Other Activities: The Piton Foundation Scholarship Fund
 

The Piton Foundation Scholarship Fund was set up to provide book scholarships to Secondary school students from the village of Morne Prosper.
Sponsored by a British couple living in Switzerland, the Foundation receives US$2000 a year and has a revolving store of books, with seventeen students currently being sponsored.
The Directors of the Foundation visited in November 2003 and the children held a thanksgiving celebration.
 
The Piton Foundation also made the following donations to Morne Prosper School.
  • A Computer in 2001
  • A Photocopier in 2002
  • Ink in 2003
These sponsors also assist Lifeline with individuals with disabilities, and brief stories of 3 of the young people who have benefited to date are given below.
 
 
Loik Charles
Loik is seven years old and blind, due to an oxygen overdose during Hurricane Marilyn.
We first met Loik at the Alpha Centre (School for the Mentally Handicapped) three years ago, where the teachers had assessed him as being suitable for mainstream education if he could get help with his disability.
He was accepted at the Montessori Centre, where a special teacher was employed for him.
Barclays Bank, The British High Commission office staff group in Barbados and the crew of HMS Northumberland sponsored him for this.
  Subsequently a sponsor was found for him in Switzerland through the Piton Foundation and he is now doing well at the Berean Christian Academy where half of his school fees are covered.
A large sum of money was raised for him when there was a chance of corrective surgery in Paris unfortunately, the doctors there pronounced it impossible.
Those funds are being channeled into additional specialist help, paying Lisa Watty (specialist Teacher for the blind) to teach him one hour a day every other day.
Through the British Deputy High Commissioner, Rob Holland, we are now in touch with the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London and he arranged for them to send materials for Loik.
In 2003 Sandra Henderson, his class teacher, learnt Braille and is now sponsored to prepare all his class materials.
We have regular case conferences and send his reports to his sponsor.
In 2003, a Braille embosser was purchased and Loik was chosen to do the National Pledge on behalf all primary school children at the Youth Rally.
 
Jahaida Dorival
This one and a half year old child is severely disabled with Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida.
She nearly died in November 2002 but had lifesaving surgery in Martinique at a cost of $10,000 EC.
This year Lifeline raised this money from The British High Commission Staff group and the Piton Foundation sponsors.
She has returned to Martinique for tests, but apparently there is nothing that can be done surgically to give her the use of her legs.
We are now seeking to raise funds for the costs of this trip and to solicit a sponsor for the costs of integrating her into mainstream education.
 
Curt Sylvester
Sponsorship for life saving Heart surgery was raised from the National Lotteries commission and many local donations.
After his successful surgery the money left over was used for his education.
A Scrabble Club in the UK sponsored a mountain Bike for him.