Ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin received a warm and hearty welcome by St. Kitts & Nevis nationals living in the Houston area at a meet & greet held on Saturday, February 25th, 2012.
Almost 100 nationals joined the executive committee of the St. Kitts Nevis Association of Houston (SKNAH) at the Westin Galleria Hotel and were treated to a wonderful evening of camaraderie, music, a cultural masquerade performance by Ipa Hodge, good food and an enlightening speech by Her Excellency, Ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin.
Her Excellency spoke about her role as Ambassador to the United States, the services the Embassy offers its citizens and the importance of staying connected to St. Kitts & Nevis. “We need to stay connected with the federation – talk about St. Kitts & Nevis, encourage people to visit, know our federation’s history and become Tourism Ambassadors for our country”, says Ambassador Martin. There was a Q&A session in which several members of the audience were able to voice their concerns and also get answers to questions that were very important to them; such as: how to apply for land in the Federation and how our twin sister islands interact with other Caribbean islands.
The City of Houston was represented by Council Member, Oliver Pennington and his wife, Beverly who both enjoyed the festivities of the evening. A gift of a beautiful crystal cowboy hat as well as a gift basket was presented to the Ambassador on behalf of the Mayor of Houston, Ms. Annise Parker.
“The St. Kitts Nevis Association of Houston was absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to host the Ambassador in our home away from home here in Houston. This meet & greet has brought our nationals together and shows that we are proud of who we are and we will not forget where we came from. SKNAH will continue in its quest to support and aid the people of our Federation as well as our nationals living in the Houston area” says Melvina Chapman-Audain, the President of SKNAH.
Formally established in 2008, SKNAH is a grass roots community organization with the purpose of providing support and enhancing the lives of Kittitians and Nevisians in our Federation and the Greater Houston, Texas area. We are involved in educational, cultural, social service programs, volunteerism and keeping our culture strong and vibrant.
Picture 1: Ambassador Henry-Martin accepts gift from SKNAH
Picture 2. Ambassador Henry-Martin with SKNAH President, Melvina Chapman-Audain
Picture 3: Council member Pennington presenting gift to Ambassador
Picture 4:Ambassador Henry-Martin with SKNAH Board Members and supporters
(Source http://www.zizonline.com/news/?52FE0646-D2F7-F761-FEF66E2AE620C95E)
