CAYHILL:--- The community of Cay Hill, enjoyed a most welcomed surprise Saturday afternoon. Young men from the district took to the streets on foot, knocked on every door in Cay Hill in an effort to personally invite everyone in the community to a meeting the following Saturday called "What Cay Hill Needs".
A few weeks before, members of the Soualiga Social Movement (SSM) foundation were approached by a group of young men from the Cay Hill area who wanted to see community work done in their neighborhood as they have seen done in other districts on the island. They asked SSM if they could assist them in organizing some sort of community project for the residents of Cay Hill.
SSM then held a meeting with the group of young men to discuss plans to do a project that can benefit the entire community. The young men brought up several serious issues they would like to see solutions to such as unemployment, fixing the basketball court, sewage water and the general cleaning up of the community. There, it was decided that all the residents of Cay Hill should be allowed to participate in assessing what needs to be done in Cay Hill and how to solve any issues. Subsequently, SSM contacted several organizations for assistance.
So on Saturday afternoon (February 9th), the Soualiga Social Movement along with the 'Cay Hill Boys' convened at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex. They were joined and supported by the a representative of the Dutch Quarter Community Council, Community Police of Cay Hill (Officer Henson) assisted by the CPO of Dutch Quarter (Officer Statie) and members of the Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs Department. After some encouraging words by the CPO, a former resident of Cay Hill Mr. W. Dekker gave some motivational words about employment to the boys and also encouraged them to volunteer for the Heineken Regatta.
At about 4pm, the flyers were handed out and the group split up on foot, motorbike and bicycles and went door-to-door inviting the community to the meeting on Saturday February 16th at 7pm, to be held at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex. The Community assisted in inviting residents and passing messages from one part of the group to the other.
President of the Soualiga Social Movement foundation Alston Lourens said "It was great to see the boys come out and have pride in their neighborhood. Some mentioned they had never been to some parts of Cay Hill before that day and many residents said a meeting like this was long overdue".
The Soualiga Social Movement is a non-political foundation that aims at encouraging awareness, participation and inclusion of all the people of St. Maarten, in the sustainable development of this nation. All residents of Cay Hill are invited to the community meeting, to be held at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex at 7pm, next Saturday February 16th, 2013.
Click here to view more photos of Cay Hill Boys inviting community to "WHAT CAY HILL NEEDS" meeting.