WITNESS
Richmond Vale Academy, 2009
My name is Daniel Breton, I was a volunteer in Richmond Vale Academy in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and was suppose to go to Africa, but at last moment quit the program.
Watching the work your doing against the TG, we´d like to inform you that we´ve initiated a Facebook Group called Richmond Vale Academy Alert, and if possible, we´d like you to publish this information for more people get to know what is this people really doing.
Below you will find just some of the comments I´ve placed in this group, if interested in publishing them in your website. We decided to make this group because Stina Herberg, the person at front of the project, shows no scrupules and publishes untrue information of what the program is, bringing people to the program with lies. Here they are:
- Is not true as the brochure in internet say, that there are teachers there to attend you, and assist you in your training to be a Development Instructor. There is no one to help you, you have to do everything by yourself. Even more, this people don´t even know what are the needs in each of the projects were the Volunteers are send, they are send there and let them by themselves find out what to do.
- From the 19 people who started on March Team 2009 in RVA, only 7 are in Africa now, of course, disappointed of what they found there. About those who went to Africa who knows how many of them will stay until the end in their projects. From what we know, all from September 2008 team, leaved their projects because of the lack of siriousness of this people.
– This people that say that are there to help, are truly just enclosed in their offices, doing promotion, bringing more people to this project, making them work mainly in cleaning and keeping the building beatiful with the excuse of training the volunteer, when the truth is that 20 feet away from the complex (a mansion that really is) are iliterate people living in galvanized chanties, without even beds, safe drinking water, latrines, and none basic things. And what is being done for that people? NOTHING!
- Furthermore, I can say about the fundraising that the economy in St. Vincent and The Grenadines is really poor, and the fact that the volunteers have to go out and sell things on the street, means that they compete with the same people that work in the street and which depend their daily sustent from it. RVA is not just not helping, is stealing their daily earns and way of living. Really really, shamefull.
- About the head of the School, she only cares about promotion, money, and her horses. She do nothing for the community.
- I, myself left the project at the last moments, and gave my 1,500 USD fundraising before quiting the project. And from my heart I ask Stina Herberg to give that money to the September Team 2009, now that funding this money is really, really hard in St. Vincents economy, and I´ve find out that the woman decided to keep this money. How disapointing…
- About the videos placed in YouTube, what a fake. All show actions made by the volunteers, initiative of the volunteers, the same people that is against this woman, but of course, she just appears there, where the actions are being done, with her camera, make some shots, and then, of course, with drums and trumpets, shows the actions as if it where being done big things for the community under the name of Richmond Vale Academy. What a FAKE! This woman should be ashamed of herself.
- This woman led one of her neighbors to court, for picking 30 Passion Fruits from a RVA Field, when the truth is that this person is illiterate, has no family, no bed where to sleep and no safe water to drink. And many may confirm, that plenty of the fruit falls on the floor and gets spoiled. How HUMANITARIAN and HELPFUL. Isn´t it? Even more, this people have placed this big building and plantation, in the land of this people, with the excuse to help them, when the truth is that their actions are not better than any previous imperialist, those they suppose to be against.
- This people really don´t appreciate what Volunteers are, using them mainly to fit their needs, and not really to help the communities and the volunteers themselves. Fundraise it´s easy, when there is a real project, and people is receiving things from it. But in the case of RVA is getting harder and harder- Why? Because people in the community are starting to get tired of volunteers asking for money, and seeing no benefit of it. The way RVA is leading fundraising, is degradant and irrespectful to volunteers.
May God be the one to judge, may god be with this words, for Stina Herberg´s god is money.
All be blessed
Daniel Breton
Contact: danielbreton@hotmail.com
