Reparations or Rwanda?
When in doubt, review the documents.
By August 26, 2008, Shelley Moorhead was one week into his peaceful hunger strike on the steps of Government House on St. Croix. He was protesting the fact that his organization, the African-Caribbean Reparations and Resettlement Alliance (ACRRA), had not received $35,000 that had been appropriated to the group for their activities at that time.
On that date, Governor John P. deJongh, Jr., issued a letter to Moorhead and, after expressing concern about Moorhead’s “health and well-being,” went on to explain that while the funds for ACRRA had been appropriated that they would not be released because of the “difficult financial circumstances” the Territory found itself in during that time.
He went on to recommend that Moorhead raise his own funds, and used as an example, a recent trip his wife, Cecile, had taken with eleven students to Rwanda. “They did not request or utilize government monies, but rather fundraised to achieve their goals,” deJongh wrote. (Page two, letter attached)
Documents have since been released that directly contradict the Governor’s assertion that public funds were not used for these and subsequent activities related to the Rwanda initiative and show that funds have been distributed from the Virgin Islands Lottery, apparently without Lottery board approval, well in excess of $140,000.
The “Rwanda Project” document attached below shows requests to and disbursements from the VI Lottery dating back to March, 2008, relative to this initiative as well as requisitions and cancelled checks showing when and to whom payments were made. Specifically requestors were Barbara Young, on behalf of both the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands and in her capacity as the Teacher Club Advisor of the World Religion Club at Eudora Kean High School; Cecile deJongh, on behalf of the Children and Family Council, Leadership in Action Program, (Page 5), requesting a monthly contribution of $10,000 for ten months; and a request from Shaun Pennington, St. Croix Source, on behalf of the Rwanda Project, USVI (page 25.)
Young, deJongh and Pennington are also listed on the Pennington letter as president, vice president and secretary respectively of the Rwanda Project, USVI.
All this had occurred before Moorhead sent a letter in September, 2009, to the Governor still trying to receive the now $62,000 appropriated to ACRRA – funds he has not yet received.
Is this an appropriate (or legal) use of Lottery funds? Was their disbursement correctly authorized? In this environment of fiscal confinement, is this a responsible use of public funds? Can duly authorized Legislative appropriations be summarily withheld in favor of other “projects”?
Draw your own conclusions.
When in doubt, review the documents.
Loading ...
We should always be objective and scrutinize information for accuracy. Beware of propaganda masked as factual information. Just because you read something on this site does not make it true.It is easier for the uneducated mind to believe a falsehood than to accept facts.I hope this site continues to allow free expressions, because it is a civil right to have freedom of speech. It is not illegal to insult people or call them negative names;however,those who are guilty of such shameful acts demonstrate an inability to have an intelligent dialogue. Folks that lack education and awareness of issues have limited communication skills. They are threatened by those who could debate issues and present valid arguments based on facts. Therefore, the small-mined folks resort to name-calling and casting aspersions. This is a defense mechanism to hide the fact that they lack confidence in themselves and are envious of those who are more competent and intelligent.Well, life can not always be serious;laughter is good medicine. To those small minds that entertain by making personal attacks: please note you may not educate,but you do make many laugh. Some laugh at you, with you and others laugh at your funny lines. Keep it balance! Inform, educate and entertain.
Those posted copies of the written and signed checks look real to me.
Why would the First Lady do something like this? Why?
She cares about the children in Rwanda. It shows that she is not selfish and greedy. The monies were not used to purchase personal items. These funds came from the VI Lottery as donations. Shelly could request donations from the same source, but I am certain that his request will be declined. Shelly wants a free trip to Denmark to harass the Danes about slavery. He wants the Danes to feel pity for him and give him money, because he claims that he is suffering from the effects of slavery.That is ridiculous. The First Lady is part of a humanitarian mission to assist the poor in Africa. Shelly is on a crusade to avenge the Danes
Please read the comment by Complex Student under IG Report. That is where the money (that the people in our community put into the lottery by buying tickets)should have gone. I would not have purchased ANY lottery tickets if I knew the money was going to Rwanda. Yes, Rwanda has problems, but we have some really big ones here too, and I choose to resolve issues in my backyard before sending money to Rwanda.
You are thoughtless and selfish.I would be happy to know that the funds go to the needy. Some of these lottery monies should be sent to Haiti.The Haitians are worst off than any person residing in the USVI.
Anonymous,
An old saying goes “Clean your own house before you try to clean the house of another”.
Cecile DeJongh is bold and out of place. That $140,000 of the Lottery Offices could have been used right here in the Virgin Islands. How dare she!
