‘Lend a hand’

Youth minister calls on residents to help young people who need guidance

A call is going out to Barbadians to get together to assist and embrace young people who have lost their way.

This plea was made by Minister of Sports, Youth and Community Empowerment Charles Griffith during the annual Independence lighting ceremony in Bridgetown on Wednesday evening.

He told the scores of people gathered at Independence Square that in this Year of the Youth, it is more important than ever for citizens to focus on young people who need guidance.

“There are lots of young people in this country who are fractured, they’re lots of young people in this country who are broken, and my role this evening is to ask you to reach out a helping hand in relation to sharing and shedding light on those particular young persons who you and I know who are fractured.

“It’s evident, as we move on, that there is an absolute need to embrace our young people,” Griffith urged.

The youth minister asked attendees to embrace the light they have within and reach out a comforting hand to the youth who are often crying out for help.

“Too often in this country, as I’ve mentioned before at a couple of other events I have had to speak at, we are waiting or asking persons to recognise that there will be light at the end of that tunnel. Tonight, as we embrace the lighting ceremony, I want all of us to take the light into the tunnel.

“I am suggesting to all of us that we play our part; this is our country, and if it is a case that we are to impact in the way that we want to, then we must embrace our young people,” Griffith insisted.

During the lighting ceremony, there were several cultural performances by students of the Reynold Weekes Primary School, Jonathan Jordan, Shem White, 1Movement, Coopa Dan, and more.

Thanks to additional sponsorship this year, additional locations, including the Marina Brewster Centre at Farrs, St Peter, and Nightingale Children’s Village in Black Rock, St Michael, will be lit up.
(SB)