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As with any community collaborative, there are a great number of people who make this initiative work. Here are just a few...

Provin Sanford, a Kalinago community member and his wife, Cara are the founding members and directors of this organization. After having met through VISIONS Service Adventures, a cross cultural summer service program for teens, they are now married and have a daughter of their own.




 

Provin, a native of the Kalinago community in Dominica, has long been a leader in his community and active in organizing overseas volunteers. Provin began his volunteer exchange work with VISIONS Service Adventures in 1996. Starting as an assistant to the VISIONS summer staff, he soon became their local expert and community liaison, carpenter/mason, and all around trouble shooter. Provin went on to become full staff and eventually Program Director for VISIONS working in the Kalinago community and the British Virgin Islands. Provin has a great interest in learning about others and about how things work. During his time with VISIONS, Provin grew to love sharing his culture and realized the richness that comes with volunteering alongside others from diverse backgrounds. During his down time, Provin runs his own construction company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Otherwise, you will find him coordinating this development and volunteer collaborative and acting as our Community Relations Director/Deputy Director.

 

 

Cara, having 14 years experience in working in the adult and student volunteer sector, brings a wealth of understanding about community and relationship building. She spent two years as an Americorps VISTA at Habitat for Humanity, a summer as Resident Director and Instructor with the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for International Studies (PGSIS) and eight years with VISIONS, directing programs in the British Virgin Islands, South Carolina, Australia and Dominica. Cara holds a BA in Ethnic Studies and a Master of Education in International and Comparative Education. Currently a doctoral student, she is busy completing her dissertation, which focuses on cross cultural experiential education. Cara serves as Executive Director.

 

In 2006, Cara & Provin decided that ultimately they would like to join their two homes, Pittsburgh & the Kalinago community of Dominica, and build on the positives of both communities. Longé is the outgrowth of this desire.



 

Anthony Dupigny (on the left) hailing from the village of Bataca, Kalinago Territory, is an active community volunteer and our on the ground expert. Tony is well known for being someone who can be counted on...You will often find him doing road maintenance or assisting the local church in his village. Just recently, Tony has begun lending his voice to the Salybia Church choir. Tony has volunteered with VISIONS for two summers acting as staff support and has since moved to fulltime staff during summer programs. Tony is this organization's 'go-to' guy, our field staff member. He helps lead service experiences for our volunteers as well as liaison between our counterparts in the United States and the Kalinago community.


Michael Farrell
(on the right), originally from Connecticut, now a "local" of the Kalinago community, is the youngest of five boys and has spent most of the past ten years living and working in Oakland, California. Michael has three years experience in working with a community service program, spending one summer in Tortola of the British Virgin Islands and the past two summers in the Kalinago community of Dominica with VISIONS Service Adventures. Michael spent the month of January 2007 leading a delegation of four 11 and 12 year olds to a cross cultural peace village just outside of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He also has experience as a teacher, basketball coach, residential counselor in a group home and activities coordinator for a YMCA youth program. In early 2007, Michael lived in Caracas, Venezuela where he worked to strengthen bonds between northern and southern communities with Global Exchange, Reality Tours. Newly married, Michael now splits his time between the Kalinago community and Oakland, CA. Michael currently shares the position of Dominica Operations Director with Suzan (see below).

 

 

Mardi Dauphinee is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where she is currently enjoying her first year of motherhood with her daughter Odessa. She has extensive youth leadership experience and a passion for empowering others to connect with themselves and Mother Earth. Mardi has a BA in Communication & Culture and aspires to gain her Life Coaching Certification. Having been introduced to the Kalinago Territory through an internship with Ghost River Rediscovery in 2004, Mardi believes in the positive potential of international connections in helping weave and nurture commUNITY. Mardi is assisting in recruitment and marketing in Canada.

 

 

Suzan Sanford, a resident member of  Salybia, Carib Territory, comes from a family of six. Suzan attended Salybia Primary School, Castle Bruce Secondary School, and went on to the Dominica State College in 2003 where she graduated with an Associate Degree in Business Administration in 2006. Currently, Suzan is shares the Dominica Operations Director position with Michael. She is also quite active in the community. Currently, she is a member of the Karifuna Cultural Group, whose main aim is to preserve and maintain Kalinago culture. Additionally, she is the Treasurer for the Salybia School Computer Center. Like Tony, Suzan is an active member in the Salybia Church choir and between all of these commitments, Suzan still volunteers as a Kindergarten teacher each day of the week at Salybia Primary.