6 Months Climate Activism in the Caribbean

Overall, I really enjoyed my 6 months in St. Vincent and RVA. The staff was really helpful before my arrival and when I arrived at the school, the students and staff made me feel at home right away.
Before you go, you should know:
-It's an intense (but very rewarding) program - 6 work days per week with Sundays off.
-There's a lot of physical labour, which I enjoyed very much.
-The teachers are more like group leaders so don't expect the program to be highly academic. It's more about practical training - how to build things, how to manage projects etc.
-You work a lot in groups, so be a good team player!

If you're up for a demanding and rewarding 6 months, learning what development work is outside of the textbooks, you should definitely go! What are you waiting for?

If you would like to ask me questions, you're welcome to write me on Facebook: Katrine Winther Erlendsson

Where do you go and what do you do when you want to become a climate change activist? When you start watching a lot of documentaries, understanding what is happening in the world, asking yourself about your role in society, and wondering how we ended up there, then it’s time to take a step towards a different lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be as radical as moving to the Caribbean, though that’s the choice I made.

Climate change...what a vast subject. It feels like each and every action that we take in our comfortable western lives leads to this. We are indoctrinated with the belief that we need to always buy more, so we always produce more and then we just always throw away more. This remark from a friend still resonates with me: “You’re throwing this away. But there is no Away!” We are taught to put things in waste bins and once our waste is in there, well, we stop thinking about it altogether. We are completely disconnected and nobody is held responsible for the waste we produce.

I wanted to act and make a difference in the world, at my scale. I know that I won’t change the world on my own, but by working along with all the little “ants of change,” it might be possible to make things move. That’s why I think it’s time for me to listen to the wise who say, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” (Gandhi)
Participating in one of RVA’s programs means being part of a team of 2 to 30 people from all over the world and that means adapting to very different ways of thinking, different ways of working. Some traditions or ways of expressing our feelings and emotions and passing on messages vary greatly from culture to culture. Something that you would normally say or do in your country might upset someone from a different culture and it can result in conflicts. A conflicts can be challenging to deal with as it soon becomes a global/public matter in the small community. As amazing and beautiful as it is, living at RVA brings its fair share of challenges and can sometimes be overwhelming, but it is all well worth it.
Living at RVA means giving up some of your usual comfort. For many of us, we have lived in a home with our family and then moved out to our own place like a flat or a house. Most of us had access to our own bathroom and a nice kitchen in which we could prepare whatever we fancied. Coming to RVA, you start by sharing a room, which most of us have not done for a very long time. That can create some difficulties in the beginning, as you get to share with a total stranger. This is a real challenge for some of us. But because we come here for a specific purpose we all work together to make it functional.
Spending six months at RVA was a way for me to define and explore possibilities for the future. I know that I don’t want to go back to a society that pushes me to be someone that I’m not. I don’t want to purchase dead things, wear make-up, and have a job that will benefit only a few. I want to change my lifestyle, live closer to the earth and nature, plant trees, and walk barefoot. Being part of a team, learning about the issues of the world, working in the gardens at RVA and in the village, meeting the local community, creating relationships with very different people is a very enriching experience that everybody should have the chance to live.

I was at Richmond Vale in July for the one month climate change program. I learned how to live a more sustainable life and did a variety of work including putting up solar panels, planting trees, and gardening. It was a rewarding month for me. Plus St. Vincent is a beautiful island with beautiful views. Would recommend for anyone who isn't scared to get their hands dirty and love to eat fruit! (There is a fruit forest with tons of different fruits to try and I would take full advantage of that! One of the things I miss the most, other than the people of course!) One month was a perfect amount of time for me, since I am a student, but if you really want to make a difference in St. Vincent I would recommend a longer stay. The month goes by very quickly!

When I decided to join the Climate Compliance Conference team in November 2018, I did not expect this program to have such a long-lasting effect on my outlook on life. Spending 6 months living a communal life with people from all walks of life, trying to live as self-sustainably as possible, learning and sharing knowledge at the same time, being closer to nature than I've ever been, working with communities with very different stories to everything I've encountered before - all of these things shaped my experience and gave me the courage to decide to pursue a different lifestyle even after completion of the program.
You'll most probably find yourself identifying as a Climate Activist after living at RVA for half a year, even if you didn't expect to ;)

The 6 month in RVA changed my perspective so much.
I learned how to seed, grow, and harvest organic plants, how fresh tropical fruits on a road taste good, how beautiful Vincy nature is... I can’t mention all things what I saw, felt, and experienced.
However, the biggest notice there is I used to be surrounded by too much stuff, energy, and plastics. I did minimal life with organic foods, a few disposable things, and magnificent natures to spend time. Almost everything was my first experience and it was so simple but made me relaxed.
To be honest, the system and the equipment to live comfortably are not perfect yet. But that also can be the reason why I recommend you come to RVA. People from all over the world are trying to improve their lives through sharing their ideas and having responsibilities to run RVA. So you could see the difference of their sense of value and how difficult but fun to live with others.
To sum up, the life in RVA give you new criterion of values which affects your entire life. If you want a natural adventure, RVA will help you.

I joined a one month team some years back and have since then kept in contact with Richmond Vale Academy on and off. I learned a lot of practical skills from my time at RVA and I also realized what Global Warming and Climate Change means for a small island nation like St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the causes for this. And most importantly I learned that we can do something about it!
After the course I lived in Kingstown some years, which I didn't like much. I returned to farming and I am now working my dream job as assistant manager of SVG horse school, I am closely connected to my farm and the community of Richmond Vale Academy, which i love so much and which taught me to be more independent.
Having been in contact with RVA I have improved my self-esteem and discovered some new gifts and talents in myself that i never knew existed like singing, writing and socializing with people from all over the world.
I can see myself contributing to Richmond Vale Academy and my country in the years to come.

One of the many points why I enjoyed my time at Richmond Vake Academy so much, was that we really lived a sustainable lifestyle. The amount of trash we produced was minimal compared to the amount I produce back home. You don't have to spend money there at all if you don't want to. It opens your eyes that a truly sustainable way of living is indeed possible and in Richmond you are pretty close to it! So if you truly want to do something for the earth and want to life together sustainable, than Richmond Vale Academy is a great place to begin your work! And you not just live stustainable you also life together with many people from all different places in the world which gives you a opportunity to discover each other's culture and listen to people from all over the world!

The things i remember most from my arrival at RVA was the diversity of trees, plants and flowers that meets you on the road up to the school. Everything was so colorfull and bright. You also have a beautiful view of the ocean right infront of the school and a big, open mainhall that you walk through at the start of your journey.

You know mostly how your time will be spent after reading all the information you get before you arrive, but I was a bit surprised over how much you actually are part of. The students have the program they signed up for but also many other responsibilities like maintance, school garden, compost, horses and more. This will for many teach you have to use tools, how to plan meals for many people and other skills you can take with you where ever you go next.

For me the food was a huge difference from what I am used to. Normally I will never be able to say that I eat healthy, but at RVA I was as close as I can get. Most of the food you eat you grow yourself. Fresh vegetables everyday and a short walk over to the fruit forest and you can grab yourself some guavas or barbados cerrys and plenty more. And you will taste the difference from the shop fruits you have back home, just go and try it and you will understand.

After this experience you will think more about how you do things back home and most likely change some of it aswell now that you know more about how your actions can impact our world.