We have children begging to go to college but can’t because they don’t have the money too.
We have children that go to sleep hungry at night.
We have children that are attending schools filled with mold, inadequate bathroom facilities, old out-dated textbooks and under paid teachers.
We have children that need therapy services and can’t receive it because the government claims they are “broke” and don’t have the money to hire the needed therapists.
We have talented children that can go so much further in sports and intellectually if they are only given a chance.
Cecile DeJongh is no better than her husband. She’s another sheep in wolf’s clothing.
Let her come this election with a sad, sob story to put on the Radio stations like she did in 2006, when she was talking her nonsense about propaganda and mud-slinging. I know a good handfull of women that are waiting and ready for her.
Cecile and John Dejongh need to realize that it is not mud-slining when it is the truth!
Let them come, the PEOPLE are READY!!!!
CORRECTION: Cecile DeJongh is no better than her husband. She’s another WOLF in sheep’s clothing!
The children in Haiti are begging for a meal and a roof over their heads. The governor was kind to begin his speech with a plea to help the Haitians. The deJongh/Galiber family deserves respect. All the members of this family are the most generous people that I know. Those who seek to defame their good name will not prosper. May the family continue to be blessed.
If they are the most generous people that you know, that doesn’t say much about you as a person or human being.
Haven’t the past three years taught you anything or are you just refusing to learn?
The past three years taught me that this governor is the best leader the USVI has elected.Any other questions?
well, i feel that some may not agree with the use of the lottery monies, but i don’t think that there is a need to infer underhandedness where there really is none. feelings on the table make for a bad card game.
I noticed there was never a list of expenses presented, to indicate where the money would go. Isn’t that a question worthy of an answer? Instead, $10K was just handed over to the Rwanda Project monthly, and that kinda appears to be underhanded to me. Show me how that money was spent, and if it all seems to be on the level, I could let go of misuse of funds and personal connections.
Despite the extremely unkind comments about the 1st Lady, she has remained a first class lady. Her dignity is intact!
Although she may be kind and classy, what about our LOCAL children? If they were the dedicated family they claim to be, they would be out and about in the local streets, and see the funds are needed locally. You think it is fair to improve the quality and learning for kids around the world, but to allow our next generation of local children to lack the proper education? If she wants to save the world, she needs to start in her own backyard, you are more concerned with defending the family name, that you are not using common sense in this situation, let me break this down for a simple mind as your own….Would you go cut someones grass 10 houses down from your own? Meanwhile, your grass and your neighbors grass is knee high? Take care of your grass right? and the people around you? Oh, I suppose not, i suppose you would go down the street first.
A crusade to revenge the Danes? So in no way of form has slavery affected your cirumstances? But if shelly was to recieve these funds from the Danes, I am sure you will be shaking his hand, thanking him for pursuing what everyone else is overlooking. The root of the problem is where we should begin. Is the root of the local problems in Rwanda??? The first lady is looking for praise and hoping someone catches her deeds for Rwanda so she can be praised, I guess praise from the locals isn’t good enough.
Speaking of family, did you watch the TV last when the governor was making his entrance, and he was shaking the hands of those people who he come in contact with? I wondering if it was just me, but I notice that when he reach the area where his wife was sitting, he just pass her by. He didn’t hug her or even a quick kiss. Just wondering.
T,your paranoia and obsession with deGreat will drive you insane.You go to bed dreaming about the governor.Do not think for a moment that deGreat does not love his wife or that you can take her away from him. It is your imagination that he just pass her by. For heaven sakes, they were in the public. It was no time for romance. deGreat had a speech to deliver. In case you are wondering, the First Lady received a special delivery later at Mafoliegate. Take your mind out of the gutter. Remember, this site is sanitized…only those with dirty minds read the derogatory remarks. Those with a pure heart do see, hear or read evil.
Whatever you say, Ms crucian educator.
Rwanda Project USVI is not registered as a non-profit with the IRS.
Go to http://www.guidestar.org (registration is free) to see a listing of non-profit’s registered in the VI (i.e. private schools, foundations, etc.). Rwanda Project USVI is not listed. Also, noteworthy is the annual tax forms that list the highest paid employees of the non-profits registered with the IRS.
Who endorsed the checks made payable to RP USVI? How were the checks cashed, or deposited? If a bank account exists, then whose social security number or employer identification number was used to establish the RP USVI bank accounts? Signatories?
The payments made to RP USVI are taxable based on these findings. I will look into the IRS website for reporting this irregularity.
Let’s not lose sight of how important this issue is.
We may all still be stunned by the actions and “collusion” in this manner too, but the documents included are the facts.