Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 04, 2019 (SKNIS): Young people in St. Kitts can look forward to continued support for developmental programmes that will promote positivity, patriotism, and inspire behavioural change among the nation’s youth.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Youth, the Honourable Shawn Richards, said that for 2019, the Department of Youth Empowerment will focus on three main goals.
“Help communities with the social intervention programming that would involve and benefit the youth; Explore greater avenues to improve youth economic engagement; and Foster greater awareness and utilization of the youth ambassador and youth volunteer programmes,” he said.
Acting Director of Youth Empowerment, Pierre Liburd, said volunteerism is at the core of many success stories in St. Kitts and Nevis. He noted that the launch of the Volunteer Corps in February last year, was one of the top achievements for the department in 2018.
The 200 plus volunteers in the programme have executed or assisted with a number of projects and activities over the past 11 months including environmental cleanup and beautification campaigns, renovation of elderly or differently-abled homes/facilities, assembly and distribution of gift baskets/care packages for society’s vulnerable, home work assistance, and serving lunches to name a few.
Mr. Liburd said that the department’s staff is eager to expand its service to the public in 2019. He encouraged youth groups or youth serving agencies to contact the department at 467-1393 to request volunteers to support their respective initiatives.
