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Members of the Technical Working Group headed by CARICOM Youth Ambassador Pierre Liburd (standing) |
Basseterre, St. Kitts (August 12, 2005): The Technical Working Group (TWG) established to implement the CARICOM Youth Ambassador (CYA) Mini-Grants Programme in St. Kitts and Nevis is ready to move forward.
The programme seeks to sensitise persons about HIV/AIDS-related issues, and challenges young persons to develop projects to reduce the transmission of the disease.
The main goal of the programme is to enhance the capacity of youths/youth groups to make an effective impact on the community, enhancing old and developing new skills so that they can contribute effectively, TWG head Pierre Liburd told SKNIS.
Liburd, who is also a CYA, revealed that the project was to be piloted in the Federation, however logistical challenges were among factors, which saw St. Lucia taking the lead. St. Kitts-Nevis will follow as the second out of the eight participating Caribbean territories.
The modules which outline the various topics to be addressed in the project are expected next week, Liburd said. Well then identify 25 young people to be trained in community mapping as we get the first segment of the project going.
The young persons will be trained by their St. Lucian counterparts from August 24 to 26. CARICOM officials will supervise the process. After receiving theoretical sessions in the morning, the participants will go out in field to study the communities from Ottleys and Phillips.
We chose those communities to study based on the need and the relative closeness, CYA Liburd explained. The hope for the Mini-Grants programme is for it to expand and be sustained by individual governments.
The TWG head encouraged interested individuals to contact the Department of Youth for additional information.
