 Welcome once again to Issues and Answers. On our program today we have Luna Williams, she's the president of the Senusia Association of St. Croix. Welcome Ms. Williams, certainly happy to have you with us today. We are going to speak on matters pertaining to your organization. Good morning and thanks for having me. Okay, certainly welcome. First of all, tell us about your association and how long it has been in existence. You know me well over 40 years. Yes, the association has been in existence for about 40 plus years but I moved to St. Croix in 1990 so that's when I joined the association. From the time I've been here we're mostly a cultural group where we take part in cultural events happening on St. Croix. We also dance quadrille and we do take part in the culture of St. Croix. Okay, what actually brings you to St. Croix at this time? I'm here on vacation. And I'm sure you're taking the opportunity as well to maybe really promote the work of your association. What are you actually doing? We like I say we're a cultural group, we're really into the culture but we also help in like for example we have adopted the Souffre Infant School and so we have been sending stuff for them, we raise funds and we send stuff for them. The last thing we did was we gave them a new playground at the time. We also help with if there's a disaster in St. Croix, we raise funds and we do send trailers and stuff like that. How big in terms of numbers of members that you have in your association? At present we were about 50 but it used to be a bigger group but the members are getting a little older so it's dwindling down. Right now I am recruiting young members because we have to carry on the work that the older members started. How do you plan to do that recruitment? Are you using some of the older folks that you do not see around that often? What's the strategy? We are using the older people and when we have events like the celebration of independence, we also celebrate La Rose and we use that opportunity to speak to the younger generation that are on St. Croix asking them to see what we do and come into our meetings, we have meetings every first Sunday of the month so we invite them to the meetings and ask them to come see what we do. What is the new person that you're targeting? How much interaction or how much relation would they have had with St. Lucia in the first place? If you're going to look to recruit them, were they in positions maybe to have visited St. Lucia sometime in the past or are you trying to attract them by letting them know there's an opportunity to know about St. Lucia and how you can help to actually keep the association strong and vibrant? Actually we're targeting the St. Lucia who are on St. Croix. Most of the young people are just coming over so we let them know that there's a group that you can join you know and we let them know what we do and if they're interested like we say you know they they join us. Okay well you mentioned the cultural aspect of it. It's one of the earliest things you mentioned when you spoke about some of your activities and what times of the year do you actually most prominently show what St. Lucia is over in St. Croix and how has that been received by persons who might not be of St. Lucia descent? Okay we have three major events that we celebrate. St. Lucia's Independence anniversary, the La Rose Festival and also Junique Guillaume. For the Independence celebrations we usually get an ambassador or a member of parliament from St. Lucia. So we invite them to our dinner dance, we have a dinner dance and we usually invite them to be our guest speaker. This year it was Ambassador Fletcher and Minister Flood Bobre. For La Rose we have the festival, we do our services. It's not like here where you know we can really go out and do everything it's different so we use Friday nights or Saturday nights where we do our services at a St. Lucia bar and for Junique Guillaume also it's at a St. Lucia he's a St. Lucia and so we use his place to do our Junique Guillaume. Okay I want to look at all of them individually and to look much more into detail as to some of the activities that you actually have on. So maybe first of all you can start with independence. What do you do? Do you just in a national way? Do you teach people more about signature, culture, history, geography? What about independence that you really look to make stand out and what do you mainly do between independence? For the Independence celebrations we usually have a week of activities where we tell the people about our St. Lucia culture. We portray our national way, our cultural way. We also have an independence mass where there's a choir so we have that mass on the Sunday. We make the announcement that the mass is on whatever day we dress it our national way. We have a St. Lucia choir. We come out every independence. We sing for the mass and then after the mass we have an aftermath branch where we invite the St. Lucians and also the Crucians to join with us where we do our local foods and our dressing and also our local music. So what's been the response like over the years by the Crucians who come and participate with you? Do you find that their numbers are improving or do you find it more difficult to get more the Crucians to come out and actually witness some of the St. Lucia experience during Independence Day? The numbers