ST. GEORGE’S Grenada: Grenada’s Agency for Reconstruction and Development Inc. (ARD) Community Caravan concluded in Carriacou on Saturday with participating agencies calling for the project to continue in some form in the future. “The Caravan has helped us a lot to get a feel as to what people know about us. It has shown us we need a lot more promotional material,” said Debbie Ann Fullerton of the Grenada Rural Enterprise Project. Community Disaster Specialist Velda Joseph of the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) said the Caravan was the perfect opportunity to disseminate information to the public in their own setting, as well as network with other agencies. Networking is what is required in Disaster Management in Grenada. This kind of collaborative effort redounds to all communities. The ARD needs to spearhead this and keep that collaboration going, Ms. Joseph said. National Disaster Coordinator Sylvan McIntyre noted that the Caravan helped NaDMA with its entire information campaign. “Participating in the Caravan made us dig deeper. We added to and modified our display, based on the feedback from people who came to the Information Fair," Superintendent McIntyre said. The display illegal drugs and information about the associated dangers was displayed by Constable Ronald Joseph who operated the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) booth at most of the Caravans. He said young people are very curious about these drugs. “We spent a great deal of time sensitizing people on the different types of drugs and how people go out of their way to hide these drugs from the authorities," Constable Joseph said. Located next to the RGPF booth was the Drug Control Secretariat display, which featured a video on the dangers of drugs and other information. Dave Alexander said the Caravan has helped the Secretariat to educate young people, particularly about the illegal drug Ecstasy. Mr. Alexander said the Secretariat is considering adopting the ARD Caravan concept and having its own Caravan on a smaller scale. We intend to use this concept and set up a kind of roving Caravan, Mr. Alexander added. Since the Caravan began in April, it has visited each Parish with some 25 different agencies participating in the Information Fair. Lerona Lewis of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), which has been involved in every Caravan, says the Caravan has helped her both professionally and personally. Reprinted from Caribbean Net News caribbeannetnews.com