Island Voices, Global Health: Highlights from Tony Kelly’s Montserrat Diabetes Mission
Tony Kelly’s diabetes awareness trip to Montserrat 2025 during November, Diabetes Awareness Month. * Pictured above is Dr. Clarice Barnes, Independent Scholar, Harriet Cross, Governor on Montserrat – Courtesy Call At The Start Of The Tour.
Although this was mainly a self-sponsored trip may I start by offering sincere thanks and appreciation to individuals in England who reached out and gave donations to defray some of my travel expenses. Their generosity is truly appreciated.
The British Airways flight from Gatwick to Antigua was delayed due to a wing fault which meant that by the time of its arrival it was too late for my connecting flight on a 20-seater plane to Montserrat.
Luckily another Montserratian was in a similar situation and her friend found us hotel accommodation close to the airport and we were able to continue the15 minute journey by air the following morning. The V.C. Bird International Airport, the hub for the Eastern Caribbean is modern but with advanced technology it only allows internet access for 15 minutes after which one is expected to pay!!! That is unfair to travelers and needs to be changed.
The hostess in Montserrat for the two and a half-week visit was my friend of over 45 years Dr. Clarice Barnes and the hospitality for the duration of the stay was first class. I will never forget the abundance of fresh fruits for breakfast each morning along with a different type of ‘bush tea’ which is indeed herbal remedy from her mature garden. Those various bushes are often frowned upon by others in modern times but are better than green tea and coffee with the island having an abundance of medicinal plants growing naturally. I would encourage their use as often as possible but avoid spoiling the flavour with too much sugar. Try instead a small amount of honey as an alternative or no sugar at all.
Mr Charles Daly of Daly’s Rental Services was earmarked as my chauffeur courtesy of the Montserrat Ministry of Health for most of my visit for what was indeed a packed itinerary of engagements. His punctuality and professionalism were remarkable and for that I am really thankful as it made life so much easier.
My impression of Montserrat can only be described in one word de-ja-vu as it reminded so much of the parish St. Thomas, Jamaica where I grew up as a boy after leaving from England on the Ascania ship to live there with my great aunt Mrs. Ina Watson a primary school teacher, her husband a plantation owner and my grandmother.
The tour started with an official visit to the Governor, Harriet Cross. I also had an audience with the Minister of Health Dr. Ingrid Buffonge who at the end of the tour extended an invitation for me to return next year after presenting me with a plaque as a fond memory of the visit. Thanks too to Dr. Barnes who presented me with one at the end of the World Diabetes panel discussion on Montserrat radio and another received from the Montserrat Diabetes Association which all adorn our mantlepiece at home as pleasant reminders of the wonderful hospitality and warmth of Montserratians.
I did testimonials at St. John’s Anglican Church and also at Bethseda Methodist Church for their harvest festival which was beautifully bedecked with plants, fruits and crops displaying the natural beauty of the island. The harvest festival display reminded me of St. Boniface Anglican church in White Hall, St. Thomas, Jamaica as it was without doubt a trip down memory lane.
I delivered diabetes sessions at New Ebenezer Seventh Day Adventist Church, Brades, Lookout and St. Augustine Roman Catholic Primary Schools as well as Montserrat Secondary School and Montserrat Community College. I visited health centres/clinics, had a session with healthcare professionals plus on three separate occasions was interviewed on Montserrat radio by Penny Maloney’s Talking Health show, Paulesa Ryner, radio reporter for a special news report and Dr. Barnes’ Cultural Show.
The informal visit to the rum bars in Salem accompanied by Anne Thomas where the discussion with men as they drank their favourite tipple was enlightening and informative. Some indeed are quite knowledgeable about the medical condition diabetes that I encouraged them to form a monthly men only support group to discuss their health and well-being issues to encourage others to open up in a safe space. There are three in Birmingham where I live and they are vibrant and going from strength to strength. Once established they could invite guest speakers to speak on a range of subjects.
Special thanks are due to Pastor Morales who was the Spanish interpreter for the event organized for the Spanish speaking community.
A visit to this beautiful island often referred to as the ‘Emerald Isle of the Caribbean’ because of its resemblance to coastal Ireland would not have been complete without going to the volcano observatory to see the after effects of the volcano which happened 30 years ago. Being able to watch a video of that surreal catastrophe of the lush green areas and the ash-covered abandoned capital Plymouth was a moving experience that will remain with me for a long time.
