Mr. Martin presents produce to Miram Gumbs Senior Citizens Home. He is flanked by Ms. Lynette Jackson (left) and Nurse Coreen Hodge (right).
Mr. Michael “Dumper” Martin is more than a popular steel-pan instructor and a leading musician in the schools and communities of Anguilla. He is also a farmer, cultivating an area of land in The Farrington where he lives and a plot of government farmland in The Valley Bottom.
Though on a small scale, he is an important contributor to the food chain and gets a fair amount of notice and patronage for his produce. For him, however, charity is one of his well-known characteristics. He demonstrated this on Tuesday, March 24, when he delivered supplies of fresh produce to the Miriam Gumbs Senior Citizens’ Home.
Born in Antigua and now settled in Anguilla, he said: “My grandmother raised me from four years old. I grew up with old people and they have been very important in my life. That’s why I like to be around senior citizens and to help them. I am donating pumpkins; papayas, tomatoes; season peppers; chives; thyme; kale; lemongrass and sour-sop leaves for teas.”
Asked the value of his gifts, he estimated the price to be EC$300.00.
Nurse-in-charge of the home, Ms. Coreen Hodge, commented: “First of all, I have to say thanks to Mr. Martin for his kind gesture. There are also one or two other farmers who drop by now and then to give us some of their produce for the elderly. Especially, they normally ask for bush tea which is very good for them. With all the impending food shortages, we will put this produce to good use.”
Ms. Lynette Jackson, one of the assistant caregivers, said: “I am also very thankful that Mr. Martin is thinking about us and his produce is of much value to our residents.”