are increasing. The month of May is usually senior citizens month so because of what they have seen us doing on St. Croix they have always invited us to the scene. There's the senior cultural day where they come out and they have the different islands portray the culture so we're always the biggest group over there apart from the Crucian cultural group. So we usually go and we portray our St. Lucia wares. We dress it our national way. We do some of our local foods where we give them a taste of the St. Lucia foods. So I'm sure it makes you happy that especially when the Crucians actually respond to that activity how do you feel when you get them participating at that level? Proud St. Lucia. I feel really good. Okay so you actually feel that all your efforts are worth it? Yes. And does it inspire you to keep going on every year? Yes it does. Okay we're coming up close to our first break on the program but we'll be back in just a moment. We have with us in studio Luna Williams she's the president of the St. Lucia Association of St. Croix. We'll take our first break but we'll be right back. What is money laundering? Money laundering is the concealment of the origins of illegally obtained money typically by means of transfers involving financial institutions or legitimate businesses. There are three steps in the process of money laundering. One, placement. This is the movement of illegitimately obtained cash from its source into circulation through financial institutions. Two, layering. This is the act of concealing the source of that money using a series of complex transactions and bookkeeping tricks. Three, integration. This is the movement of previously laundered money into the economy mainly through the financial institutions and thus such monies appear to be normal business earnings. What is terrorist financing? Terrorist financing provides funds for terrorist activity. It may involve funds raised from legitimate sources such as donations, profits from businesses and charitable organizations as well as from criminal sources such as the drug tree, the smuggling of weapons, fraud, kidnapping and extortion. There is an interrelation between terrorist financing and proliferation financing which is the act of providing funds or financial services used in the acquisition, manufacture or transport of weapons of mass destruction. How does money laundering and terrorist financing affect St. Lucia? St. Lucia can lose its reputation and international credibility, more violent and organized crimes and corruption, penalties for the financial sector and loss of correspondent banking. St. Lucia will be evaluated in 2019 with respect to its money laundering and terrorist financing regimes. How can you help? Get involved, learn about the threat that money laundering and terrorist financing pose to St. Lucia and cooperate with financial and non-financial institutions when information is requested. Money laundering and terrorist financing are crimes with penalties of up to $1 million and imprisonment of up to 10 years or both. A message brought to you by the National Anti-Money Laundering Oversight Committee and the Attorney General's Chambers. Thanks for staying with us. We continue with issues and answers and reminding you that we have in studio our guest Miss Luna William, President of the St. Lucia Association of St. Croix. Miss William before we go next to our more in-depth look at what you actually do over in St. Croix during the Lowell's Festival, you did mention the fact that you had the foreign minister and you know an ambassador visiting during your last independence observation. That would have been a highlight of it, but was there anything else in particular that they did while they were up there during that time or was it more specifically just to participate in your observance of St. Lucia's independence? They were there to participate and we also had a town hall meeting where they spoke to the St. Lucia's especially Ambassador Fletcher. She's the ambassador for the diaspora so she spoke in-depth to the St. Lucia's about the diaspora affairs, what they do, what her office does. How useful was that in terms of getting that information to your members and how were they able to make use of that sort of information in terms of what follow-up they could have done in terms of strengthening the organization and even being more active? Yes we have had people asking questions, more questions about our group and more questions about the diaspora in St. Croix and so when they came they really especially like I said Dr. Fletcher she really outlined what the diaspora is like, what is her job as the ambassador for the diaspora and it was well received. We had over 200 people at that gathering and so they asked questions that she answered so it was a really good session. Well since you and Dr. Fletcher and that aspect of it is probably a good time now for me to ask you since she's in charge of diaspora affairs, your association do you have that level of cooperation with other associations of other countries with similar objectives? Yes we do. Her program manager, Janik, she's very instrumental in giving us all the information that we want. Everything that is happening with the diaspora right now and in government, we get all that information. But do you have collaborations with other countries that have similar associations