Ashaya Brown the president of the Jamaica Association along with Rolando Kassie another member of that group both living on the island for many years took me on an island wide tour and visiting Drummonds with its panoramic view was a sight to behold.
Dr. Buffonge kindly gave me a tour of three lovely beaches one of which had the footprints of turtles which came on land to lay their eggs before returning to the sea. She was able to drive through part of the exclusion zone too and the impact from the volcano was clear to see.
The crowing of the cocks from as early as five in the morning brought back such pleasant memories of my early childhood in Jamaica. That was indeed the alarm call provided by Mother Nature. The way crickets during the night made such melodic sounds known as stridulation was another childhood memory which I experienced. Stridulation is the insect rubbing parts of its body together. I saw for the first time agoutis dashing across the road and am aware that there are moves afoot to control this herbivore which is known to damage crops being grown.
What I found amazing was the large number of goats in Montserrat as never seen so many on any of my worldwide travels. With an estimated population of approximately 4000 people, it could be described as the equivalent of New Zealand where there are more sheep than people. No wonder Goat Water is the island’s national dish and I can certainly vouch for its lovely taste.
I was treated on three different occasions to a dining experience at the famous Olveston House a classic location offering British and Caribbean fare, in a setting that combines the ambiance of a plantation lounge with a wine bar. Thanks, in that regard to Dr Sheron Burns, Head of the University of the West Indies, Global Campus, Dr Ingrid Buffonge and Roslyn Sealey who is well-known for her advocacy with respect to tourism on the island.
It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to engage with the community in a Town Hall meeting at Davy Hill Community Centre which was live streamed by Montserrat radio. To be the guest speaker at the 20th anniversary of the Montserrat Diabetes Association AGM was also indeed an honour and a privilege.
A session with interns under the banner Helping Youth Prepare for Employment was well attended by them along with the staff.
On World Diabetes Day the 14th November which is the birthday in honour of Canadian scientist Sir Frederick Banting who discovered artificial/synthetic insulin 104 years ago after injecting it in a diabetic dog who gained weight; I was on a Montserrat radio discussion panel chaired by Dr. Clarice Barnes along with Dr. Ingrid Buffonge the health minister, nurse Jeanette Brade and a foot amputee Kenneth Farrell.
A visit to the Montserrat National Trust Botanical Gardens which is well maintained was an experience worth seeing as it is uniquely placed to educate all visitors with many species of tropical plants many of which have medicinal qualities.
As often as possible I encouraged children and young people during this tour as well as their guardians/parents/teachers to put down their handheld devices and do more physical activity outside in order to burn up the calories from the food and get their vitamin D from the sunlight. Where possible if the soil is fertile start the youngsters at an early age to have their own vegetable gardens and encourage them to plant seeds and saplings as was the custom in my childhood. To then have on their dinner plate produce that they grew makes them appreciate the joys of Mother Nature even more as it is ‘from the soil to the table’ and vegetables are good for everyone.
Montserrat is blessed with natural spring water and is some of the best drinking water that I have ever tasted with no chemicals such as chlorine added. I had the pleasure of drinking from the spring with the belief that anyone who does will return. I would implore all to drink this water which is piped into the homes as the benefits to one’s body are many. Plus, the island has a lot of coconut trees which produce water/young/green coconuts that are a good source of electrolytes.
The literature provided by Diabetes UK was distributed at most events and was well received and appreciated.
Heartfelt thanks to Penny Maloney, health promotion coordinator, Anne Thomas, Director, Department of Community, Youth and Sports Services and Trevor Howe, President of the Montserrat Diabetes Association who were part of the planning committee with further input from Dr. Clarice Barnes of Museum Without Walls, Alliouagana who possesses an incredible level of knowledge pertaining to her homeland.
It was lovely to have a final get-together/celebration to end the tour at Dr. Barnes’ home with other alumni from the University of Birmingham where I studied.
One can only hope that other Caribbean islands also heed the health and well-being message as diabetes is rampant in each of them and as my well-known motto says ‘Our Health Is Our Wealth’.
Tony Kelly
Diabetes Ambassador/Activist
Contact details: tonykellydiabetes@hotmail.com
Website: www.tonykelly.co.uk