As efforts to promote the development of Saint Lucian tradition and diverse culture as a valuable commodity continue, the Iyanola Natural Resource Management of the North East Coast Project, which is in its final year of implementation with a focus on establishing sustainable initiatives, held a media launch for the Cultural heritage initiative.

The Iyanola Project, which focuses on natural resource management in the island’s northeast, recently launched the Cultural Heritage Initiative to elevate and promote the value of Saint Lucia’s traditional and cultural heritage in support of Saint Lucia’s management. A ten-week training program will be provided to ten cultural groups as part of the initiative.

Deputy Director of Agricultural Services, Barry Innocent says that this initiative will contribute to the overall goal of the Iyanola project which is increased management effectiveness and sustainable use of the northeast coast natural resource base to generate multiple environmental benefits.

“This event marks the culmination of a long journey which started several years ago in the life of the project, the Iyanola project. It started by identifying the cultural asset base within the communities which could be packaged in very creative ways and presented in a form that captures the attention of the public. But more importantly, such a cultural asset base can be used to sustain the cultural traditions themselves, enhance and create livelihoods for persons within the communities, and also to foster cohesive communities within the project area”

Minister for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology, and Vocational Training, Shawn Edward, commended all stakeholders involved in the success of the Iyanola Project thus far and expressed gratitude to the Global Environment Fund for their continuous support.

“ Another thing that heartens me from the standpoint of government is the fact that we have been able to source from the Global Environment Fund (GEF) a grant of two million three hundred thousand us dollars that is almost seven million EC dollars and that is very significant at a time when the revenue streams of the government are not performing the way they’re supposed to. Every country in the world irrespective of which continent it happens to be on has been adversely affected by Covid, and so any friendly government or agency we get to partner with to roll out programs for our people, we must embrace and appreciate what they make when working with us”

The media launch of the Cultural Heritage Initiative took place on Friday, January 28^th, 2022 at the Gabriel Charles Forestry Complex.