Konris Maynard helps spread Good Friday cheer
(ZIZ)– At this time of the year, hundreds of children get excited for Good Friday, a time traditionally known in St. Kitts and Nevis for flying kites.
With this in mind, Labour Party candidate for Constituency Number Three, Konris Maynard, partnered with a local kite maker to teach a group of thirty children the art of making festive kites at the Dr William Connor Primary School.
Speaking to ZIZ News, kite maker Kervis Jeffers says he gets a sense of satisfaction knowing he has passed on a long standing tradition to the children.
“It takes dedication,” he said. “If you don’t have dedication, the kids won’t understand what you are talking about and you must be ready to pass it on to them so at least you know if not half of the 15 learn (and) you get three or four learn how to make the kite and the rest learn how to do a piece of the kite then you know you have accomplished something.”
Maynard, who admitted not being able to make a kite himself, says the kite making workshop will almost guarantee that this tradition of flying kites on Good Friday continues.
“This initiative is very good because now they are part of the process. Usually when you are a part of the process, you want to see it through and the outcome is more rewarding. So if you are part of the process in terms of making the kite instead of buying it then you are more inclined to want to pass it on, more inclined to want to see the end product, you’re more inclined to look forward to Good Friday when you can fly and so on. So what we want to do, we want to make this definitely annual of course and make it bigger,” he said.
He also commended Jeffers for giving his time willingly and sharing his knowledge of kite making with the children.
“This is wonderful and the kids seem to be enjoying it and I’m very proud to have partnered with Kervis with his skills and so on that we could make this a reality. A lot of credit has to go to him, he has done all that he needed to do, he just provided me with what we needed and so on and said ‘Konris look it’s up to you let’s make this happen’,” he said.
A similar kite making workshop was also held at the Bronte Welsh Primary School.
In addition, Jeffers has also made kites for the students of Beach Allen Primary, Tucker Clarke Primary and the Cotton-Thomas Comprehensive School.