The spice Island

Well my week in Grenada seemed to go past in a flash!
The Caribbean studies association (CSA) conference provided an ideal forum for meeting with scholars, researchers and others in the Caribbean and Diaspora who work around health, wellbeing, policy and social capital.

During the week I learned a great deal about the vibrancy, pride and history of the Caribbean. The diversity of the Islands and the unity of experience shared by this proud people. in relation to my project I met with those trying to find ways to challenge the poor prognosis around chronic conditions and non-communicable diseases. I met with Professor Eudine Barriteau who gave me great insight into the challenges of gender, health and lifechances in the Caribbean. The greatest benefit of the week was actually learning from other attendees about the challenges to health of men from the Caribbean worldwide. Prostate cancer was a shared experience of concern however, this was also closely followed by other chronic diseases, nes which remain treatable but are challenged by late presentation and poor treatment adherence. possibly the most insightful meeting was with a local woman 'Teresa' who had a small food shack close to the hotel. she spoke of he pride of her people and the battles to manage health and self alongside the pressures of a fast changing world.

On Friday I was invited to meet with Dr Francis Martin at the Ministry of health. Dr Francis discussed with me the poor health of males in Grenada and said how community and primary care has always been a cinderella service in Grenada. Next week will see the launch of the primary care strategy, I was able to share with him some data around prostate risk in the Caribbean and more generally the way in which life expectancy diverged across gender lines from birth, across the lifespan. I agreed to send him a briefing paper on some of the issues we had discussed - He invited me to work with him in future to look at some of the challenges that this new strategy will bring - very exciting!

As I left the 'Spice Island' I have a lasting impression of the 'flame tree' in full bloom. To me is reflects and represents the vibrancy of Grenada and its people.

Sun, sea and serious networking!

Well I arrived safely in Grenada on Sunday. The warmth of the Caribbean weather was a welcome experience after an early morning start (Which began with an alarm clock at 4am!). I was fortunate to meet up with two delegates attending the Caribbean Studies Association conference (Pic 1) which would herald the start of my Fellowship.

We happened to sit next to each other on the plane and with an 8 hour flight ahead I used my usual approach of talking to complete strangers to break the ice. This ploy has worked well for me in all areas of the world and an international flight from Gatwick to Grenada was no exception. By the time we landed in Grenada, they were fully versed on the Winston Churchill Travel Fellowship, prostate cancer and Caribbean men's health risks...............I am not even sure if they really wanted to know all that but I took my ambassadorial role seriously! Dawn, one of the women I met was even busier than I, completing her PhD and studying for her Bar exam at the same time ( and I thought I was busy). The most fortunate thing abut meeting Dawn, apart from her infectious sense of fun, duty and hard work was that she was Grenadian!! This was good for me as someone who did not know the island. So I traded information about my Fellowship for tips on traveling, shopping and local history of the Island. Information which would hopefully speed my acculturation to the "Spice Island'- A good tip for other WCT fellows and anyone else crossing the Globe alone, Talk talk talk!!!!

On touching down in Grenada and following Dawn's advice I arrived safely at the conference, meeting up with colleagues from 6 different islands on the Caribbean communities (Caricom) also with a colleague I knew from Manchester University (another Dawn!!). The only thing left to do was to check out the local beach (Pic 2 and 3) and watch the sun go down on a day of traveling (Pic 4) . At 11pm local time I was struggling to stay awake and wondered why I was flagging so 'early'  - that was until I realised that the 5 hour time difference meant it was 4am as far as my body clock was concerned....................I'd been up 24hours and travelled across several time zones...........Tomorrow was a full day of activity. Time for bed I think.

Caricom, here I come!

Well looks like time is marching on...only a few days to go before the first phase of my trip to the Caribbean. It's amazing how many people find it hard to keep a straight face when I say 'Caribbean' and 'work' in the same sentence................Wonder why that is? :-)

Seriously though I have had lots of help and support from Dr Anselm Hennis from University of the West Indies (UWI) who leads the Public health research into inequalities and particularly conditions such as Prostate Cancer. I have also had a very good pre-arrival invitation via the Ministry of health in Grenada to connect with the appropriate people in Grenada.

 My first week of the visit will be based in Grenada 'The spice Island' of the Caribbean. I will be attending and presenting at the Caribbean Studies Association conference and meeting health and wellbeing scholars, service providers and policy makers. The CSA events are key for development of Scholarship, research and development in the Caribbean. Those of you who are observant may think Grenada? thought you were going to Jamaica?...well thanks to the WCTF and the flexibility it allows I was enabled to pull in this visit as many of the people I wish to meet will also be at the conference - sort of 'one-stop'shopping' for my fellowship! My second week will be hosted by UWI in Barbados...........................can't wait!

Today's challenge is........why 'Caricom?'

first moves

Right! Now just in case anyone thinks I haven't been doing anything - or that the shock of actually creating the blog has paralysed me....I have made contact with the organisations in the Caribbean and USA who expressed support for my Fellowship at the application stage. Firstly to thank them for their support and to let them all know 'officially' that I had been successful.

This was a good way to check out if they were still interested - a lot can happen in a few months, particularly with some of the community organisations in these austere times! Anyway I am pleased to say they were all VERY congratulatory and keen to send me some suggested itinerary activities for me to look at...should have them in next couple of days, so I'll let you know the options.

Have a good Monday.......suppose I better make moves to do the day job!

Laura x

Right! I have taken the plunge to set up a blog to chart my travels and reflections as part of my Winston Churchill Travel Fellowship 2013.

I am really please that @wcmt.org.uk are supporting me to travel to the USA and Caribbean looking at how community initiatives combine with health care services to support Black men living with Prostate cancer.

At this moment, when, as informed by my new Fellows instruction manual that planning and reflection are the key elements of a successful fellowship, I feel a lie down is required - to recover from the heady heights of setting up this blog!

mind you, it is after 10pm and i have been here since ........trying to do this!