Can grass change lives? Vetiver is no ordinary grass! It has healing properties, both for humans and for the Earth. On the quaint island of St. Vincent & The Grenadines, vetiver aka lavender grass, razor grass, hurricane grass or Khus Khus, is integral part of the community. You may have seen roof thatching, floor mats, walls and plasters made of this grass in other parts of the world too.
On St. Vincent vetiver helps protect the volcanic soil against soil erosion, and helps with ground water retention, soil regeneration, and insect repelling. It is also non invasive and resistant to fire. Vetiver is now utilized all over the world in tropical and sub tropical areas as low cost ‘green engineering’ to stabilize slope embarkments along roads and drains. The 2021 volcanic eruption on St. Vincent destroyed vegetation, but vetiver grass was unaffected by the ash. This promoted the idea of planting vetiver hedgerows on farmlands.
Vetiver originates from Southern India and I have definitely seen it around growing up. But it was only recently that I learned so much about this grass. I went to visit the brand new Vetiver Heritage Center sponsored by the Sandals Foundation in St. Vincent.
Finding Self Esteem in Grass
From the outside, the Center appeared like a charming Caribbean home, with a small garden and breezy air passing through the doors. Inside, there were several people learning how to train, sow and craft the grass into beautiful handmade rugs and bags. The founder of the nonprofit, Grow in Time and Hand2Earth, Vonnie Roudette greeted me with a big smile and told me about her love for vetiver. As an artist, she was asked to do a workshop in St. Vincent’s prisons, which is where the idea was born.
Roudette showed prisoners how to work with vetiver, and their creativity and attention impressed her. She also found they were learning teamwork as making some of the pieces involved many people working together. The temporary project turned into eight years. Roudette trained them on leadership skills, entrepreneurship and gave them income for their work.
Started in 2015, the Vetiver prisoner rehabilitation program has trained over 160 prisoners in craft skills, sustainable farming, land conservation and eco-entrepreneurship. Today, Grow in Time provides sustainable livelihood to 24 inmates in two correction facilities on St. Vincent.
I spoke to several former inmates who are now employed by the organization. They both claimed that vetiver helped them with self esteem, communication, and learning new skills. They support their families through their products, but also grow their own grass, and teach others about it.
Resort That Gives Back
Because Go Eat Give is all about making a positive impact when you travel, we love Jamaican-owned Sandals Resorts. The Sandals Foundation invests in the local communities wherever their resorts are. They also encourage guests to visit and donate to the projects. In St. Vincent, The Sandals Foundation joined local NGOs Hand2Earth and Grow In Time’s Vetiver Craft Project, making a US $10,000 investment into the Vetiver livelihood prisoner rehabilitation and re-socializing training programs. Until then, the organization did not have a physical location where the craftsmen and women could come to for training.
A Remote Retreat
If you decide to go to St. Vincent, you will be surprised by how the island is still untouched despite the tourism boom in the Caribbean. In fact, Sandals St. Vincent, which opened in 2024, is the first luxury property of that scale on the island. It is also the largest employer. The staff is super excited to be able to work in the tourism industry without having to move to neighboring islands.
Sandals St. Vincent is an all-inclusive, adults-only resort, set in a pristine cove surrounded by volcanic mountains. You can arrive at the property by land or water taxi, and see gorgeous scenery from both sides. The lush tropical surroundings are my favorite part of the resort, but the sunsets on the water and the expansive spa are romantic too. Stay at one of the 10 beautifully designed wood and earth toned two-story overwater bungalows. Make sure to grab one of these in advance, as they sell out quickly! Enjoy the ocean breeze from your private patio with a daybed upstairs, and a king size bedroom with glass doors downstairs, so your view is never interrupted. All meals, drinks and activities are inclusive during the stay.
Play in the Sun
Another reason to visit St. Vincent is the coral reef. Since not many visitors come to the island, you will not find many boats filled with people at the snorkeling and diving sites. Sandals St. Vincent has an onsite PADI dive shop that offers classes, certifications and excursions.
Other things you can do while on the island are hiking, biking, kayaking, visit waterfalls, sunset cruises, spa and relax at the beach. Take a Pirates of the Caribbean tour and see filming locations for the movie, ‘The Curse of the Black Pearl.’
And of course, don’t forget to purchase Grow in Time crafts to take home, so you can tell everyone about the benefits of vetiver grass. Many of their products have already made it into luxury homes and hotels! The store is open on Saturdays and by appointment, so message them before you go.
Remember, wherever you travel to, you can always make a difference!
If you are interested in learning more about this program, watch this movie about The Grass Men.
