Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 15, 2018 (SKNIS): Non-governmental organizations, faith-based institutions, community groups and other private or public sector agencies seeking volunteer service are encouraged to register with the Department of Youth Empowerment.
The department is poised to launch a Volunteer Corps in the coming weeks as part of its responsibilities outlined in the Federal Youth Policy of St. Kitts and Nevis 2017-2022. Specifically, it falls under one of the department’s themes: “Youth as Agents of Change, Volunteerism and Intergenerational Partnership.”
In submitting a request for volunteers, the agency/group must fill out a form that seeks information about the organization and describe the responsibilities that the young people will be assigned during the project. The information will then be compared with the skill set of the registered volunteers and the most suitable candidate (s) chosen.
Youth Officer, Sharon Cannonier, said that the project must meaningfully engage the assigned volunteers and ensure that they are adequately supervised. Most of the volunteers will be students enrolled with the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) or the Advanced Vocational Education Centre (AVEC) thus making supervision and accurate reporting even more important; this is because the students receive grant funding for their studies under the Supporting Advancement of Further Education (SAFE) programme and are required to complete four hours of community service every month.
Ms. Cannonier added that the project must benefit one or more communities and contribute to national development.
Additional information about the Volunteer Corps is available from the Department of Youth Empowerment located on the top floor of The Cable Building on Cayon Street. You can also telephone 662-6054 or email skbyouthdept@hotmail.com for more details.
