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President of Youth Impact Ministries Nigel Browne stresses to SKNIS that the Community Outreach Programme has a holistic youth development strategy. |
Basseterre, St. Kitts (May 05, 2005): The UNESCO-sponsored Community Outreach Programme (C.O.P.) offers programmes to develop a persons spiritual, mental, physical, social and vocational skills.
Nigel Browne of Youth Impact Ministries the executing agency stressed this during an interview with SKNIS. Browne, who serves as president of the community group, indicated that the seven-month programme focuses on youth development.
The whole essence of the project is to protect and preserve the youths of our nation and it goes back to that holistic developmental (thrust), he said. The programmes that are included in C.O.P. & trains young people via workshops, rallies, talk shows and panel discussions among others.
When the programme was unveiled the acronym C.O.P. and its theme The Real Force generated quite a bit of discussion. President Browne revealed that this was strategically done to drive home the message.
The point we wanted to get across is that the protection and the preservation of our youth is not just left to the authorities but it is the responsibility of the community, Mr. Brown stressed. We need the leaders of society, those within the government, those within the church, parents/guardians, school teachers and all those people who have a part to play to come together. When everybody comes together as a community thats where you get the real force.
Although Youth Impact Ministries is a religious organization credible steps have been taken to incorporate all young people into this important project.
We are not just here for the church groups, the president disclosed. Youth Impact Ministries is a network that caters for the entire youth of St. Kitts and Nevis whether you attend church or not.
President Browne expressed appreciation to various agencies that have supported this initiative and encouraged others to get involved.
The full interview with Nigel Browne will air on a future SKNIS programme. Additional information is available online at www.youthimpactskn.org.
Meanwhile, senior youth officer Dave Connor hailed the C.O.P. as an excellent initiative that greatly complements the Youth Departments efforts. He pledged further assistance and called on other groups to develop similar projects to strengthen the skills of the nations youth.
