The Richmond Vale Academy (RVA) focuses its training and volunteer program on developing awareness and capacity at the community level to have a positive impact on environmental challenges. We have developed our campus to be a model for sustainable living, with demonstration projects on energy, environment, food quality and security, and zero impact. Through our program, the volunteers are trained to work with surrounding communities to improve normal conditions across these sectors. Since 2017 RVA has been creating climate smart small-scale ecological farms and home gardens in over 200 locations throughout St Vincent and the Grenadines with hundreds of volunteers from all over the world. The RVA has a target of 1,000 home gardens by 2025.
The eruption of the La Soufriere volcano interrupted any sense of normal conditions for the entire island, beginning with our own campus. Our response initially was an immediate shut down of all activities because all of our infrastructure was submerged by hundreds of tons of volcanic ash. Buildings and gardens and all infrastructure was submerged, similar to all of our surrounding communities.
Our first task was to become as functional as possible again, digging out, repairing and rebuilding. The training programs shut down for more than a year, while we assessed the path forward. Our collaborating communities had a similar process, first making sure that lives were secure, and then working through ash removal, repairs, rebuilding and rebirth.
The Ecological Farming Programme
A critical challenge for the affected was the restoration of food production, which had been wiped out by the volcano. Eighty (80%) of the farming was in the area worst hit by the eruption.
RVA set to work immediately to find external support to assist with this process, using our own global network of volunteer and implementing organizations, with the goal to help to mitigate the consequences on the farming and food production of the most affected areas. The island became immediately dependent upon food imports, adding a massive economic challenge to the communities already devastated by the environmental impact of the eruption.
According to Saboto Caesar, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labor: “Food security in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has come under threat following the eruption of the Soufrière volcano, creating a significant need for imports.”
RVA managed to secure a grant from “The Centre for Livelihoods, Ecosystems, Energy, Adaptation and Resilience in the Caribbean Ltd” – CLEAR to create 100 Home gardens in target communities. This grant will strengthen food security, increase capacity for rain-water harvesting, improve soil fertility and and enhance biodiversity. This community-centered approach provides multiple benefits, particularly regarding learning by doing, peer-to-peer exchanges and a train-the-trainer.
The volcano has given increased urgency and energy to the RVA mission, and has stimulated the challenge to work at a greater scale as our training program responds to immediate and urgent needs in surrounding communities. Since reopening in the Autumn 2022, the community gardens program has re-established its teams and community partnership network, and have seen renewed food production with improved, sustainable techniques implemented.
In the light of this RVA is seeking volunteers from all over the world to implement these 100 home gardens. Our next teams begin in November 2023 and in February, August and November 2024.
We invite new students to join us in learning and mobilizing to have real time, real-life impact and an experience that will change you for the rest of your lives!!!
6 Months Climate Activism program
