A number of West Indies stars past and present are rallying to assist West Indies all-rounder Kesrick Williams and the people of St Vincent and the Grenadiers who have been affected by the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano.
Williams, who lives in the first community in orange zone, shared his experience on the Mason and Guest radio programme earlier this week.
“I kind don’t know about the volcanic eruption how bad it’s going to get probably in the next couple of days couple weeks, couple months, we don’t know, so we’re just here, just looking around hoping for the best,” he said.
The West Indies limited overs seamer explained that the effects of the eruption sent him to the hospital.
“Very bad. I end up in the hospital. Really, at some stage where the ashes was really bad. It entered my system and then I had to end up in the hospital because I couldn’t breathe properly. So I was there for a couple of hours and got out. They gave me some medication and I was sickly for a couple days but I’m better now. It’s just to put on a mask. The ashes not really anything to play with to be honest.”
The 31-year-old Williams, said that he had ordered stuff in an effort to help people but once his friend found out they too began sending stuff.
“I ordered a lot of stuff to help people, but then as soon as a lot of my friends outside realize I’m doing that, they sent a lot of stuff for me like Carlos [Brathwaite] already said two pallets of water [Marlon] Samuels sent in a pallet of water. Lendl Simmons already pack up some stuff, Riyad Emrit, who I usually coordinate with in Trinidad, we usually get water, canned food, everything coming from Trinidad to send up. Jon Ross Jaggesar…You know, I made a group the other day, Mason is in that group, all my Bajan links that I have put them in a group and ask them to see if they can come together and get stuff out like Ashley [Nurse] called me a while ago.”
Williams also said that cash can be sent too.
“The lines here for Western Union or MoneyGram is ridiculously long so if you want to stand up in a line well we can take cash.”
He noted that the supplies are there but a lot of people cannot buy them because they can’t afford to as a lot of people are not working.
The other alternative is shipping stuff into the island, something that Williams and other cricketers have partnered to do.
One of the major necessities of the people on the Island is the need for drinking water.
“To send over stuff is, it’s basically time, how fast they will get it and people need stuff right now. The most things that people need right now is water, like water is scarce here, because our water system is really contaminated so we really don’t want to be drinking out of the tap right now. So it’s better to get bottled water and use that.”
Williams said that one of the challenges with getting supplies to the Island is that the boats are packed.
“The boats are so packed that sometimes you might not even get your stuff on because right now, I have a lot of stuff coming in and I have to wait, because the boats are so filled with stuff that for other people and stuff like that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Williams updated that he has been in contact with fellow West Indies player, Obed McCoy and former West Indies under-19, Delorn Johnson as well as former West Indies cricketer turned umpire, Deighton Butler, who he said were safe and in the orange and green zones.
