I enrolled the programme 8 years ago and I love it. At the first moment I thought the training would be predominantly as the normal system, but for my good surprises the overall programme isn´t based by old structures as the challenge that you wanna do/work for.... this it means that you will stretch your mind in the intellectual and spiritual sides.

You can and wanna get what you are looking, just need to be determinate and work hard for that. To live in SVG change my life, because you are out of your comfort zone and so.. you learn A LOT. You will live so many intensive feelings and the goal is to manage well! at the scale for grown yourself and the team with who you are working.

Also the food is very special once Richmond has its own organic production! sounds amazing right? imagine how you will change eating healthy, having the opportunity to know SO many people, cultures, colours, flavours and more in a perfect Caribbean sunset scenery! Never saw a better sunset sky show while my 8 years travelling around the world.

SVG is magic! and Richmond it will be always a home <3

The journey began in March 2009, when I enrolled myself in the Richmond Vale Academy's development instructor program. I joined a team with 18 other persons from all across the world including Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, the United States and Japan. The first 6 months was spent doing community work including recycling bids, hiv/aids awareness campaigns and teaching in schools within the region. We were also involved in Gardening, fundraising, cultural nights and morning courses. The courses covered the history of St.Vincent & the Grenadines, current affairs, and health education. A lot of the work which was covered was done through the "learning by doing" method which meant that everyone benefited from each other's knowledge, which proved quite beneficial when I started in my project in South Africa in November the same year.
Journey to south Africa
Total Control of the Epidemic in South Africa was an HIV/ AIDS awareness program that was aimed at stemming the rampant spread of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic through empowerment of local people. As a development instructor the community outreach and cultural events conducted during the prior 6 months at the Richmond Vale Academy proved quite useful when having to adapt to the Africans who were of a totally different background, and had different beliefs, concepts and understandings. I partnered with local government ministries to assist in getting the locals certified to perform pre and post HIV 'test counselling, as well as conducted classes on health, as well as exchanged lessons about culture during lessons. I assisted in setting up gardens that were used to feed persons who were already infected, as well as organized events for persons who were of vulnerable groups to receive information.
I returned to the Richmond Vale Academy for 2 months which was used to share my experiences. This was done through classes with other students who were enrolled to take part in similar programs, radio, television and newspaper interviews. After having time to reflect, the program proved to be quite educational and was a great eye opener and aided a lot in my personal development.

Richmond Vale Academy is a very special place, running different programmes at the same time. As the participant you will be fully immersed in the running of the international community of activists which aims to be self-sustainable. You will also spend 6 months in Latin America, living the lives of the local people and trying to improve them - or rather, to help the people improve their own lives. This is what first drew me to this programme and to me still remains one of its bigger values: you don't go to some exotic place with an idea how to change it and just do it; instead you must always get the community's support with the projects you are running. That way you are sure that the projects are important, otherwise nobody would voluntarily spend their free time helping you!

18 months is a long time to spend away from home, and work hard. You can learn a lot about yourself and the world, and make wonderful new friends from all over the world - provided you keep an open mind. This programme will give so much to anyone willing to take charge of their own learning experience. This is a place where you learn by doing, and the more you're willing to do, the more you will learn in the end. You can have an amazing time - but don't think it's a tropical vacation. You will be "on" the whole time and there's always something to do. It's a hard and challenging programme, but it's also an experience of a lifetime. I don't think there is anyone who's finished this programme and hasn't had their lives change directions completely.

Going to RVA was a smart choise. Nice human & enviromental experience.
I learned to be more conscious and being involved with our planet and also realise of the potential damage we can cause with a simple action.
Sharing with people from all over the world was amazing and I learned from them too.
St. Vincent is a beautiful place and it is nice to know they still doing well for the local communities.
I would chose the same certainly!

Richmond Vale Academy is an amazing place, beautiful caribbean views, amazing jungle around. this academy is working 100% with solar energy, they have an organic vegetables garden and a fruit forest, chickens too, so the eggs always are fresh, to relax and enjoy the time is amazing, for the development programs are really good, but very strong, is an activist academy, not a ¨normal school¨ so if you want to relax go in a tourist way but if you want to impact and help people you will have a lot of work because you have to develop yourself before to develop the world.

so go enjoy your time, i recommend it but be focus first in what you want to do...

Richmond Vale Academy is defiantly another kind of school. Here you have a lot of different opportunities to learn, not just about the subjects we study but also about yourself and the world around you. For me it has been one of the most vigorous learning experiences I have had. The program Fighting with the poor offers a great way to discover you own capability to do somethings that makes a difference for others, especially those who needs it the most. Besides this the life at the school have many things to offer, you will live and work together with people from all over the world sharing experiences, ideas and make them come true. To those who interested in this program I also have to say that sometimes it is not easy, it can be very challenging, there might be things that are not always perfect but personally i think this just makes the experience so much more awesome.

The program FWP is for people want to do something for the people, if it's your interest come and do it, but if not, don't take, you will be in other place really quick.
For you, if still you are reading this, I will say, the experience you will have is unique in your life, combine the experience to live with different persons in the world and help, grow in the timing you work with the communities and living different challenges