Watch: Parliament President Sarah Wescot-Williams Delivers Fiery St Martin’s Day Speech

When Hurricane Irma hit Saint Martin on September 6, 2017, it was hard to know what the final impact would be. And still today, it’s difficult to understand how much more it’s going to take to rebuild the island. If there’s one thing Irma did, it’s create uncertainty.

Since that day a lot has transpired. There’s no need to rehash it all here — you can always look back at some of the past posts on SXM Strong to get a good sense — but needless to say we’ve come a long way.

Before the hurricane I didn’t know much about the politics of Sint Maarten. I do now. I know what I’ve observed in Parliament since the storm and I’ve also taken the time to get to know many people from Sint Maarten who have been kind enough to teach me about the culture, the history and the people.

Sarah Wescot-Williams has stood out to me from the very beginning. Not only is she eloquent with her choice of words, but you can see in her eyes just how much the people of Sint Maarten mean to her. She doesn’t have the feel of a politician. When I see and hear her speak, I just feel like she’s someone who is in a position to help and who is going to do everything she can.

On Saturday, November 11, 2017, St. Martin’s Day, the people of the island came together to celebrate their pride in an island that most of us know simply as beautiful place for a vacation. The people of both Dutch and French sides of the island truly love their home and it shows every time you meet one of them. It shows in the look in their eyes, in their smile, and in their beautiful energy.

Wescot-Williams speech yesterday was a microcosm of pride and passion for Sint Maarten. It’s clear in her actions and her words that she wants what’s best for the people of the island. Hopefully, she gets the chance to prove that soon.

Please help rebuild SXM and give today. Click here to visit the SXM Strong donate page. Thank you!

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Jon Ferlise

I fell in love with the island of Saint Martin the first time I visited to celebrate my 40th birthday in May of 2009. Since then, I've spent most birthdays there, and have visited countless other times getting to know this wonderful place and the friendly locals that make it so special. I adore the culture, the people, the community, and the beauty of this stunning island. SXM Strong is a website that I started to support humanitarian relief efforts following Hurricane Irma. There was no plan, it just evolved as I witnessed the devastation that Irma caused the island and the huge need to communicate and disseminate information about what had happened and how people could help support this island and its people.

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