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Princess Elizabeth School Helping Children Adapt
Published in “The Boca”, Trinidad & Tobago’s Waterfront Newspaper
May, 2000
We sailed into Trinidad at the end of November last year for “just a few weeks” to get a new dinghy and a few other things. As it turned out, we’re still here and will probably be here for a few more months. We’ve found lots of things to do, and had great fun during Carnival.
We listen to the Cruisers’ Net daily and when John heard the request for help with horseback riding at Princess Elizabeth School, he thought it would be an interesting thing to do. He persuaded a friend of ours to go with him that first week and they came back telling me what a good time they had and how much the kids enjoyed the horses. Volunteers are needed to either lead the horses or to walk on each side of the horse just in case the kids lose their balance and start sliding off.
For those who are unfamiliar with this school, it’s a small school for physically handicapped children located in St. James. Some of the children live at the school and some come in just for the day. The school is equipped with a clinic and operating room where corrective surgery is done by visiting specialists.
Another group of volunteers help teach the children basic sewing skills. The children are currently learning how to make basic things like pillow cases and tote bags that they will be able to sell at an upcoming craft fair.
The man who is responsible for starting these volunteer programs at the school mentioned to John that he would like to get someone to take pictures of the horseback riding and the sewing class. Being “Mr. Helpful”, John immediately volunteered my services for the next week. I’m used to being talked into things like that, especially since I enjoy my photography so much.
We got to the school that morning and when we walked in, John and our friend were immediately surrounded by excited children. We helped them onto the bus that would be taking us to the horse stables. At the stables, the volunteers helped saddle the retired race horses and got the kids up in the saddles. They had big grins on their faces as they got to walk and trot on the horses. It was easy to see that they enjoyed the outing and were not letting their physical problems limit their fun.
I went back a few days later to take a few pictures of the sewing class and got a little tour of the facilities. They have a wonderful computer room with about 6 computer setups donated by the Canadian Embassy. Since my pictures are digital, we had the great idea of putting them on the school computer so the students could come in to see their pictures when they wanted to. I was convinced by one of the students to take pictures of their garden where they’re
learning to grow vegetables and fruit. Of course, I think she just wanted to pose for more pictures! These were also put on the computer, along with the ones of the sewing class.
The volunteers had a rewarding experience with the children and enjoyed it as much as they did. If you think you might be interested in volunteering, give John on Chidori a call at 680-0140.

Last updated by darrensmith@hotmail.com