ASKaND Chair’s SKN Experience

When ASKaND Chair Jacqui Daniels went to St Kitts for Christmas; those in the know, have no doubt, that the last place you would find her is sunning herself by the pool drinking Mai Tais! Of course we were right! Almost as soon as she landed she had her sleeves rolled up and was in the kitchen; determined to make sure that as many people as possible had an enjoyable Christmas. Our Chair has shared one of her experiences below.

“Christmas would not be Christmas, without the reason for the season. The reason for many (I believe), is to spread happiness and joy to all men; to give more and receive less and give to others less fortunate than ourselves. With that in view, at Christmas and over the New Year, I found myself with the financial support of two ASKaND members, cooking and delivering a 2-course meal for “Prisoner X” who is currently serving time at His Majesty’s Prison in Basseterre, St. Kitts.

“This came about after a request was made by Prisoner X’s mother, who could not visit the island at Christmas, to provide for her adult child.

“As a special treat, on Christmas Day the inmates are allowed to receive home cooked meals from their families to enjoy and experience a taste “of home”. The menu provided on the day was a: traditional Sunday dinner with all the trimmings, and lemon sponge cake.

“Another privilege and treat that was granted on New Years Day, was food that included meals from KFC and Domino’s Pizza. Of course, Prisoner X was over the moon and surprised when one delivery was made in person at the prison doors on Christmas Day** and two deliveries on New Years Day**. The food was stored and eaten over two days, as they had more than enough to suffice.

“That to me, was the reason for the season. I can only imagine the thoughts of Prisoner X wondering who could have made their day this memorable. Someone outside, who cared enough about how they could be feeling on days like Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

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ASKaND are happy to support nationals and descendants in need at home and abroad where we can.”

* Names omitted to protect privacy and preserve dignity. ** 25th December 2023 & 1st January 2024