Hi everyone, we have exciting news to share!
A Caribbean organisation called Reach Within that operates on the island of Grenada has been awarded the COVID-19 Response Award for its innovative programmes over the past 2 years by Island Innovation, in partnership with the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative. The virtual awards ceremony took place on April 25, 2022.
Island Innovation is an official nominating organization for The Earthshot Prize a global prize launched by Prince William, designed to solve our planet’s greatest environmental challenges. Island Innovation has been invited to submit nominations across all five categories. Winners in each category are awarded £1 million to help scale and roll out their innovations.
Reach Within is a program of the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF) which promotes health, well-being, and sustainable development through multi-disciplinary research, education, and community programs. It was inspired by the life and legacy of a past WINDREF board member, Bartholomew J. Lawson, who was also an Ambassador-at-Large for Grenada. Its philosophical underpinning is based on the sacred concepts of rebirth and regeneration following a loss, and above all, abundance. Using tools and methods that are easy to access, along with a train-the-trainer approach, it has been created to be sustainable.
Among the organisation's programmes is a caregiver training and certification initiative known as r.e.a.c.h. (Resiliency. Empathy. Attachment. Compassion. Healing) which is strength-based and wellness-oriented. Using multiple learning approaches, caregivers increase their knowledge base and competency in trauma-informed care practice, learning about brain changes that cause challenging behaviours and techniques for defusing them as well as simple ways to create a harmonious environment.
Caregivers are taught to reframe stressful events and use therapeutic techniques to help children regulate and re-pattern experiences in order to support healing. Along with experiential and didactic learning methods, scientifically-based stress reduction exercises are used.
Following is a list of Reach Within's COVID-19 response activities, on the basis of which it received the Island Innovation honour:
- Using already established relationships to understand the needs of care homes as Grenada was going into lockdown.
- Being able to pivot services and provide critical food deliveries that also included sharing the bounty with caregivers who work in the homes
- Cultivating and encouraging food gardens in care homes so residents can feel empowered to grow their own food and learn more about the land/agriculture of beautiful Grenada
- Encouraging adolescents and young adults during the lockdown period through the "Show us your Talent" Series to cultivate a sense of community and prevent isolation.
- Ongoing calls with care home managers to provide support through the challenging lockdown period
- Caregiver chat group that also provided support during a critical moment when a caregiver lost her daughter to Covid.
- Online rhythmic programming and Reach Within daily facebook moments for the greater community to help reduce stress
Kudos to Dr. Karen Lawson, Neurolinguist, Dr. Richard Honigman, Paediatrician, (a valued member of ACEs Caribbean Community) and the team of child development specialists who worked with them to develop r.e.a.c.h.
To watch the Island Innovation Award ceremony please visit the YouTube link below. The announcement of the award for Reach Within occurs at the 1-hour mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKQu-6W_Jac&t=7s
For more information on the award, please read the news page on the Reach Within website.
Comments (1)