BASSETERRE ST. KITTS (May 10, 2009) -- In a heart-warming interaction where they treated him to a sumptuous luncheon they had prepared, hugged him and posed for endless pictures with him, Federation’s Prime Minister the Hon Dr Denzil Douglas told the youth that he believes in them and that his government will support them as they endeavour to turn their lives round.
“I personally will never write you off,” affirmed the Prime Minister on Friday May 8, at the St. Paul’s Community Centre while addressing members of the Hospitality and Hotels Trade Division of the Youth Empowerment through Skill (YES) programme who had laid out a buffet luncheon that catered for over 120 persons. Dr Douglas, who is also the area’s parliamentary representative, was the chief guest.
He told them how proud he was to be with them because on many occasions the country’s young people have been challenged in several different ways and they end up taking the wrong turn at some stage in their life, adding that that such young people are usually condemned, criticised and ignored.
“This afternoon I want to have a different approach towards what has happened to many of you in the past in that regard,” said the Prime Minister. “Our effort as a government is to provide opportunities for a second chance for many of our young people who may have taken the wrong turn and who for whatever reason had not been able to acquire the motivation, the support, and the skills that are absolutely necessary to make life one of success.”
He reminded them that the Youth Empowerment through Skill (YES) programme, which was launched in February this year, was the product of a national consultation held in December of last year when the government brought people together from different walks of life to try to understand why the young people were getting involved in violent activities, gangs, and committing crimes.
“One of the things that came out of that consultation was that our young people need to be given alternative activities,” reported Dr Douglas. “YES Project was launched as a means of providing alternative activities for you our young people - opportunities to learn skills, opportunities to make yourselves much more marketable, so that when you seek employment whether it is in the employment of someone else or whether it is you creating your own employment, the whole idea is that you will be better equipped to do so.”
He thanked their instructors for a job well done and ended by telling members of the programme: “I believe that all of you are good. All of who want to succeed. What you need is the support to succeed and the opportunity to learn even if it is another opportunity. You should take that other opportunity to learn and start afresh and make something worthwhile of your lives.”
YES programme has over 800 persons in training or attached to direct employment. About 120 of them are currently training in the hospitality and hotels trade division of the programme at St. Paul’s, Conaree, Lodge, St. Peter’s, Challengers and Cayon community centres. However the luncheon, which was the second, was hosted by the St. Paul’s group and attended by 85 members including those from Conaree, Lodge and St. Peter’s.
Inviting the Prime Minister to address them was Carencia Hodge of the St. Paul’s group, who told her fellow trainees that she is training to be the best waitress and bartender in the entire Caribbean and challenged them to believe in themselves, “for no one can do it for you. Please take this opportunity very seriously because it is a one-time opportunity. If you have failed (before) never give up just keep believing in yourself and do it to the best of your ability.”
Among those present at the luncheon were YES’ director of programmes, Joseph O’Flaherty, hospitality and hotels trade course instructors, Dominic Stevens (Conaree), Melva Morton (Lodge), Arlene Rawlins (St. Peter’s), Glenson Hobson (St. Paul’s), Dr Elisabeth Karamat (YES programme’s agricultural instructor in St. Paul’s) and a number of youths from the St. Paul’s area who are not necessarily members of the YES programme.
