Last Updated on February 8, 2024, 11:53 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew announced that the Government of St Kitts and Nevis are gearing up to launch a plethora of programmes to facilitate and impact the nation’s youth positively.
While speaking in a recent interview with host Andre Huie, PM Drew opened up about launching various programmes in the nation and several already existing programmes.
The programmes were the Explorer programme, Magic Programme, C Cadets, and other youth programmes, including scouting and so forth.
At first, while speaking about the Explorer’s Club and the Magic Programme, which was launched in conjunction, he highlighted that the Magic Programme was around for some time, but after the elections in 2015, they ended it.
He also revealed that he had recently bid farewell to the graduated students of the magic programme last Friday at the Joshua Obadiah Primary School.
Reflecting upon the graduation day, PM Drew recognized the contributions of the programme coordinators and thanked Officer Powell and others involved in it.
Moving forward, he also outlined that C Cadets were depleted earlier, so they are now taking practical measures to expand them.
“C Cadets probably had like five or six members, and the cadets used to be a large core of young people, so in a sense, we have also boosted the C Cadets, and you’ll see you saw much more them employed last year and this year you will see much more of them,” PM Drew noted.
He stated that the nation’s government is expanding the number of programs so that the country’s young people can have more and better options to enhance and improve themselves and their professional skills.
“So you have the magic program, you’ll have the C cadets, you’ll have the explorers, and then other youth programs such as the scouting, so forth, which will also be the boosting. So, we are creating a plethora of programs for young people to be a part of. So that would also have some tremendous positive impact,” he outlined.
Furthermore, PM Drew also announced that the explorer programme will resume in the nation shortly. Adding to it, he also mentioned that not just explorers but the nation will boost with multiple programmes.
“you’ll hear how we are going to reorganize it. And where do we get it, and where are we going to place it? To make sure that explorers continue to work. So it’s not just explorers alone. You’ll have magic, you’ll have the sea cadets, so we’ll have multiple options. Whereas, you had one main option the last time, explorer,” he stated.
It is also to be noted that PM Drew said that the government is doing such things to present young people with an option to deviate away from a life of crime or to enter into gangs.
In addition to this, he also shared an incident where he spoke to a Police officer. “I Remember a police officer who spoke maybe a year ago. He said that when they interviewed young people in primary schools, many of them were gravitating towards the peace program.”
He shared that the young people said they don’t have to work. They don’t have to do anything else. They were gravitating to it. So the government have to listen to police officers and see what they would have uncovered with respect to the corruption in the program and how it was influencing young people to do the wrong thing, PM Drew stressed.
At last, he emphasized creating real opportunities for young people so that they can come back on the straight and narrow and Live a productive life.
“That would be wholesome. Contributing to the country, to themselves, to their family. That is what we want to create,” he underlined.
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.
