(BASSETERRE ST. KITTS) March 8, 2010 -- Youth Empowerment through Skills (YES) Programme hospitality and hotels trade instructor, Dominic Stevens, is happy with the performance of the 34 trainees under his tutelage at Keys Community Centre, but he is not taking any chances.
The month of March is going to be a turning point for him, his co-instructor Jasmine Isaac, and the trainees, it being the anniversary month the YES Programme was established a year ago.
At a date yet to be announced, they expect to entertain their mentor, greatest fan and supporter, Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas, his cabinet colleagues and other top government officials at a dinner aimed at showcasing the skills acquired by the trainees to mark YES Programme’s anniversary.
“Now, this will be a big one and we cannot afford to slip,” commented Stevens. “Prime Minister Douglas, in his most compassionate moment in terms of the welfare of the youth in this country established the YES Programme last year. It has gone a long way in assisting youths gain skills and employment. We cannot afford to let him down after he would have shown a lot of faith in us the youth.”
To make sure they will have it right, Stevens and his team of trainees led by hostess, 22-year-old Camen Liburd, and with Jasmine Isaac’s assistance, organised a dinner on Sunday February 28 at the Keys Community Centre where they invited a wide cross section of residents from around the island to test their state of readiness ahead of the ‘big one’.
“They (trainees) had an excellent performance,” said hostess Liburd after the dinner. “The food was prepared by all of us the trainees. We are doing hospitality as a course and hospitality comes with cooking. The guests were happy for what transpired and what they ate. This was just a practical for us to exercise our skills for the upcoming Prime Minister’s dinner.”
According to Stevens, the trainees have learnt a lot since the class started in September last year, as evidenced by the dinner they prepared and served on Sunday February 28 in preparation for the Prime Minister’s dinner expected to be held at the Jack Tar.
The YES Programme hospitality group based at Jack Tar, under Michael Guishard, will join hands with the Keys YES Programme hosipitality to make sure that the dinner will be a memorable one. The Guishard group has previously entertained the Prime Minister, at a dinner that was held at the Jack Tar October, 3 last year.
Those who attended the three-course dinner at Keys included former area parliamentary representative, now government adviser for tourism, Cedric Liburd, manager at the YES Programme Secretariat, Leslie Connor, YES Programme field officer, Vaughn Edmeade, and journalist and social commentator Larry Vaughan.
