Taipei, Taiwan, March 27, 2023 (Embassy of St. Kitts and Nevis in Taiwan) Citizens and residents of Taiwan living in the southern area now have easier access to books written by Saint Kitts and Nevis’s authors, thanks to a donation by the Embassy of Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts) and Nevis in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
During a ceremony held at the Kaohsiung Public Library, today, March 27th, 2023, Saint Kitts and Nevis’ resident Ambassador to Taiwan His Excellency Donya L. Francis handed over a total of six (6) books to the library’s director, Lin Guan-Yu.
Deputy Mayor of the Kaohsiung City Government, Mr. Luo Dao-Sheng, other government officials, the library’s staff and principals, and students of three schools in Kaohsiung City were present to witness this donation.
Ambassador Francis explained to the audience that, in June 2022, the first set of books was presented to the National Central Library in Taipei by former Ambassador Jasmine Huggins.
“As we continue our journey to educate the citizens and residents of Taiwan about our beloved Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, I believe that it is vital that we spread our outreach efforts to different cities and counties,” said Francis.
He added, “These books were written by some of our most creative writers who have sought to preserve and present our cultural heritage, history and experiences. Great books to read and learn about our paradise.”
The six books donated were ‘My ABC Book About St. Kitts and Nevis’ by Kayrisa Kelly, ‘Oma Lu’s visit’ by Keimon Archibald-Lake, Carol Ottley-Mitchell’s ‘Masquerade Dance’ and ‘Adventure at Brimstone Hill’ and ‘The Final Passage’ and ‘Distant Shore’ written by Caryl Phillips.
A special reading of ‘Masquerade Dance’ was done by Ambassador Francis and two local students: William from St. Dominic High School and Klaire from Hsin Chya Elementary School.
The ‘My ABC Book About St. Kitts and Nevis’ book was used for an interactive session by Tawanna Collins, Miss National Carnival Queen 2018, and a third-year International Business and Trade student at Ming Chuan University.
Other nationals, who are presently studying and working in Taiwan, assisted the Embassy by performing at the event. Davrald Webbe played the drum while Lysana Belle and Kristal Phillip danced and Tronnicia Flanders acted as an usher for the invited guests.
Ambassador Francis explained that as an English-speaking nation, the Government and people of Saint Christopher and Nevis have promised and committed to assist Taiwan with the realization of its 2030 Bilingual Nation goal.
“I believe that through our partnerships such as this one (books donations), language and culture exchanges, school visits and the establishment of sister schools, we can help Taiwan to reach its goal,” Ambassador Francis said.
The Embassy will be looking to acquire more books and to identify other libraries and schools around Taiwan to donate them to. The Embassy will also encourage the different schools to use these books as part of their English curriculum.
