Island Governor Jonathan Johnson (right) and Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) student Billie-Jean Rodrigues-Lopez (left) laid a wreath at the war memorial on Monday, May 4, in the presence of Island Secretary Tim Muller and SCS teacher Peter Johnson.
SABA--Saba observed Memorial Day on Monday, May 4, commemorating 75 years of freedom after the May 5, 1945, liberation marking the end of World War II.
The day started with a Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) special initiative consisting of eight simultaneous, separate Zoom sessions at 8:00am with the participation of 44 persons, including 10 members of the Student Council, 10 homeroom teachers/mentors, 10 teachers and 10 stakeholders.
The stakeholders included persons and organisations in St. Maarten and St. Eustatius, and representatives of the public entity Saba, UNICEF Netherlands, Centre for Youth and Family and the ministries in The Hague.
During the Zoom sessions, participants reflected on the importance of freedom in the broadest sense of the word: freedom of religion, gender freedom, freedom of sexual inclination, World War II, and children’s rights.
Prior to the sessions, some 75 breakfast boxes were delivered to the homes of the Saba participants for everyone to enjoy breakfast with their family on this occasion.
The idea to commemorate 75 years of freedom at the school was discussed when National May 4 and 5 Committee chairperson Gerdi Verbeet visited Saba last year, explained SCS director Anton Hermans.
The original plan was to have students visit people at home and to have breakfast together. Due to the lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it was no longer possible to have a physical encounter on May 4, so a digital alternative was planned.
After the Zoom sessions, the participating students, their mentors and the rest of the class reviewed the event and talked about freedom during their daily homeroom session. SCS also delivered cookies at The Home as an expression of gratitude to the elderly residents.
The annual memorial event took place at 2:00pm Monday at the war monument in The Bottom, for the victims of World War II. On the monument are the names of 129 persons of the Netherlands Antilles, including 11 Sabans, who perished during the 1940-1945 war. The majority of the Antillean victims were seafarers who worked on oil tankers.
Island Governor Jonathan Johnson and student Billie-Jean Rodrigues-Lopez laid a wreath at the monument in the presence of Island Secretary Tim Muller and SCS teacher Peter Johnson.
Rodrigues-Lopez created her own wreath from natural materials that she encountered during walks. Two minutes of silence were observed in honour of the fallen.
