Young minds lift up volunteerism in essay, poster contest

A national essay and poster competition has sought to encourage volunteerism among primary and secondary school students in the City of Bridgetown Cooperative Credit Union’s LIFT Foundation initiative to sow seeds of both creativity and compassion in the next generation.

The LIFT Foundation’s ‘’Lives Improved Futures Transformed’ National Essay and Poster competition received several entries from eight schools, with The Lodge School submitting eleven entries.

Nadra Howard from Hindsbury Primary School won first place in the essay competition for primary schools. She was awarded a Samsung tablet to help with her education.

Liam Gamble, a student at St Gabriel’s Boys School, won second place, and Shanya Forde, a student at Christ Church Girls School, won third place. All the winners submitted essays.

Jazariah Denny of The Lodge won first place in the poster competition for secondary schools.

Liana Graham of St Michael School won first prize in the essay competition for secondary schools.

Chairman of the foundation, Dr Hensley Sobers, congratulated the winners of the competition for their creativity and motivation while highlighting the importance of getting young people involved in community activities.

He committed to ensuring more young people join charitable organisations like LIFT.

He said: “Our decision to sponsor this contest was generated by the LIFT foundation’s recognition of the need in Barbados to revive or rejuvenate the spirit of volunteerism. A practice that manifested the scriptural Marxism of being your brother’s keeper, of loving your neighbours.

“From our own experience, we have witnessed the reluctance or the negative attitude to helping other people. That seems to be prevailing in our society today. The willingness and without being forced to be paid or anything like that is where we need to go.

“So if you’re gonna help our brother, we should not be asking what am I going to get from it. If you’re going to assist in this society it is not what you’re gonna get from it first.”

Dr Sobers encouraged young people to participate in community activities to build leadership and interpersonal skills, which are valuable for future employment.

He pointed out that employers value leadership and teamwork skills, which can be gained through volunteering.

He said: “I know firsthand that employers favour candidates looking for employment who can speak to their leadership experience in groups so you don’t have to be in a working organisation getting money to develop leadership. I would say I developed a lot of my leadership as a matter of fact in the scout troop. I want to suggest that you start looking at that.”

Dr Sobers applauded young people who volunteer in their communities: “I think very highly of young people who come for jobs who can say to me that I was involved in a group – whether it’s a sports club whether it’s netball, football, cricket – any organisation in your society and community or any activity.

“Because the old lady down the road or the old gentleman down the road is also in need of your help from time to time and if you volunteer whilst you are on the downtime looking for a job that is the time that you can get involved.”

He revealed some of the questions he asked as a human resource professional. “In those interviews, I ask questions about your leadership. I ask questions about your relationship with people, how you get along with people. These are all important to the job so long before you get on the job you can learn about leadership, you can learn about how to engage or relate to individuals, you can gain confidence in terms of expressing yourself, talking to large groups, etc. So there is a lot of value.”

The LIFT Foundation’s chairman said it would be calling on the participants to participate in volunteerism activities and invited them to join the foundation.

Dr Sobers said: “Don’t let this exercise, this essay be the the only involvement that you have with the LIFT Foundation.  After this exercise and particularly the winners, we are going to be calling on you to assist us in several projects that we have, projects that would assist the disadvantaged, the homeless in society, those persons who need a hand up or lift up, that’s what LIFT is for.”

(LG)