Development Projects Foundation Inc.- an independent organisation striving to better lives in Nevis
In an interview with the Department of Information moments after the Foundation handed over a 40ft container of medical supplies, equipment and furniture from its benefactor Global Links, a non profit organisation based in the United States Mrs. Parry said her organisation had its sites set on providing housing for underprivileged persons on Nevis.
“Another project we want to bring on stream would be a few houses for poor persons, those who are working for less than $1,400.00 a month, who cannot afford to pay for the houses that the Nevis Housing and Land Development Corporation are building.
“What we plan to do as long as we get funding, is to do a combination of wooden houses with a concrete base like one bedroom [and] two bedrooms because there is a need for that. There are persons who need houses and they really cannot deal with the interest the banks are charging and the way we want to do it is like they rent, pay to own [with] no interest. This is a difficult one it is an uphill task for us but it is one that we will embark on as soon as it is possible,” she said.
Mrs. Parry also pointed to the many successful projects the Foundation had undertaken since its inception apart from bringing in container loads of medical supplies to Nevis in 2010 and this year.
She explained that the Foundation was at present actively seeking to tap financial support to bring in a third container that could be hopefully shipped to Nevis for the Alexandra Hospital from another group by November 15th 2011.
“We have tapped some sources but we are still waiting on the persons who we have contacted to come forward and help us. That would be another 40 foot container of medical supplies and equipment the same way and that list was put together by the doctors and matron at the hospital,” she said.
Also the Foundation has succeeded in tiling six classrooms at the Ivor Walters Primary School and also replaced the wooden stage with a concrete tiled one. The funding for all projects she said has come from people who were sympathic to the Foundation’s causes.
The St. James Primary School has also benifited from the Foundation and according to its Director they constructed a sick bay for students there a few years ago. She said in cases when the students fell ill they had some place where they could be kept outside the class room until their parents or guardian could collect them.
The Dyslexia Association and the Health Centre in Gingerland have both benifited from over $88,000 spent on equipment and supplies.
“We also donated a steriliser to the Hospital about two years ago. So we do projects like those, providing we get funding. That is part of our job to access funding under the Development Projects Foundation for these projects.
“We have also donated computers to the police station, the Library Homework Assistance Programme, the Health Education Department and the Sports Department. So we do things like those,” Mrs. Parry further explained.
Speaking to the difference between the Foundation and the BNTF she said the Foundation was a non governmental oganisation which was a real company.
“We were incorportaed so that is entirely different to the BNTF and apart from that, we have been doing of late, we have been giving food packages. We have given quite a few to single mothers, those who are having it very hard they come to us and we give them food packages.
“It’s funny because under the Developments Projects Foundation, we have done really basic things when it comes to medicine [and] food,” Mrs. Parry said.