From left: St. Eustatius Lions Club members Siem Dijkshoorn and Koos Sneek, Club President Bernadine Pandt and Leonora Sneek-Gibbs, with S. Blair accepting the items for his new home.
ST. EUSTATIUS–The St. Eustatius Lions Club donated to S. Blair on Tuesday, March 2.
Blair had to move to a new home in December 2020, as his previous residence was demolished to make room for the expansion of the second phase of the Felicia Viola van Zanten Complex for assisted living, where 10 additional homes are scheduled to be built in a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport, the St. Eustatius Department of Social Affairs and Employment SZW and the Progressive Consultant Bureau.
Lions President Bernadine Pandt said Blair had also approached SZW, which provided a stove, refrigerator and a bed to put in his new home.
The Lions presented Blair with a microwave, a rice cooker, other kitchen items and some food.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/statia-lions-club-donates-to-resident
Statia has abundance of clubs and foundations which say they want to do something for the people.
Education, well-being, housing, welfare, jobs, etc.
Unfortunately the mayority of these foundations and clubs were founded by the rich and powerful on the island.
It is not their goal to share their wealth with the rest.
But if you could write on your LinkedIn page that you’re the founder of, or active in a club, other privileged people could see you. This is their networking.
Therefore not much has happened as a result for the mayority of the common people.
The Sneeks, Dijkshoorns and others still do not see they are living on a sleeping volcano.
The biggest mistake white people on Statia always make when talking about racism, is thinking that they, because they may have a black wife, are not part of the problem.
When in the 19th century the white slaver abused the women slaves, he still was a slaver. And of course he was not an emancipated gentleman.
Today, the difference in skin color defines the economic status on our island.
Not seeing this means you do not want to change this, and you are part of the problem, not of the solution.
And take care, even so-called left politicians can be part of the same problem.
Most richer people live around Quill volcano, or outside town. 17, Peru Road (Sneek) and Road to Whitewall (Dijkshoorn) are just proof. Only Pandt lives in Bay Brow area.
The web is easy to find many people on our island. Segregation is also clearly visible by the neighborhood where one lives. This is no surprise to us, maybe only to Europeans.
If you would pinpoint on a map where all these people live on the island, and if you know the island well, you’ll see inequality is also visible in housing and environment.
Ik moet bij deze foto denken aan een oude foto uit Papua Nieuw-Guinea toen dat nog een Nederlandse kolonie was. De missionaris met tropenhelm ontbreekt hier slechts. Voor de rest is de paternalistische uitstraling hetzelfde.
Hebben Nederlanders dan helemaal niets geleerd in 60 jaar?
The yellow of lions club is also the color of the cda party of koos sneek. You must see this intermezzo just as elections propaganda for sinterklaas sneek. Because in just 8 days people can again elect the biggest fools.
Yellow is, by the way, internationally also the color of the cowards who do not dare to change society for the better, without criminal inequality, poverty and economic discrimination.
These are the members Leslie described as the white elite group. Never mind the mixed color, these are married to members of the same elite group. Dijkshoorn is married to the island secretary Malvern. Nora is the wife of Koos and also been involved in government and politics.
Watch the poor black man being grateful for these gifts. Yes, 10 indulgences for the lion club members.
Without diminishing the good deeds this lions club has done for the community, this giving an ‘aalmoes’ or charity by the rich shouldn’t be a present day phenomenon. It resembles the accumulation of indulgences in the medieval era.
People have a right to prosperity! If it comes only as crumbs that fall of the table, there’s something pretty wrong in society. And this inequality means not only injustice, but also danger for the ones who did not share.