RISE Saint Lucia President Proposes Sports as Anti-Crime Tool

President of RISE Saint Lucia, Dr Venus Rastaman Cherry is championing the integration of sports as a key strategy to combat crime, describing it as a powerful yet underutilised tool. 

Cherry, who credits sports with “saving his life,” recalled how a sports scholarship diverted him from trouble and ultimately opened the door to academic and professional success. However, he believes that many Saint Lucian youth, particularly young males, lack similar opportunities.

“The challenges we face when trying to engage at-risk youth in sports stem from the perception that everyone is acting reactively rather than proactively,” Cherry explained. “When there’s a spike in crime, you see programmes from USAID and other organisations hosting short-term camps here and there. But once the camps are over, that’s it—there’s no continuity or consistency.”

“These young people feel like pawns, used temporarily, and then discarded. They’ve been let down by the system so many times that they’ve lost trust in it. They no longer see the value in investing their time, effort, or energy.”

Cherry – who heads the not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to the healthy development of people, especially youth – believes that sports must become a more integral part of Saint Lucian society. He noted that despite the island’s achievements on the international stage, sports remain underfunded and not prioritised.

“Sports needs to become a priority—it’s not there yet,” he stated. “Not even with the success of Julien Alfred is sports truly a priority in Saint Lucia. Look at how much money is allocated to carnival and other cultural events. I’m not against carnival—we need those activities—but how does that funding compare to what’s allocated for sports development? Are we providing athletes with the equipment and tools they need? We boast about having lights on our playing fields, but do athletes have true access to these facilities? Can they actually use them? A lot more can and should be done.”

Cherry also called on corporate Saint Lucia to play a more active role in supporting sports development.

“The government has its role to play and should do more, but corporate Saint Lucia needs to step up significantly,” he asserted. 

“There used to be so many events—M&C games, Pine Hill tournaments, and other sports initiatives. Where are these now? Where is the consistent funding for sporting activities? It’s lacking. Private institutions and individuals need to take pride in what we’ve achieved and invest in it. Fund the coaches! If coaches aren’t being paid and have to work regular nine-to-five jobs, how can they dedicate time to coaching unless they have an extraordinary passion for it?” he questioned.