Last Updated on March 9, 2023, 3:19 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The CARICOM Youth Ambassadors SKN celebrates International Women’s Day 2023 by acknowledging Nekirah Nicholls for her efforts toward promoting financial literacy to young people. Nicholls was crowned the National Carnival Queen in the 2021 edition of the pageant. Currently, she serves as the CARICOM Youth Ambassador for St Kitts and Nevis and represents her country in the Caribbean Community
Nekirah Nicholls is a finance professional currently employed at the Saint Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank as a Risk and Compliance Unit manager. Her task is to analyze the statistics, make an assessment, and devise solutions for mitigating any risk. For her, choosing this profession was a natural calling and experiences she encountered and was exposed to growing up.
Further, due to her passion for risk management and education, Nekirah is a staunch advocate for implementing financial literacy education in high schools. She believes that one of the most critical aspects of adulthood is making effective financial decisions. Unfortunately, young people are not adequately prepared with the necessary financial tools and knowledge.
Nekirah Nicholls understands that this manifests into massive debt accumulation, having to live paycheck to paycheck, or the non-existence of funds saved for goals or emergencies. For this reason, Nekirah set out on a journey to educate young people about being financially literate.
With another one of her passions being dance, she launched ‘Dancers on a Budget’ to teach young dancers the fundamentals of real-life budgeting through art. In addition to this, she has also partnered with several organizations such as the Saint Kitts National Youth Parliament Association to share her knowledge on personal finance through webinars, seminars, and consultations.
Nekirah Nicholls wishes for the development of a curriculum in secondary schools that provides the basis for healthy financial practices. She also continues to advocate for shifting women’s mindset and empowering them to avoid being financially dependent, especially in abusive relationships.
She believes there is strength in numbers, so she strives to collaborate with other young people to “be the change you want to see. Until the curriculum is revised, your platforms can be used to educate and promote the importance of financial literacy in high schools”.
Nekirah Nicholls understands that it is easy to feel inadequate and discouraged due to the small number of young women in certain spaces. However, she encourages these people that “it’s only when we go (even if we are scared) and adds our value can our society learn and grow from what we have to offer”.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
