Twenty three doctors-in-training at American University of the Caribbean
(AUC) School of Medicine set aside their stereoscopes and thermometers on
Saturday, June 18, to engage in voluntary work at the Agricultural Station
of the St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation on the L.B. Scott Road.
The voluntary work was part of AUC students’ Community Action Day (CAD) – a
once-a-semester event that engages students in community service work
around the country. The Agricultural Station Project was one of 11 sites
where CAD was conducted on June 18, where a total of 200 students, faculty
members, colleagues and their families volunteered a combined total of 775
hours of service.
At the start of the Tzu Chi voluntary exercise in the morning hours, the
medical students were split into several groups and they worked together
with Tzu Chi volunteers to ensure that the foundation’s Agricultural
Station Project is properly and safely prepared for the current hurricane
season. The exercise was also geared towards environmental protection.
Assigned tasked included infrastructure painting; raking the many leaves
and rotted fruit that fell from the fruit and other trees in the
Agricultural Station and transferring these into compost bins; pruning and
picking fruits of coconuts; mangoes and ackee trees; transplanting
seedlings; removal of unwanted debris for garbage disposal and using
prepared garbage enzymes to protect trees and plants.
During the voluntary exercise, participants were kept hydrated with fresh
homemade drinks and healthy vegetarian snacks provided by Tzu Chi.
At noon, the students participated in a video and live presentation of the
many benefits of Garbage Enzymes for the community and several students
also shared their experience of the day.
The exercise wound down with participants being treated to a sumptuous
vegetarian lunch and drinks.
Tzu Chi St. Maarten Foundation Commissioner Sandra Cheung said she is
deeply appreciative of the continuous efforts of AUC to promote
volunteerism within the local community and for their efforts to help get
the Tzu Chi Agricultural Station ready for the hurricane season.