Grenada

During the period 2020/2021 the small grants programme (SGP) of the global environment facility (GEF) funded a project in Grenada to raise awareness and encourage utilization of Vetiver Grass planted in accordance with The Vetiver System (VS) as a tool to combat erosion and land degradation exacerbated by climate change.

The project aimed to empower community members to use the knowledge gained from a workshop series under the Vetiver Education & Empowerment Project (VEEP) model, pilot demonstrations and published knowledge products – to protect their property and environment, and to provide the basis of self-employment opportunities by training interested participants in the production of handicrafts, soaps, perfumes, essential oil and root bundles utilizing the by-products (leaves and roots) of Vetiver grass.

This project was implemented by Eco Strategies Grenada Inc. and comprised the educational workshop series, which was held from November 16th to 26th 2020, and included a virtual presentation with regional participants, and the installation of pilot demonstration sites at various locations throughout Grenada.

6000 vetiver slips (young plants) were produced under project, in conjunction with Ocean Edge Farm. Plants not utilized by the demonstration sites were donated to worthwhile projects, such as a restoration project in Carriacou undertaken by the KIDO Foundation, remediation of the Perseverance landfill by GSWMA and Mirabeau plant propagation station.

The workshop training and installation of the demonstration sites were facilitated by Mr. Jonathan Barcant of Vetiver TT Ecological Engineering Solutions Ltd. Vetiver TTworking alongside the TT-based NGOIAMovement are the original developers for a successful model called the “Vetiver Education & Empowerment Project (VEEP)” for the introduction of vetiver grass and The Vetiver System (VS) at the community level.

Visit the Vetiver Grenada website for more.