Mrs. Romalia Smith of Anegada was chosen as the BVI’s first unsung hero. She was recently honoured  at the FirstCaribbean International Bank in Road Town. Mrs Smith is pictured here receiving her award from Michael Spencer, Head of Corporate Banking & Country Manager of FirstCaribbean, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, November 28, 2005 - FirstCaribbean International Bank has been looking for unsung heroes across the BVI and throughout the 16 territories in which it operates, to honour those ordinary people who are selflessly and silently at work, building their communities.

Anegadian Romalia Smith is the 1st BVI Unsung Hero

 It has been said that no good deed ever goes unrewarded, and  this was certainly the case for 63-year-old Mrs. Romalia A. George Smith, who was recently honored by FirstCaribbean International Bank as its first ever ‘Unsung Hero’ in the BVI.

 Mrs. Smith was recognized for her generosity by the bank’s Unsung Heroes Committee that comprises of: Kenneth Dawson, International Corporate Manager of FirstCaribbean Bank, Faye Wheatley, Corporate Manager’s Assistant at FirstCaribbean, Merritt Herbert, owner of ZBVI Radio, Rey O’Neal, local businessman, and Corrine Brewley, former Barclays Bank employee.

The competition was opened to Caribbean citizens and people residing in the region for at least five years. Nominees were expected to be individuals who are dedicated beyond the ordinary towards social improvement. The nominated individuals were expected to have a low media profile, and not seek to directly promote any religious movement.

The BVI Committee found that Mrs. Smith and the contributions that she has been making to her community for over 40 years qualified her as a BVI unsung hero. Mrs. Smith is said to have helped the Anegada community meet some of its most urgent needs at critical times. Her kind gestures are said to extend not only to her fellow Anegadians, but also to any visitor of that island who requires some assistance.

In an interview with The Island Sun newspaper Mrs. Smith explained that she enjoys caring for others and tries to do the best that she can to help. “Helping people who are in need of our assistance is what the Lord expects us to do.”

A retired nurse with seven children and 18 grandchildren, Smith explained that her drive to serve others came during the 1940s when she was growing up in Anegada  and noticed that her community was suffering because there weren’t doctors around, and the ones who traveled from Tortola came rarely.  The nurses who went to Anegaqda also traveled back and forth. This need prompted her to become a nurse. Mrs. Smith recalled times in her nursing career when she was so worried about the health of her patients that she took them into her home, so that she could be able to tend to them 24 hours a day.

In addition to have provided much needed medical care throughout the years to the residents of Anegada, Mrs. Smith was also successful in forming a youth group for the teens and young adults of that island.  Additionally, Romalia Smith taught Sunday School at her local church for many years.

What really impressed the Selection Committee was the report that in times when there were no guest houses on Anegada many visitors found shelter  at the home of Mrs. Smith. One lady recalled one time when she was stranded on Anegada with no money and Mrs. Smith took her in and provided her with a place to stay, clothes to wear and food to eat for the few days until she was able to leave the island.

Other community projects of Mrs. Smith include the organizing of the Christmas carol singing in The Settlement.

When asked how she felt about her selection, Mrs.Smith said “I am very modest, the only thing that I would see fit to do right now is to thank God for his blessings and for bringing me through the hard times.”

Mrs. Smith was asked to share with the BVI her plans for 2006. She proudly disclosed that she was going to use the $5000 cash prize that she won to complete the sports recreation center that is being erected on the recreation grounds in Anegada.

Mrs. Smith was officially honored by FirstCaribbean Bank on the 4 November. Mr. Michael Mansoor, Chairman of FirstCaribbean Bank explained that these unsung heroes should be persons who are unknown to the wider public but champions in their own communities. “We at FirstCarribbean wish to acknowledge these heroes who perhaps with limited resources and funds, make a difference in their own corner of the world,” he said.