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| Awardees |
(Basseterre; St. Kitts) The Liamigua Youth Club (LYC) held its second annual Liamigua Youth Legacy Awards Association (LYLAA) last Saturday August 13, at Willets Park, St. Paul's.
Present at the awards was the Governor General of the Federation, Sir Cuthbert Sebastian and also Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas who is also the constituency represented for the St. Paul's area.
Six Awardees and two Legacy of the year recipients were honored and presented with pins, ropes and plaques for their outstanding work within their respective fields and as youth.
Mutryce Williams, President of the LYC, said that the introduction of the awards which began one year ago came about because they realized young people were not being recognized.
"We realized that there were young people who were being exceptional young citizens and were excelling not just in youth work but were just exceptional young citizens that didn't allow their age to be a handicap," she said.
Among the six awardees namely; Deidre Daniel, Claricia Langley, Jacqueline Bryan, Clive Saunders, Jenson Morton and Stachio Williams were the Legacy of the year recipients; Winnielle Guilbert, CEO of the innovative model management, Winnielle Model Management (WMM) and Nigel Browne, the leader of the Youth Impact Ministries.
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| Nigel Browne receiving his award. |
Guilbert a.k.a. Tamika Pereira was the 1997-98 Miss National Carnival Queen of St. Kitts. She has participated in over 21 competitions attaining 9 titles and gaining over 17 years of experience in the Fashion and Modeling Industry.
In 2002, she took the step of being an ambassador for her islands St. Kitts and Nevis when she represented both countries in the prestigious Mrs. World Pageant held in Las Vegas.
Guilbert returned to St. Kitts after living in California for four years in 2003, and made one of her dreams and goals a reality by starting her very own model agency. An agency that she wanted to use as a marketing tool in promoting young models who also wanted to pursue a career in the industry she has become knowledgeable of.
The wife and mother of two said that she has become more than just a model but has become the CEO & Founder of her own agency.
That agency according to Guilbert, practices the "Art of Praise" which, helps motivate, praise and show support for its models.
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| Winnielle Guilbert receiving her award. |
"To the Majority, the aspiration of becoming a model seems silly, far-fetched and unattainable, but who are we to tell the youth you cannot do that?" the model remarked during her speech. "Why would we discourage and shatter their dreams and hopes, the very things that keep most of us alive at heart?"
She continued: "I have become that force, that glimmer of hope for those with such dreams; my duty is to propel them to higher heights of self-confidence, self-assurance and the discipline to achieve all they set fourth to."
Deidre Daniel is a holder of a Masters Degree in Development and Economics that she gained while at a University in Massachusetts in 2004 after graduating from the University of the West Indies in the fields of Economics and Management in 2000.
She has been actively involved in youth and community service and has served on the sub-committee for the National Youth Ambassador Network, and assisted in confidence building programs, assisting children with school assignments and preparing for school exams and also having a sense of national identity.
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| Stachio Williams receiving his award. |
Daniel was also the Vice President of the Dieppe Bay Basketball teams and have been actively involved in pageants.
Daniel in her speech said that youth realizing and maximizing their potential and enlisted youth community service are two very serious challenges faced in this beloved country.
"I am of a strong opinion if all youth realize and maximize certain negative issues wouldn't plague our nation," she said.
In closing, Daniel said that every youth is precious... every young man or woman... and they should keep their dreams alive, set goals and be that successful Kittitian or Nevisian example and leader they have the potential to be.
The second awardee to present his speech was Pastor Clive Saunders who was born and raised in the town of Sandy Point. He has been ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ for eight years and founded the Boys of Standard Gospel group.
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| Jenson Morton receiving his award. |
Saunders is described as someone who demonstrates commendable traits and is trained in the following areas; peer counseling, youth work and as a Sunday school teacher.
The young pastor during his speech spoke about drug abuse and alcohol addiction saying that young people are looking for happiness, peace of mind, acceptance, kindness and control over their lives in all the wrong places.
"Chemical abuse destroys the mind, body and spirit and I plan to conduct a campaign on alcohol and what it does to the body," he said. "By doing this I will seek to educate our young people on this matter."
Claricia Langley, a 23-year-old ambitious and self-motivated young woman spoke about being a "Change Agent" in society especially young people.
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| Clive Saunders receiving his award. |
"Why are we as young people afraid of being change agents in today's rapidly changing society? Being a change agent is not the easiest thing in the world, because we are so self-conscious of what people may say or think about us, because we decide to stand for change makes it very challenging," she revealed.
"As a young person, I also welcome challenges because it brings out the best and sometimes the worst in me. There's a lot to learn when you stand for something, not everyone will believe in what you believe," she added.
Jenson Morton believes that the Tourism Industry in St. Kitts can survive once certain measures are taken in place which he focuses on "Youth and the lack of respect they have for grown ups and themselves."
Morton believes that this issue that he addressed at the awards will have negative implications on everything in our society including the Tourism Industry if certain measures to rectify the problem are not taken into consideration.
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| Deidre Daniel receiving her award. |
Making Tourism training a mandatory part of the school curriculum as early as primary school level and the greater instilment of national pride are among some of the ways he suggested St. Kitts can be ready for the Tourism Industry.
Born 1986, Morton is a former student at the Washington Archibald High School and attended the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College. During his time at the secondary and tertiary level of education he became members of various organizations including Young Leaders Club and was apart of the 2003-2004 debate team that participated in the Leeward Islands Debate Competition. He is presently an employee at the St. Kitts-Nevis Anguilla National Bank and hopes to pursue studies at the University level shortly.
The next awardee to make her presentation of speech about a current issue affecting youth was Jacqueline Bryan a Broadcast & News Journalist at Winn FM.
Bryan began her education at the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School before she did her tertiary level of education at the sixth form college known as the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College.
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| Jacqueline Bryan receiving her award. |
The former freelance journalist for The Democrat Newspaper, and now President of the St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association presented and addressed various concerns and issues she feels affects youth nowadays.
After touching on issues such as her showing support for the Caribbean Single Market and Economy and Free Movement of the people, Bryan spoke passionately about the education system for young people asking, "Are our youth getting the attention and assistance in the education system they deserve?"
She expressed: "Youth should not only be given access to education but quality education... it is of my opinion that no child should have to leave grade six and moving on to first form without the basics and fundamental of education... why should high school students have difficulty reading, writing and doing a simple math?"
Touching on the topic of Entrepreneurial Spirit was the hard-working and dedicated, young entrepreneur Stachio Williams who is the Chief Operations Officer for eBizz Business Solutions Inc, that owns the informative and entertaining website www.sknvibes.com
In his speech, Williams explained that there are specific challenges that serve to hamper the rapid development of entrepreneurial skills and ides of young people.
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| Claricia Langley receiving her award. |
"Within the global environment and in St. Kitts in particular there are a small number of risk takers; persons who are willing to take the risk of a Business Venture," he said.
"Some of the major challenges are; access to resources, especially financial; access to adequate training; guidance and business development skills, however our youth should not be daunted by these obstacles, many have faced them, overcome them and are now leading very successful businesses."
Williams also touched on the fact that he is a young and developing businessman, presently involved in a venture that is technological oriented and along with his business partners have experienced turbulent times, seasons of draught and uncertainty.
However, because of their maintenance of focus that they encompass, they have been able to say now that their business is progressing steadily.
"We wish to stand tall as young successful businessmen and role models to the many out there, who have similar ideas and that entrepreneurial spirit and give them the encouragement to go on and never quit," he concluded.
The awards were hosted by Shamara Morton an awardee form last year and Jeffery Hanley, the Director of Youth who won the Legacy of the year award last year.
