Programs Blog

November 26th, 2024  

Location: Washington, DC 

Weather: 60˚ F and Sunny 

Hello for the final time. This is Keegan, and I am back to write my final blog post. This week has been very busy finishing up all our projects and different assignments, but we had a break on Saturday night. Saturday night we had the opportunity to attend a charity auction that was to raise money for the fisherfolk of Barbados. The event was put on by the Barbados Arts Council, Sustainable Caribbean and the Fisheries Division with the objective to raise $100,000 for the fisherfolk impacted by recent Hurricane Beryl. These individuals faced significant challenges in the aftermath of the hurricane, with the loss of boats, gear, and even access to the water that their livelihood depend on.  

The venue itself was held at Hilton Barbados Resort. The atmosphere reflected both seriousness due to the situation that it was for, as well as a sense of celebratory hope that change and progress was possible. Local musicians and performers put on a series of shows, my favorite being a poet that goes by “Stonedwithcupid.” He performed a poem about climate change that I think had a powerful message. I think that this was a good message to spread, but it was performed in a room full of people who already supported this notion. I think it would be useful to perform this poem to people who are maybe less educated. There were also many different pieces up for auction in many different styles. My favorite being a green wave crashing over a rock.  

This event showed me how connected the island is, and how well a group of people can come together for a celebration and fundraiser. All these people gathered together in a venue donating their time and bidding on pieces to support their local communities.  

Thank you all for tuning into my final blog, and thank you to my classmates for a wonderful abroad experience! 

Keegan Kukucka, Syracuse University