This week I want to introduce you to Orlandria Pinder and give you a Summer Camp update as well.
A quick handover to Dr Claire Verden first for the update –
Thank you Kathy for a little space to update on summer camp, which is right around the corner! When you read this post, Educators for Eleuthera camp will be 10 days from starting. The plans are all in place with fun activities and lessons ready for the children to extend their learning into summer and have fun at the same time. The teachers have spent many weeks thinking through these lessons and activities for the children to keep them engaged and participating while not thinking they are in school!
We would like to thank the generous donors from this blog and at the same time make a last minute pitch for anyone who may still be able to donate. We would love to be able to take a few day trips with the children which would require a school bus rental; this can run around $750 for one bus. In addition, we would like to be in a position to offer more young people in the community stipends for working as teacher assistants at camp and provide these youngsters with opportunities to grow and think about teaching as a career someday.
We typically see over 100 different children at camp over the summer period so we reach a lot of young minds and engage them in learning and FUN!
We have spent a lot of the received donations so far on supplies and materials for camp and without your support that would be very challenging; so thank you for that. The children will have a wonderful, memorable experience at camp thanks to generous donors like you! Please let us know if you are on island in the summer as we would love to show you around camp, and stay tuned for an end of camp art and performance show!!
Thank you for your consideration, follow the link on our website for ways to donate;
And now I am back again – and I want to introduce you to Orlandria Pinder , 15 , more often known as Lanny. Her Mum is Loretta Pinder who owns Lanny’s Bar in Palmetto Point where Bob often goes on a Saturday lunchtime for what we – tongue in cheek – call The Men’s Club.
Anyway Loretta told me about her daughter and her great achievement and I thought it would be interesting for all my lovely readers to hear about it. So many stories you hear about the education system are negative and depressing so it is a delight to talk about something positive.
Lanny is a pupil at Central Eleuthera High School and took part in a speaking competition organized by the Ministry of Tourism. It gave pupils across the Bahamas the chance to think about and then talk about what they thought was a good way to promote tourism on their island. Lanny won the competition in Eleuthera , then went on to win in a virtual round, finally beating the 5 additional winners from other islands including New Providence and Grand Bahama. She was awarded the title of Junior Minister of Tourism in a ceremony in Nassau.
And what were her ideas I hear you ask ! Firstly she talked about reviving and improving the People to People initiative where tourists can stay with a host Bahamian family to experience what life is like on the island and to see more clearly through their eyes what local people love and enjoy about their island.
Secondly she came up with the idea of the “Pineapple Passage” tour – this would give people a trip – not in one day I hasten to add – so that visitors could experience the variety of the different parts of the island from top to bottom.
It is so lovely to hear of such a positive example for the youth of the Caribbean.
The next stage for Lanny is a trip next month to the Cayman Islands to compete with all the other winners of the competition throughout the Caribbean. We wish her well and look forward to hearing how she gets on …..
It was lovely to hear as well that she is part of a Bahamian organization called Future Teachers of The Bahamas which supports and encourages those in the school system who are interested in becoming teachers themselves.
Well that’s all for this week dear readers – have a lovely weekend and take care of yourselves……
8 thoughts on “Meet Orlandria Pinder and a Summer Camp update”
In 1965, a friend of my Dad’s at the Lincoln Electric Company in Cleveland, Ohio told him about the Island of Eleuthera. It sounded so very inviting that Dad and Mom flew there in a twin-engine plane to Celebrate their 25th Wedding Anniversary at the French Leave Resort on French Leave Beach. When they return from their 2-week vacation, Mom talked and talked … and talked about “being in Heaven” on Eleuthera Island. The stories became more and more Wonderful until my wife and I booked a flight from Fort Lauderdale to Governor’s Harbour, to a rented home on French Leave Beach. A hurricane had removed the French Leave Resort, but the Island and the Beach were incredibly Beautiful. Our very first day on the island started with a cup of hot coffee and a walk on the beautiful beach. The beach was all but empty, except in the distance we could see a couple and their pup walking toward us. The day was going to get even more beautiful because we were going to meet Mary and Theo, from London, England. They became dear Friends as our trips to and from Eleuthera became frequent and our English Friends were making their new home on the island. So … just as Mom and Dad returned with Wonderful Tales of Governor’s Harbour, so did we. Eleuthera lives within us all the time, even when we return to our Fort Myers, Florida home. Thank You, Eleuthera for many wonderful memories.
David & Marcia Brown
So lovely to hear from you and to read your lovely story …. Hope that you are both well xx
Reminds me of my Uncle Arthur who would carefully dish out his food so nothing touched each other…..but then mush it altogether before eating it like a stew!! Hahaha!
Appreciated the recollections as told by David Brown! Liked Lanny’s ideas.
Eleuthera ISA gem. Happy Bday late Dan.
Thanks Donna- hope that all is well with you….
Oh my goodness – maybe I am channelling Uncle Arthur !
wonderful stories of a wonderful place.
Thank you Angela – lovely to hear from you x