We, Denise and Dudley (dnd) have been hosting guests from around the world for the past two years on the beautiful Caribbean island of Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos. We have an opportunity to purchase a 5 bedroom villa, host more people and help more people experience that special vacation, real, remarkable.
Summary
I am Dudley ‘Tal’ Stokes, founding member of the Jamaican Bobsled Team, a 4 time Olympian, and the subject of the Disney Feature Length Film Cool Runnings. I am also the author of the motivational memoir ‘Advice I should have taken (and other things I think I have learnt)’.
Most importantly, I am husband to my wife of 31 years, Denise, and father to our three wonderful children, Christian, Teressa and Michael,
For the past two years we (denise and dudley or dnd) have been Airbnb hosts on the majestic Caribbean Island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos. We have hosted over 200 guests from Around the World
(Black, White, Indian, Chinese, Latinos, Europeans, Turks, Arabs, people from the LGBT community, Trump supporters, Clinton supporters, students, professors, hairdressers, retirees, recovering cancer survivors and newly weds).
We can tell you that the experience of hosting so many diverse guests has been profound, and the joy it has brought to our family is immeasurable. It has made us true believers in the “sharing economy,” and in the notion that as humans, we are all neighbors.
In return, we believe that we have given our guests an authentic Caribbean experience. We have a feeling that everybody leaves our residence a little more relaxed and rejuvenated than when they arrived.
We now have a unique opportunity to increase our ability to host, share, learn and love. We sincerely hope you will consider helping us achieve this goal.
What We Need
Villa Billa is a custom residence on Grace Bay that was initially purposed as a Yoga retreat by a very special couple. It is absolutely stunning!
The architecturally inspired ‘pod’ design includes four bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, a spacious verandah, and breathtaking views of Grace Bay Beach, which is so often named The World’s Most Beautiful Beach by TripAdvisor.
The couple are selling Villa Billa, and Denise and I wish to take it over and continue our mission of hosting diverse and interesting people from around the world.
What You Get
For your generous contribution, we are offering a range of remarkable experiences, from motivational speeches and consultation services (via Skype), to actual vacations at Villa Billa, and other spaces, to discounted excursions and meals here on Providenciales.
All contributors will receive a copy of my eBook, Advice I Should Have Taken (And Other Things I Think I Have Learnt).
The Impact
Beyond impacting our family directly, and reaffirming our belief in the benefits of the “sharing economy,” your contribution will also help us educate the Turks and Caicos Islanders on the benefits of hosting themselves. Denise and I have been involved in the civic and economic development of Turks and Caicos for many years, and we firmly believe in empowering the native population to activate and monetize their own talents and skills. Plainly stated: by educating more folks about the possibilities and benefits of starting their own small businesses, we will help to raise the standard of living of many Islanders, and there will be more funds from tourism going to locals and not to offshore corporations.
Risks & Challenges
Even if we do not reach our goal, there is a very good possibility that we will be able to come to an agreement with the owners and in turn realize our dream. In the rare scenario that we are not able to purchase Villa Billa, we will of course honor our commitments to host our contributors on Providenciales. Every contributor will get the full value for their contribution, however the outcome, because it’s the least we can do to demonstrate our gratitude.
Other Ways You Can Help
Even if you cannot contribute you can still help us by spreading the word about this campaign. Indiegogo has some neat tools on site to help with this.