BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - WITH the hope of reversing the gang-inspired trends by which the McKnight community is often characterised, the Future Leaders Camp officially began yesterday morning (Aug. 17).
The day camp, which will run until Friday, August 21 at the McKnight Community Centre, is the second of its kind and is the brainchild of former Speaker of the St. Kitts Nevis National Assembly, Marcella Liburd.
Catering for approximately 100 youngsters between the ages of five years and 12 years, the camp, as Liburd explained to SKNVibes, is designed to address issues relative to the children’s holistic development. She noted that the camp underscored the importance of children’s involvement in positive and edifying activities as opposed to negative ones.
“We thought that we don’t really want that trend (involvement in gang-related activities) to continue, so we thought in order for us to break it we have to look to those who are coming. We figure if we can get to these children very early and try to steer them in a different path and involve them in positive activities, they may not end up in the gang situation,” Liburd expressed.
Speakers for the week will address issues including crime and violence, religion and morals and values, health and the history of McKnight.
Yesterday morning, SKNVibes visited the camp and met a session in progress which was being led by General Manager of the Solid Waste Management Corporation, Alphonso Bridgewater, who sought to impress upon the lads and lasses the need for them, even at their tender age, to do their part in keeping their surroundings clean. His message to the youngsters extended beyond the parameters of waste management and ran into giving respect and providing assistance to those elderly members of their communities.
Four-time national Calypso Monarch King Konris, legally known as Konris Maynard, also addressed the bright-eyed children and used his popular Soca tune, ‘Walk Away’, to entreat them to refrain from unsavory activities. He used himself as an example, noting that earlier in his life he endured criticisms from his peers simply because he resolved to do what he knows to be right.
Maynard informed his young audience that he was often referred to as a “mama’s boy”, and quickly added that he preferred to be referred to as that as opposed to forsaking his parents’ teachings and treading the broad path to destruction.
Other activities in which the children will be involved include a bus tour, arts and craft exercises, a mini exhibition nearing the close of the camp and a march through the streets of Basseterre [Friday].
Certificates of participation will be distributed to the children prior to the close of the camp.
