By Naomi Marshall

SHINY blue beaches; sparkling sand; cocoa-filled atmosphere; bright skies; cool sea breeze; hustling people polite in their approach; proud artefacts, mingling tourists in the streets of St. George; and above all, a deep-rooted history of the island’s people, trials, tribulations and victory.

These are the richest and most memorable things that I have taken away after spending two weeks in the ‘Spice Isle’ of Grenada, as a part of the Marti Expedition Programme exploring the island, volunteering and enjoying the company of 29 other spectacular volunteers from around the world.

TOURING
The first week met us with great excitement for travelling the island and volunteering our time to serving the country. During this last week, we toured the St. George’s University School of Medicine, which is the oldest private medical school in the Caribbean and was founded by Charles R. Modica on July 23, 1976. It was rated by The Princeton Review as one of the “Best 168 Medical Schools”.

“Walking around the amazing campus gave the group a unique insight into what life would be like living, working and studying in Grenada. The university is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea giving a serene atmosphere which the S.G.U ambassadors said helped with relaxation, as well as studying,” said volunteer, 18-year-old, Adonia Burke of the United Kingdom.

However, finding out that a university which has a reputation for exceptional medical degrees also had degrees in Sociology, Psychology, Information Technology and Business allowed Marti students to open their mind and recognise the diversity of such a reputable institution, Burke said with much optimism.

Next up was our visit to the Grenada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and animal rescue centre, where we were given a descriptive tour of the shelter. Founded in 1936, the GSPCA is among the oldest animal shelters in the Caribbean. It is a non-profit volunteer organisation which only employs a full-time kennel worker and an administrative assistant; all other work is dependent on volunteer efforts.
In addition to the tour, we got the opportunity to walk and play with some of the dogs at the shelter. The moment I was handed a ‘poop bag’ I prayed that I would not have to use it and luckily enough, my dog was a good boy. Our time at the shelter certainly changed the way we view “stray dogs”; the way they should be treated and has left a great impact on our lives.

VOLUNTEERING

Another life-changing experience was volunteering at the Queen Elizabeth Home for Children. Upon our arrival, we were filled by the energy given off from the children at the home who were flicking, dancing and playing, which made us even more ecstatic to be there.

“Not even five minutes in we were jumped on, embraced and destroyed by these amazing kids. They took great pleasure in socialising, expressing their future goals and being comforted by us both physically and emotionally,” volunteer from the United Kingdom, Adjoa Ayebi-Kwakye noted. “We were all touched by a child in different ways.”
Coming down to the end of our time at the home, we presented the children with various donations we brought with us to Grenada.

The Queen Elizabeth Home is the oldest children’s home in Grenada which is named after British Queen Elizabeth II. The home supports children of all ages who are orphaned or in need of care and is supported mainly by voluntary contribution.

ADVENTURE
As we approached the end of the first week, we were privileged with the opportunity of hiking to the Seven Sisters Waterfall. Accompanied by a tour guide, we set out on the 45-minute hike through the rainforest to get to two of the seven falls. On our journey, we passed through a private plantation where we saw cocoa, nutmeg and bananas being cultivated. The sharp pathway down to the fall was like a staircase made of bamboo sticks and rocks. As we approached the falls, we heard the water falling rapidly and felt the moist air on our skins.

Since I can’t swim, I stuck to the shallow parts of the very cold water, however, I made the most of it. The thought of the deep being dangerous demolished when three of my friends stated that they wanted to jump off the 30-foot waterfall. Although my mind felt like exploding, this was something they wanted to do; this was them coming out of their comfort zone, so I supported them. The jumps were not so bad after all and it was worth it since they accomplished their goal. It was time to go and we were then challenged by the steep, slippery hills on our journey out of the rainforest but our determination got us through it all.

FINAL WEEK

Our Final week in Grenada found us in Sauteurs, a community in the countryside of the island. Here is where we got to see the chocolate making process during a tour of the Diamond Chocolate Factory. The facility is housed in a former rum distillery built by French monks in 1774 and produces the Jouvay brand of chocolate that you’ll see on sale around the island. We also learned that this chocolate factory is also listed among the top 10 best chocolate makers in the world.

In addition, we got to see the Leaper’s Hill which holds much history to its name. It is said that the Amerindians refusing to commit to slavery, took their own lives by jumping off the Leaper’s Hill. It is safe to say that the name speaks for itself.

During our time in Sauteurs we also visited the Hilarion Elderly Home where, in an effort to reduce generation gap, we interacted with the residents of the home by playing games and singing hymns. This was one of the most emotional visits we made. “Learning stands when riches fail,” is a quote said to me by Aunt Lucy, a resident of the home, and it will stay with me forever.

Volunteer from the United Kingdom, Rochelle Wong described her experience at the home as “emotionally draining…It allowed us to connect with the elderly on a deeper level and appreciate that in times of need, a helping hand is always necessary.”

OTHER ACTIVITIES
Some of the other awesome activities we took part in was CPR and First Aid training, African drumming, training in the basics of suturing, a tour of the Belmont Estate, Creole Society classes, Health Fair, Vector control training and awareness exercise, beach clean-up, filmmaking training and not forgetting the numerous trips to the lush Grand Anes and Umbrella beaches.

In addition to all the experiences gained, I was blessed with new friends from around the world and who are now my “Famahlee.”

Overall I would describe my two weeks in Grenada as well spent, breathtaking, educational, adventurous, emotional, historic and life-changing as I “lived in the moment.”
Marti Expeditions is an organisation dedicated to immersive, transformational travel and learning experiences.

The organisation provides two to three week-long programmes across the greater Caribbean region. Marti began with a programme in 2014 on the ‘Spice Isle’ of Grenada. Expeditions are manned by a small group of students aged 15-18 years of age and are led by experienced and trained guides.

The student participants get the opportunity to do meaningful community work that helps the local population in ways which the local population deem most beneficial. The students immensely benefit from their time spent outside their comfort zone, challenging their perspectives. The students, being from varying countries, also have the opportunity to interact with each other in a new environment, making new friends for life. This year, participants branched from, Guyana, Trinidad, the United Kingdom, the United States, Jamaica and Barbados.