Although the population of St Lucia stands at about 180,000 people as of 2021, UNICEF found that one in three children lives in poverty on the small island in the Caribbean. The poverty rate for children is higher than that of the adult population in St Lucia, despite children representing only 22% of the population. These individuals are at a higher risk of violence because children living in poverty are more prone to experience high rates of crime and inadequate and unsanitary housing. 

The Impact of the Pandemic

In its study to evaluate the well-being of young people in Saint Lucia, UNICEF predicted a dramatic increase in the number of children living in severe poverty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with rates climbing from 2% pre-pandemic to 28%. The pandemic disrupted young people’s education, employment and mental health, resulting in an increased burden of long-term economic and social consequences. 

The Jermain Defoe Foundation

The Jermain Defoe Foundation is a charity that the famous English footballer Jermain Defoe founded, who saw that poverty was rife among the children living in his family’s home country but often went unnoticed due to the island’s popularity as a paradisiacal holiday destination.

Since its launch in 2013, the foundation has hosted multiple events to help the children living in poverty in St. Lucia. The same year, it hosted a gala dinner, which raised more than £80,000 to go towards a new children’s home. In 2017, the foundation completed the Rainbow Children’s Home in one of the poorer areas on the south of the island and equipped it to help children in need.

The foundation has hosted multiple charity football tournaments with Defoe to get children socializing and involved in the sport while also raising money to help the children in need in St. Lucia.

In 2016 and 2017, the organization rallied the public to contribute to the Christmas Shoebox Appeal and was able to deliver 181 boxes to children living in poverty in 2016. The organization filled these boxes with donated toys, clothing, sweet treats and activity packs, distributing them among Daigen School in St. Lucia. In 2017, the foundation gave 178 Shoeboxes to students, which were needed more than ever following the devastating Hurricane Maria a few months prior.

Food For The Poor

Food For The Poor (FFTP) focused on disaster relief when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, distributing goods to those in need. To help with the strain put on agriculture, health care, livelihoods and education in 2021, the charity shipped 29 tractor loads of aid to the island filled with agricultural tools, medical equipment, clothing, furniture and food.

FFTP also initiated multiple projects to promote sustainable economic solutions. It built 20 greenhouses to assist schools with feeding programs while educating children about the benefits of agriculture, plant life and reforestation.

The organization also formed the St. Lucia’s Home Food Production Project, which created self-sustaining chicken farms and vegetable gardens among the communities to improve nutrition and generate income with fewer operational costs. It also designed the Pastoral Centre Bee Farm Project to provide employment and learning opportunities and revenue from the sale of honey. 

Irie Kids Inc.

Irie Kids Inc. is a registered nonprofit that works exclusively in Saint Lucia and is dedicated to improving the lives and opportunities available to impoverished children on the island.

Volunteers solely run its programs, with 100% of donations going straight toward the organization’s efforts. Irie Kids seeks to impact children’s lives through education and resources through activities such as tutoring, one-to-one coaching and group talking therapy in a “Tea Party For Teens.”

The programs have free registration for all children, and Irie Kids Inc. designed them to foster creativity and grant new opportunities and a future-orientated outlook. Programs have included a Pet Care Program, which teaches children about animal care and the basics of veterinary medicine, and included a trip to the local animal shelter. Another impactful event was the First Period Preparedness Program, which Irie Kids Inc. formed to promote a celebration of womanhood and incite open conversations. This process involved a tea party alongside a Q&A with a certified instructor to answer any queries and, most importantly, the distribution of a period kit to each student. 

While child poverty in Saint Lucia persists, numerous organizations are working to make a difference. The Jermain Defoe Foundation, Food For the Poor and Irie Kids Inc. are three examples of NGOs that are active in the nation. Their support goes a long way to secure brighter future for the next generation of youth in the island nation. 

– Maia Winter
Photo: Flickr