FAQS

What is Cat Island United?

Cat Island United (CIU) is a Bahamian non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of Cat Island.    We began as a loose environmental group with the first Cat Island Earth Day Festival in 2013. Over the past decade, we built up our legal governance, expanded our board of directors and our themes to include youth leadership, smart farming and community health.

   What is Friends of Cat Island United-FCIU?

FCIU was formed in 2019 as a US based supporting organization to accept donations for CIU.   It is recognized as a US charitable organization under IRS 501(c)3 and its sole activity is to provide financial support for CIU.

     What do we do?

  • Cat Island Annual Earth Day Festival, held annually since 2013, is our flagship event and caps two months of environmental activities and competitions in the schools.

  • Climate Smart Farming (2020 to current) With the help of the Global Environment Fund (GEF) donors and volunteers, CIU supported the school agriculture curriculum by designing and equipping three farms with solar, water capture and drip irrigation technology. Under guidance of the Agriculture Instructor, the students hacked, built, planted, harvested and have sold their produce, with proceeds funding school extra curricular activities. A particularly happy outcome was the achievement of a successful second planting season during drought.

  • Composter Cookers (2024 to current). CIU and local volunteers equipped the schools with tools and supplies to build 46 compost cookers to improve the soil and diffuse a simple technology to enhance soil productivity and yields. Community members volunteered to host and tend the compost cookers for the schools during the academic year and their own use.

  • Small Island Solar Solutions (2023-24): CIU designed and installed economical small island solar solutions to provide electricity to homes without electricity, run solar driven pumps for well water and drip irrigation and hurricane recovery.. This project was made possible by the Global Environment Fund’s Small Grant Program, volunteer time and individual donations.  

  • Critical Front Line Medical Equipment (2022 to current) CIU and Cat Cay Foundation donated funds to purchase the first x-ray and dental x-ray machines for the island. The equipment is available to the government clinics and all residents enrolled in NIH at no cost. Earlier, during COVID, CIU purchased and donated supplemental diagnostic equipment, therapeutic devices and PPE from the proceeds of a generous individual donation.

  •  Young Entrepreneurs, Shark Tank (2015 to current)—Students pitch their innovative business ideas for start-ups on the island before and a panel of judges, with the winners participating in the annual cultural youth exchange with Bell High School in Washington DC and internships with Bahamas National Trust, Nassau. (see below)

  • Youth Cultural Exchange (2015 to current): Students from Cat Island and Bell MultiCultural High School participate in an exchange where they are hosted by local families, attend local schools and participate in environmental preservation and local cultural activities.

  • Recycling Cans (2015 to current):  With the initial help of GEF in 2015, CIU set up and now runs an aluminum can recycling activity, with tonnes of cans having been removed from the local trash sites and delivered to Cans 4 Kids, Nassau for aluminum reprocessing in the US.

  • Summer Environmental Camps (2015 to current): CIU has partnered with BNT to organize summer camps, after-school curriculum and internships to educate local youth on their natural environment, threats and conservation.

  • Marine Protected Areas (2023 to current): CIU has worked to raise local awareness of the five fragile creek systems throughout Cat Island, designated as Marine Protected Areas by the Government of the Bahamas.

      How can I Help?

  •  You can donate directly at the Cat Island branch of the Bank of Bahamas branch or by wire.   USD donations can be made by credit card on our website.  To donate, go to https://catislandunited.com/support-usdonation.

  • To get involved, please reach out to any Cat Island United board member or write us at info@catislandunited.com