Youths form New mentality Club
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WHILE the devil was continuing his campaign of converting some of the Federation’s youth to do his evil biddings, a group of young men, led by Chad Williams of Central Street, decided to come together and beautify their community, Mc Knight, by ridding it of unwanted graffiti.
On a visit to McKnight on Friday (Feb. 18), SKNVibes saw Williams and his group with tins of paint and brushes in their hands in the vicinity of Fort Thomas Road and Lower Thibou Avenue.
When asked what the group’s purpose was, Williams said they were painting the walls, specifically those with graffiti, and the lower part of lampposts in white so that vehicle drivers could see them during the night in event of power outages in the area.
Williams declared he and some of his friends had conceptualized the initiative because they wanted to show the nation that their community could be engaged in positive activities.
He said that a number of persons have been assisting them with their project including Analdo Bailey and Kennedy Bennett, who both work at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, as well as Pastor Matthew Hepburn of the Word of Life New Testament Church of God on Central Street.
He said it was through Bennett and Bailey they were able to obtain sponsorship from TDC, Horsford and Builders Paradise in the donation of paint.
“It’s going to be a programme about helping the youth them…showing them a better way. I been around, I live in Mc Knight and I feel what’s going on. I think it’s time for a change…a new mentality. We have a club called New Mentality T.E.A.M Club,” he said.
Williams explained that T.E.A.M is the acronym for Together Everyone Achieve More, which is what they want to promote among the youths in McKnight.
Speaking with this media house, Pastor Hepburn said he and his church are in support of the young men 100 percent.
“As a church, we decided we will reach out to the community, especially the young men, so they will realise our positive way of life from a spiritual aspect. From a physical aspect, this is sending a positive message to the society. Beautifying the neighborhood…because of the crime we’re trying to show that something good can come out.
“Chad and I linked through the church and our outreach programme. I realise he has a lot of young men around him, so I contacted him and they come to church on Sundays, which is giving us encouragement to come out into the neighborhood. What they’re doing is sending a positive message. It’s not all about what people hear,” he said.
Pastor Hepburn said too that there might still be some negative talks about the young men despite what they are trying to do in the community; so it is important that they keep up the project and demonstrate how serious they are about making a change.
“From the standpoint of the church, we stand behind them 100 percent, because we believe from every person there is a good, and we’re not seeing negative things just positive. If I were seeing negatives, I wouldn’t reach out to them. I call them my homies…this is just the beginning of great things,” he added.
As the country faces economic challenges and persons looking for jobs are not always successful in finding any, Williams said that they are hoping this would be one of the ways in which young men could use their skills to make an income.
“I can speak about coming from Mc Knight. When you go certain places for jobs and you put down your address they think twice; therefore, we’re trying to develop entrepreneurs among the guys. Some of them love fishing, so we can do that. We will raise funds to get a boat and employ some of them. Another group of them want to do farming while some want to be mechanics.
“It’s all about bringing life to the community, trying to take away the idea from people that only bad things happen in Mc Knight. There are also good things and good people. Dameon Lawrence wrote a positive poem about Mc Knight, we have athletes and Mr. Analdo Bailey is from Mc Knight as well,” Williams said.
Williams said they have many ideas and plans that they would like to execute, but they need financial support from the business sector.
He mentioned that they also have thoughts of organising a Mc Knight Festival.
“We trying to bring that good side…when you hear Mc Knight, you wouldn’t think bad but good,” he said.
Dion ‘Voices’ Phipps, a painter by profession, is guiding the young men on the beautification project. He also grew up and still resides in the area.
“McKnight love city…trying to bring back the love in it,” Phipps said.
Dale ‘Hot Boy’ Wattley is also among the group and he wants to encourage everyone to join in lending a helping hand.
“Chad and I go way back and he asked me to assist with the project, which I think is a good idea. I am happy to see everyone come together and I want to encourage others to come out and help,” he said.
Kennedy Bennett, one of the persons in support of the project, said that they need the business community to support the young men as it would keep them focused on something positive.
He said plans are also in place for a carwash to be established in the Newtown community, where the young men there would be operating it, adding that they have already received support from the Hope Chapel Church.
