia natives from various communities,has done its part to ensure that students affected by the Christmas Eve floods in St Vincent are now better equipped in school. {{more}} Rise Up Bequia has been working since the day after the floods to aid the people of St Vincent. Money collected and funds donated at a benefit concert held by the group in Bequia was used to purchase folders, graph leaves, exercise books, pens, pencils, rulers, geometric sets, pencil cases, erasers and sharpeners for over 130 students.

The group journeyed to the mainland on Monday and with the aid of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross, was able to visit schools and distribute these packages to students of the Troumaca Primary, Fitz- Hughes Primary, Spring Village Methodist Primary, Chateaubelair Methodist Primary, West Wood Methodist Primary, Petit Bordel Secondary and Troumaca Secondary.

The students shared their traumatic experiences during the flood and were encouraged by members of the group to thank God they survived and to help others just as they are now being helped.

Rise up Bequia is dedicated to pursuing various projects to encourage the people and to ensure that the island of Bequia does indeed ‘Rise Up’.