In the Community

Sol EC Limited is making good on its slogan, “Energy Fuels Life” through a project which will give impetus to an agriculture program designed to impart an alternative, income-generating skill to the wards of a juvenile facility located in St. Lucia’s north.

The agriculture project adopted by Sol EC Limited at the Boys’ Training Centre (BTC), located in Massade, Gros lslet, reflects the renewed thrust towards reviving St. Lucia’s once golden years of agricultural production.

The BTC as it is commonly known is the only juvenile detention centre in St. Lucia. The facility has had to struggle with its image over the years, but it is improving through the BTC’s own public education efforts.

“People are definitely taking a second look at the Boys’ Training Centre; they are looking at it with a different perspective. Over the years we have had to fight to change the image of the facility and our efforts have certainly paid off. Individuals and in particular corporate partners have listened to us and are now giving us the support we so desperately needed. Sol is one such entity,” says Leonard Terrence, Manager of the Boys Training Centre.

The Boys Training Centre currently houses fifty-six (56) wards and according to Mr. Terrence, he expects the numbers to grow, based on the types of offences committed by the young men. The Greenhouse Project initiated by Sol will help in the boys’ rehabilitation process – an essential element of returning the boys to society so that they can function in a manner that is not detrimental to their communities and more importantly themselves.

“Learning life skills are an important factor in getting these young men reincorporated into mainstream society. They already have the stigma of being a former inmate of a juvenile facility, although that attitude is changing, the boys must build the trust of the community that surrounds them and being able to make a living for themselves is a solid first step. This greenhouse project is a great way to teach them a simple skill which can keep them occupied for very long periods of time. They can also earn a decent living from planting the vegetables we have here,” says Terrence.

Sol EC Limited is committed to its program of corporate social responsibility, and wanted to engage a project which would have a lasting effect on the people participating in it – including themselves. The Boys Training Centre seemed the perfect candidate for such an initiative. “When we sat down to think about what project we could engage in that would have maximum lasting impact on the people involved as well as on the larger society, the greenhouse project seemed the perfect opportunity to do both. We at Sol EC Limited would get a chance to get our hands dirty and work alongside the boys while learning something new. In turn the boys would understand that there are people out there who care about their future and want to see them do well in their lives, while they also learned a new skill. These were important factors to us in determining which project we should get involved in,” said Eugenie Dalson, General Manager, St. Lucia & Dominica, Sol EC Limited.

And that is how the Sol-BTC Greenhouse Project got its start. Sol EC Limited is not just providing a structure, as they are fully committed to getting involved literally in seeing the project to completion.

This project represents the beginning of a relationship with the Boys Training Centre by Sol EC Limited. Its importance to Sol lies in its ability to make a difference in the collective attitude and future of the young men at the BTC.