like yours in terms of projects, maybe exchanges, coming together for meetings, looking at how you can strengthen your ties? Yes we do. We have a convention every two years, the St. Croix Overseas Association. We meet every two years in a different place. Last year it was London. This year it's going to be in sorry next year it's going to be in Calgary. It was supposed to be on St. Croix but because of the hurricane last year or the year before we could not host it so it went over to Calgary. So in 2022 we will be hosting it on St. Croix. Interesting. Well recently we had the president here Mr. Kadas. So it's quite interesting that you, how active does your organization, the Association of St. Croix participate in the levels of the umbrella body? Okay we have the biggest membership so we do participate. We participate at all the meetings. We give our feedback during those meetings and especially for the diaspora first before Dr. Fletcher just needs to be a whole bunch of talk about the diaspora, the diaspora but since she was appointed we have been seeing results. She is very instrumental in bringing all the associations together. So right now we have all the information that we need. Everything that is happening in St. Croix we know. Okay interesting. So we had quite a gap but we're now going to get back at the La Rose Festival. Tell us about that experience where your group shows Senutia's culture while we are putting on a semblance of a La Rose celebration. Yes we're actually getting ready for that right now. I am the La Rose Queen so when we do have our sayances we have a lot of the Senutians participating and we usually do it the last Sunday of August. La Rose celebrated August 30th but since we're not in St. Lucia we usually celebrated the last Sunday of August and last year we had a mass. We went to church and from church we had a procession from the church to where we kept the event. So we have all everything like here. We have the Queen, the King, the Prince and the Princess, the nurses everything. So we try to do everything that St. Lucia has. We try to portray that too and we get questions like what's the festival all about and we do explain to them what the festival is about. All of the Senutians in your group not putting on the pressure for asking why there's not a margarit as well. We have been asked the question why there's not a margarit. What has been your response? My response has been that for all these years we've always celebrated La Rose. Nobody has ever come up with the idea to celebrate margarit because it's a Senutia association doing all those you know cultural events but nobody seemed to want to do the margarit. Okay maybe those questions in this program I pressure you into doing so if not this year but next year but and you still have a couple months to go so who knows it could well happen this year. We just due to take our second break on the program but when we come back we will look at also the unicorn which must also be something big that you celebrate over in St. Croix and other matters that relate to your association of St. Croix. We'll be back with Miss Luna William. Hey look at your breastfeeding I give him both just now but I don't think I can breastfeed. Why won't you breastfeed? The thing is my breasts are so small I don't think I will have enough milk for my baby. My dear you can breastfeed the size of your breast does not matter the more the baby sucks on your breast the more milk your breast will make. People say your breast will fall when you breastfeed I don't mind to fall. Eventually all breasts will fall once you wear supportive bra it will help maintain the muscles of your breast while you breastfeed. Breast milk is very important for your baby's health it is complete nutrition for your baby with the right nutrients. I did a lot of reading while I was pregnant and found out a lot of good things about breastfeeding. Really like what? You will lose the baby far much easier when you breastfeed. The baby is more intelligent and the baby gets sick less. It is also cheaper and practical since you wouldn't have to buy artificial milk or boil bottles. Breastfeeding does all that. Now you make me want to breastfeed. I want my baby to be healthy and smart. There's more. In addition I save a lot of money from not having to buy formula. Do you know how expensive formula is? No formula? How is that possible? The baby will go hungry? No. The breast is adequate for the baby's need from both to six months. The baby needs no other foods or liquids during that period. Is that so? My sister had a baby last year and my granny insisted she give the baby to Oloma and she was only three months. Nothing before six months. The nutritionist will guide you on how to introduce foods to the baby. Wow. I learnt a lot. I had no idea breastfeeding was that important. Yes it is. Breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for your baby. Do it and you will see. You will also bond with your baby. I will, my girl. Nice talking to you. I'm happy to hear that. Also encourage your friends and family too. You're watching issues and answers. Reminding you with me Luna William, the president of the St Lucia Association of St Croix. In St Lucia, Juniquial has really grown to be a big thing and I think certainly in St Croix the feeling is almost the same in terms of the observance, the way