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Resurrect fishing village in Dominica West Indies

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Resurrect fishing village in Dominica West Indies

Resurrect fishing village in Dominica West Indies

Resurrect fishing village in Dominica West Indies

Resurrect fishing village in Dominica West Indies

Resurrect fishing village in Dominica West Indies

Tonya Whitfield
Tonya Whitfield
Tonya Whitfield
Tonya Whitfield
1 Campaign |
Minneapolis, United States
$350 USD 3 backers
3% of $10,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
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When American URBAN MISSIONARIES serve 

cross culturally.....God will do some amazing things.. 

 

“As often as you did it for one of the least of my brothers

and sisters, you did it for me.” Matthew 25:40 

 

FISHING VILLAGE PROJECT

Castle Bruce, Dominica West Indies

 

(Hear from Vincent, a Local fisherman in Castle Bruce,  recorded in Dec. 2012 )

As a former police officer and current philanthropist, I have dedicated my life to serving people.The Lord called me In December 2012, to visit the small village of Castle Bruce, Dominica West Indies.  During the time spent in the village, Vincent's interview (Above) was taken, this began my 4 year journey with serving the village of Castle Bruce. January 2013, I submitted the above video testimony of Vincent standing on Castle Bruce beach to (Food For The Poor inc).  FFP viewed the video with Vincent describing the lack of fishing activity in the village of Castle Bruce. Feb 2013 An amazing partnership began that opened a door to build lasting relationships within the village and FFP. June 2016, I returned to Castle Bruce where I obtained the commitment of the the locals to move forward with the project. Upon my return to the states I was informed that (Food For The Poor Inc) has committed to "fully funding" the fishing village in an effort to resurrect the Castle Bruce fishing village.

The area around Castle Bruce has been inhabited for 5,000 years. It was first populated by Amerindians from South and Central America who traveled along the islands of the Eastern Caribbean on rafts and canoes exploring for new resources for food. It was an area rich in natural resources: It has some of the flattest land in all of Dominica, one of the biggest rivers that itself has several tributaries.  The first group of Amerindians who came here did not practice agriculture, and only hunted and gathered from the land and sea around them. They made pots out of local clay and built large communal houses.These people, who are the ancestors of the present day Kalinago/Caribs who live near Castle Bruce still, made farms and settlements on the beautiful and fertile valley lands and hillsides of Castle Bruce. In those days however they called the place Kouanari and the name appears on the early European maps of Dominica as Country. (Lennox Honychurch.)

(Castle Bruce Taken from my host families porch)

 

Castle Bruce villagers have a strong sense of community and have shown me an amazing amount of hospitality and support. After spending a good amount of time in the village, I have also met people who were struggling to stay ahead of life, people who were filled with love and a desire to make it but who were nonetheless falling behind. After communing with the locals I learned that their once thriving fishing village had laid dormant for over 15 years. Lack of a local fishery has contributed to various health related concerns and a reduction in resources in the small village of 1300 villagers. The more time I spent in the village a sense of urgency sprung up on the inside of me....

(Walking with my host family)

(Castle Bruce)

(Mother walks with her small children after work)

A call to action was birthed on the inside of me..I had an idea....The village needed modern fishing boats and community partnerships in a bad way, and since returning to Minneapolis, I have made it my mission to serve the people of Castle Bruce. 

(view on my walk home in Castle Bruce)

 

MEET OUR PARTNERS;

 

 

More About our Partner:

Diocese Of Roseau Most Reverend Gabriel Malzaire 

Established in 1850, the Diocese of Roseau encompasses the Commonwealth of Dominica and is a member of the Antilles Episcopal Conference.

 

Jullan Defoe;

Senior Fisheries Officer at Dominica Fisheries Division

 


MORE ABOUT OUR PARTNER FFP: In an attempt to be more responsive to the deepening grip of poverty on the poor, Food For The Poor (FFP) has developed programs aimed at assisting those in need to create a sustainable and self-sufficient means of supporting their families. The focus is to research, plan and implement entrepreneurial projects directed at those who could potentially run a small business. They strive to break the cycle of poverty by empowering the poor so they can start a business and create wealth, once the initial economic means to start has been provided. FFP has funded many fishing villages across the Caribbean, this will be the first sponsored Fishing Village on the island of Dominica.

 

_______________________________________________

The following items are fully funded by FFP

  • 4  x 21-ft Fiberglass Boats
  • 4  x Engines (High-Powered Outboard)
  • 1  x   Gear Shed (for equipment storage)
  • Includes: GPS systems; Hand-held radios; Freezers; Coolers; Lanterns; Safety gear (first aid kits, flare kits, life jackets, etc.); Fishing tackle (anchors, lures, scalers, reels, hooks fishing lines, barrels, buoys, etc.); Administrative costs; Transportation; Facilities and outside equipment 


(Example of the boats funded by FFP that are shipped to the fishing villages)

 

Villagers are able to harvest larger catch in deeper waters with the modern vessels. 

 

(Fishermen prepped lunch during a recent training)

 

(Greg a seasoned Castle Bruce fisherman)

 

(Ms Nikki with the youth division)

 

(Local Dominican fishermen)

Outcomes***

Since June 2016; 16 fishermen have been trained in Castle Bruce they earned a fishermen license and graduated with training in navigation (pictured below.)

 

(Castle Bruce's New fishermen)

(navigation training)

ALL courses have been taught by the islands fisheries dept. this will prepare the Castle Bruce fishermen for fishing on the atlantic ocean.

 

(Fisherman and a kingfish harvest)

I am currently serving as project coordinator in addition to working directly with the newly assigned Castle Bruce Fisheries committee. We will be teaching new fishermen how to fish, we are creating opportunities for them to keep a sustainable lifestyle, something that will support both their present and their future.

(Tonya Pictured with village priest Fr. Elveau Augustine And villager Jackyln Roberts pic taken  June 2016)

 

(Castle Bruce church)

 

 

(Picture taken in Scotts Head, Dominica in Dec 2012)

 

Im excited and blessed that the goals I set out for this project has manifested and the boats have been fully funded 

Previously,  all of my own personal funding has been up to me, this is the reason I am asking for support during this next phase of the project. I need to return to Castle Bruce Dominica soon to assist the new fishermen with the boats that are being shipped by FFP.

(Picture taken Dec 2012 in Dominica

*SO WHATS NEXT?*

During Phase II of the project I will be serving for 90 days.The outcomes so far have been AMAZING! The fishermen have been trained and the shed is almost complete!!

 

 

 

Our partners Diocese Of Roseau Most Reverend Gabriel Malzaire recently released a publication on the progress we have made so far with the project.

 

 

In closing, I have come to you, friends, for help raising the funds that I need to put my plan into action. We have come so far already, but we do have a way to go still. Your contribution will put us on track to implementing this plan effectively. Let’s do this together. I appreciate every dollar. My budget includes travel expenses,housing & supplies. My effort with this project has been organic from its inception and is currently an unpaid position.  Thank you so much for your consideration of this effort to assist the people of Castle Bruce Dominica.

(Capturing footage while fishing off the coast of Dominica)

 

 

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