NAGICO Insurances donate to two community health-based institutions

Basseterre, St. Kitts (October 20, 2011) — Two community health-based non-governmental institutions in St. Kitts and Nevis have benefitted from the hosting of the NAGICO Leeward Islands 50 Over Tournament’s last four matches in the Federation.

NAGICO Insurances’ Mr Amit Mohabir presents a cheque to Ms Merle Liburd, President of the St. Kitts Diabetes Association. Others are, from left, Ms Mashanda Woodely, Mr Vernon Springer, Ms Eulynis Browne and Mr Ray John.

The St. Kitts Diabetes Association and the Nevis Renal Society each received a cheque of EC$1,700 from NAGICO Insurances on Monday October 19 at a function held at the ZIZ Television studios at Springfield in Basseterre. “It was the first time in the nine-year history of the Leeward Islands 50 over tournament that NAGICO Insurances decided to bring the tournament to St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Mr Vernon Springer, the tournament’s events media manager.

He observed that NAGICO Insurances have sponsored the tournament for nine years and that this year they decided to come out of St. Maarten, and held the matches in St. Kitts and Nevis.

The tournament which took place between the 25th of September and the 9th of October had matches at Warner Park and Conaree in St. Kitts and Elquemedo Willett Park in Nevis. “A proposal was put forward to the NAGICO Insurance company, where we decided that anybody who hit a six during the final four matches which included St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla and Antigua and Barbuda, (semi finals and finals) that one hundred EC dollars would go towards two important organisations,” observed Mr Springer. “So NAGICO selected the two organisations, the St. Kitts Diabetes Association and Nevis Renal Society.”

Making the presentations were NAGICO Insurances’ Accountant Mr Amit Mohabir, and Underwriting Supervisor Ms Mashanda Woodley. St. Kitts Diabetes Association’s President Ms Merle Liburd, who was accompanied by Treasurer Ms Eulynis Browne and Member Mr Ray John, received the cheque on behalf of the association, while Ms Elmeader Brookes a member of the Nevis Renal Society received the cheque.

NAGICO Insurances’ Ms Mashanda Woodley (left) presents the cheque to Ms Elmeader Brookes of Nevis Renal Society. Looking on are Mr Amit Mohabir (left) and Mr Vernon Springer.

“This is so timely and such an important event,” said Mr Ray John on behalf of the St. Kitts Diabetes Association. “The Diabetes Association has been going through a little bit of a metamorphosis. We are actually looking at programmes and activities for our diabetes patients in St. Kitts and certainly in Nevis as well.” He observed that the association has been providing strips (used for blood sugar level reading) and other little things but the association felt it was not enough and needed to do more including networking with other organisations.

The association would as a result hold a week of activities between Sunday November 13 and Saturday November 19, to raise the level of awareness of diabetes on the island of St. Kitts.

He said the amount received from NAGICO Insurances would be used to buy more strips. “We would like to make that commitment to you that the money will be well used in terms of the people on the ground, in the communities, benefiting from the EC$1,700,” said Mr John. “So it is a timely intervention, we want to say thank you a great deal.” Ms Elmeader Brookes in thanking NAGICO Insurances on behalf of the Nevis Renal Society said that her society, which has been going strong since 2006 after years of dormancy, has been providing support for patients who suffer from kidney disease and that their long term goal is to establish a dialysis unit on Nevis.

“Gifts like these are very timely and important because they help us to achieve our goals,” said Ms Brookes. She made an appeal for support from the general public and other private institutions, saying, “we do take any kind of donation, whether it is volunteer service, financial and gifts.”