Philipsburg: --- USONA representative Bart Pasman and commissioner of youth affairs Hyacinth Richardson signed off the release on some much-needed funds that would go towards the children’s home on St. Maarten. The Crystal Home (MPO) would be able to begin construction of new home in the Cay Bay/Cole Bay area. Some 2 million guilders have been approved for the project; I Can Foundation was awarded Naf.100, 000 for their interior furnishings. Monies were also set aside for some much-needed training programs Pasman said. In addition, to benefit from these funds is the UJIMA Foundation who would also be part of the training programs geared at upgrading the facilities that care for foster children.
The USONA representative said this was the last contract they had to sign to use up the harbour buy back shares.
Witnessing the signing on Thursday was Eva Williams and her representative from the Crystal Home. Not present was the director or any representative of the I Can Foundation, which was destroyed by fire some two years ago (August 1, 2007).
In an invited comment, Cassandra Gibbs (Debby) said she intends to contest the way the island government (former executive council) handled the distribution of the funds. Gibbs said when the I Can was destroyed by fire in 2007 Government had plan to assist with the re-construction of the home but they backed out saying that there was some unsettled matter pertaining to the land on which the home is constructed upon. Gibbs said on July 10 2008 she received a letter from the executive council who explained that due to the land dispute they would no longer contribute to the building instead they would furnish the building and provide monies for the training and upgrading of the staff, which she agreed to.
Gibbs said government was supposed to invite her to a meeting where they were suppose to discuss her the plans and the budget that is needed to furnish the home that caters to 29 foster children but that meeting was never called. The surrogate mother said in April 2009 she contacted Pasman now that they are in the final stages of the building and it was then she was notified that only Naf.100,000 was allotted to the furnishing of I Can Foundation. She said she immediately contested the amount because she wants to know on what grounds the island government (former executive council) made their calculations and submitted it to USONA. I Can Foundation she said would need close to Naf.500, 000 to properly furnish the building, which they built from donations and fundraisings. She said USONA even told her that I Can was not given any monies for the trainings even though they have more children that need foster care.
Gibbs said after that conversation she was contacted by another USONA representative who promised to call her in with her invoices so they can at least reflect the project files but that meeting she said was never called. Gibbs said she was informed that all project files has to be compiled by the island government and the meeting with the USONA representative again never took place.
Gibbs said it was not until Thursday last week she received a call from the Commissioner of youth affairs who invited all the surrogate mothers and caretakers to a meeting where he outlined the amount of monies awarded to each home. She said she immediately notified Richardson on the situation who told her he was trying to make sure he handles everything carefully and Richardson told her that there was an end date placed against the funding and if it is not signed off before that date then Holland can take back the monies. Gibbs said she plans to contest the matter since the person who worked on these project files never made contact with her. She said she would be questioning why MPO (Crystal Home) who cares for 14 children could get 2.1 million guilders while the I Can that has more than double the amount of children only has Naf.100, 000.
Gibbs made clear that she did not show up to the signing in protest, she said she is not going to giggle with people while they are purposely shafting the foundation and the children who she cares for.
Despite the controversy, the commissioner thanked the USONA for the monies that were made to the disposal of the foster care on St. Maarten; he particularly congratulated the MPO now that they are able to begin construction of a new home.