solutions come out. Tell us about your experience in St Croix around the time of Juniquial. Juniquial is very big on St Croix too. It gets bigger every year. We have the foods, the local foods just like here. We also have our exhibition booth or Tikai like we say. In that booth we have the old-time port, the like we say the vase. We have the vase and you know all those long-time things, the curtain with the bed, the little bed behind it. So we have that as an exhibition booth and we have all the local foods, the 3-3, the aqua 3-3, the tablet, you know and all those little things that we do in St Lucia. We have most of the same foods on St Croix too. And the dressing which is a big part of it. Oh yes, we dress in our national way because we are very patriotic. I think it means even more to us when we're away from St Lucia so that there you see everybody in the madras, in the colors of the flag and it's really big. But apart from St Lucia, are there other nationalities on St Croix with a similar association that you know do things to reflect their own culture or is it St Lucia that's prominent in terms of having an association overseas? St Lucia is prominent but they also have the Dominica Association but around that same time is the independent celebration and the Creole Festival. So you find most of them go over to that and those who remain on St Croix, they join with us, you know with Junior Creole. And there are a few Haitians also who participate, you know they come around and they participate in the event. How diversified is the population on St Croix in terms of various nationalities and what segment of it is St Lucia? Does St Lucia really have a high number compared to the other nationalities that are presently living on St Croix? Yes, St Lucia has one of the highest populations on St Croix. They also have a lot of people from Santo Domingo, Dominica too but mostly St Lucia. A lot of people from Miquud side, Denri side, Sufra side, yes. And they keep constant check with the families back in St Lucia because you know the traditional things like burials, remittances and stuff like that it is something that is very common as well amongst the group. Yes it is. And one of the things that I can see about St Lucia is living on St Croix. When there's a death in your family, they're all there for you. Whether they know the person or not, as long as it's a St Lucia, they're there. Everybody donates food, whatever it is, like the day of the repass. Sometimes the family may not have to do anything. Everybody brings something for the repass. So that's one of one of the things that the other islands admire about us as St Lucia. Okay, you're empty in numbers. Yes. Just before we go though, you did mention some of the main areas. We looked at independence, we looked at Laos, we looked at Junica and you also said that there were some other social activities that you engage in. You mentioned a bit but I'm sure that there are others that you would like to mention before we leave. Yes, one of the things that the St Lucia Association of St Croix does, we donate to, there's a home for the age, so we make a monthly contribution. The members at our monthly meetings, we donate whatever we have and the association matches it and we give it to the home. During Christmas time, we go to Caroline. We also take part in St Croix's cultural events that we dance quadril, different places. There's a group called II Dancers, we combine with them sometimes. Like the Independence celebration this year, they danced with us and sometimes when they have an occasion, we dance with them also. So we have that exchange with the II Dancers. Okay, so if a St Lucia is planning to visit St Croix and they like to get in contact with your group, what would be the best and easiest way to make that sort of contact when they arrive in St Croix? When they arrive in St Croix, they just ask anybody about the St Lucia Association and they can get in touch with me. I provide my number and they get in touch with me. Okay, any final closing comments, Ms. William, as we are just about to wrap up on the program today? Yes, I would like to thank you for having me and also Ambassador Fletcher. I cannot stop thanking her because she has been very instrumental in bringing us all together. Before it used to be a lot of talk about the diaspora, talk talk talk, but she has been appointed and she is working really hard to get us all together. I also want to say that there's also another St Lucia group on St Croix. When the ambassador came in February, we joined together and I mentioned also in 2022 the convention is going to be on St Croix, the two groups will be working together for the convention. Lovely. Ms. Luna William will certainly pleasure having you with us to speak about the activities of St Lucia over in St Croix and the events that your group really participated and the fact that they are actually two groups and that you're keeping the name, the flavor and the culture of St Lucia very much alive in St Croix. Thank you. I also want to pick up a member of the other association. Her name is Chris Centrose. It's her birthday today. Happy birthday, Mrs. Centrose. Thank you. Well, this has been issues and answers. I'd like to thank Ms. Luna William, the president of the St Lucia Association of St Croix. You can join us when we have another edition of issues and answers.