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| Hon Malcolm Guishard Minister of Tourism, Land and Housing in the NIA and CSS RBTT Young Leader Master Jevon Claxton breaks ground at Low Ground for a recreation facility. They are assisted by an employee of the Land and Housing Development Corporation. |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (January 18, 2005) -- Minister of Tourism Land and Housing and Area Representative Hon Malcolm Guishard has pledged the Nevis Island Administration's (NIA) support to the Charlestown Secondary School RBTT Young Leaders for a project they have undertaken which would benefit the youth of Nevis.
Mr Guishard gave the commitment at a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a recreational facility. The event was held in collaboration with the Nevis Land and Housing Development Corporation at Low Ground on Tuesday January 17, 2005.
"We pledge from the Nevis Housing and lands development Corporation to offer you every assistance, to ensure that the project which you are bringing forward becomes a reality. I want to congratulate you for the work which you have been doing," he said.
The Minister announced that the two acres of lands would be made available for the playfield, an area which had been previously air marked for a playing field for residents of Prospect.
"We are making two acres of land available for the project but we don't expect you to develop the two acres. It is being made available for the playfield. The Nevis Housing and land Development Corporation has a responsibility to provide a playfield for the youths in this area.
"On the immediate right of me there is the Affordable Housing Project with 30 homes and just to the east of us there is Prospect Village with in excess of 30 homes. So we are looking at leas 60 homes in this one area with each home I would average with at least two children so you are looking at 120 persons who want to find some place to release their energies," he said.
According to Mr Guishard, this project was not the first that the Nevis Island had given assistance to the Charlestown Secondary School RBTT Young leaders, adding that some years ago the Administration through the Nevis Housing and Land Development Corporation had donated land and contributed material and equipment for the construction of a home for a student attending the school.
The Minister took the opportunity to ask the school's headmaster Mr Edson Elliott to urge the young boys attending the school to become involved in any youth organisation or any other organisation at the school.
Miss Christin Jeffers Vice President of the CSS Young Leaders thanked the NIA their assistance with the project citing that in keeping with the theme "Shaping the future & Cherishing life Embracing family values Respecting one another", the facility would give the youth in the area an opportunity to play and interact.
She also thanked the Corporation who she said readily agreed to provide the land when they were approached late last year and had seen it necessary to postpone their plans to fulfil their needs.
It is a great honour and pleasure for the Young leaders to be a part of such a great initiative. It is the hope of the Young leaders of the CSS that we be able to participate in more endeavours such as this one today.
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| Some CSS Young Leaders present at the ground breaking ceremony with teacher Miss Stevie Jones head of their advisory committee. |
"In the near future we hope to start a teen hot line where teens would call us and give their problems or views and we would relate or give them our opinion: to have a family day where we could get the children and families of our society to draw closer. We also plan to have a mentoring programme at the Charlestown Primary School where we could help the younger children with their homework and other academic problems," Miss Jeffers explained.
Meantime, Junior Minister responsible for Education and Agriculture Hon Livingston Herbert during brief remarks regarded the project as being one which would impact the lives of not only the people of the Parish of St Johns and by extension all the people of Nevis fro many years.
He lauded the efforts of the CSS Young Leaders for taking the initiative to work on a projected which would impact many. He also took the opportunity to urge the youth to care for public facilities.
"I must make the appeal that wherever there are public facilities I urge all of us to take care of public facilities because they will help shape the future as we cherish the lives of our community and as we seek to promote family values and as we seek to respect one an other," he said.
School Principal Mr Elliott, described the project as an "ambitious venture" and a significant one for the development of the youth of the area who he noted would later become CSS students.
The Principal congratulated the Young Leaders led by Miss Sasha Godet and urged them to continue to strive to become role models " continue to find meaningful tasks for the young so that they can grow to build this nation of ours. Continue to turn the negative energies around us into a tower of positives that would cement itself into the fabric of the entire country. Just continue to do good &I wish all success in the implementation of the plans for the 2006 CSS RBTT Young Leaders," he said.
The event was chaired by Ms Christin Jeffers. Mr Orette Smith a CSS teacher delivered the opening prayer while Miss Godet gave the vote of thanks. Young Leader Master Claxton broke ground with Minister Guishard. Also present was Mr Joseph Wiltshire Education Officer attached to the CSS and other staff members
