Tourism Enhancement Fund Delivers 6 New Shower Facilities at VFCSS
(Castries, Saint Lucia –Thursday, April 2nd 2026)- The Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School (VFCSS) has long served as one of the most frequently used camping sites in Saint Lucia, accommodating a range of youth and community groups throughout the year.
Despite its popularity, particularly during the peak summer vacation period, the site lacked adequate shower facilities, requiring temporary units to be installed each time the grounds were utilized.
In response, representatives of the Girl Guides Association of Saint Lucia approached the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) for support. The TEF moved quickly to address the request, financing six new shower units at the school, along with two dedicated water tanks.
Officials from the TEF visited the school on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026, to formally hand over the upgraded facilities.
Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guides, Lydia Charlemagne, noted that the upgraded facilities will greatly enhance the camping experience, adding that they have already received rave reviews.
“In the past, one of the challenges we faced was getting the materials, oftentimes harvesting bamboo, getting somebody to construct temporary showers and having to demolish afterwards. We also had an issue with providing security and dignity to the girls. It is a gift that is going to keep giving for many, many years. It’s not just the Girl Guides who will be able to use those showers but also the other youth groups that use the school like the cadets and Boy Scouts. Last year, even when the showers were not quite complete the girls had an opportunity to use them and, in their evaluation, that was one of the highlights of the camp; that they were able to come in a clean space and it looks nice and fresh. So, the girls were really appreciative.”
Charlemagne noted that the benefits will also extend to students of the school. “Those showers are in proximity to the garden and the science lab and of course if we have an accident in the science lab those showers can be used to wash down students, and students doing Physical Education and Agriculture can also benefit. So, those showers are going to be used by a lot of different groups of people. We thank you very much and we really appreciate it.”
Programme Member of the TEF, Donette Ismael, expressed satisfaction in the outcome of the project. “At first, it was just a simple project to do some outdoor showers. But in discussion with the school and us at the Association realizing the impact that this facility would have, we expanded it into full shower facilities. Our young people come here during the summer vacations to engage with one another, learn and do productive things. We thought it would be very important for the TEF to participate in an endeavour such as this. And so, we went all out ensuring that the showers were comfortable and spacious. We even had water tanks installed so that if in case there were issues with water that the students would be taken care of. I want to say hats off to the team at VFCSS: Mr. Duncan, Ms. Charlemagne and all of the other teachers who assisted in making this project come to a reality.”
She continued: “I want to say thank you to the donors of the TEF: without your support, without the remittances that we get on an annual basis we are not able to do projects such as this. So, we want to say thank you to our visitors who contribute to the TEF and allow us to make powerful contributions such as these in our communities.”
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