The Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) continues to play an integral role in Saint Lucia’s overall development. Its most recent initiative was to raise awareness among young people on health-related matters.

The Taiwan Technical Mission was one of the sponsors of a recently-held Science and Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) Summer Camp organized by the Faces of Development Foundation, in Dennery. The summer camp was held from July 22 to Aug. 2, at the Clendon Mason Secondary School.

Each day, just over 120 children between 8 and 15 years old from the Dennery basin attended the two-week summer camp where the theme was “Sustaining Healthy and Resilient Ecosystems”. A Health Fair promoted awareness about preventing and controlling metabolic diseases -- such as diabetes and hypertension -- and encouraged participants to eat healthy and exercise regularly. 

The Health Fair featured informative booths and demonstration areas offering free health screenings and information on health-related issues to young participants and residents. The camp participants, along with the general public, received education on nutrition, environmental health, vector control, water storage, dental hygiene, substance abuse, metabolic syndrome, and non-communicable diseases.

H.E. Peter Chia-Yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, and Mrs. Chen paid a courtesy visit to the STEAM Summer Camp and Health Fair on Friday, August 2. While there, Ambassador Chen met with organizers of the event and assured Taiwan’s continued commitment to a healthier and more sustainable environment for Saint Lucians.

Mr. John Lin, Project Manager from the Taiwan Technical Mission, urged the students to use the information they learned during the camp to their advantage.

“Today is just the beginning,” Lin told the students at the closing ceremony on Friday, August 2. “Hopefully, you can continue working on something you’re really interested in.”

Mr. Cornelius Edmund, President of Faces of Development Foundation, said he has noticed some considerable improvements in the lives of the youngsters who have attended the annual summer camp. He said the camp targets at-risk and vulnerable children with the goal of giving them a fair chance of making a positive and lasting impact on their community.

“I hope that the groups we have created during the camp will cause you to solve problems,” Edmund told the participants. “I do hope that in the long run you will be able to become really good engineers and scientists. This will help you and the country as a whole.”

Outstanding students received special prizes at the closing ceremony, while every student received a gift bag that contained STEM kits and other exciting gift items.

Other sponsors of the summer camp included the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, Massy and Stores St. Lucia.

The Faces of Development Foundation is a community group focused on addressing community problems. The organization collaborates with other community groups and agencies, focusing on youth development, community development, creating safe spaces for children, and empowering communities. The summer camp has been hosted for nearly four years, with the last three years focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math.