Graduates of Village Builders Programme lauded

Close to 100 young people were among the first set of cohorts to graduate from the Village Builders Programme on Wednesday night.

In the ceremony held in the Lecture Hall of Erdiston Teachers Training College (ETTC), the 94 graduates were lauded for completing the programme, which specifically targets youth leaders and community workers.

The Village Builders Programme is a government-supported, free training initiative focused on modern, play-based learning, to better engage young people in community development and empowerment. It covers areas such as vocational skills, digital literacy, and peacebuilding.

Minister of Training and Tertiary Education, Sandra Husbands told the graduates the programme was not simply a training exercise but “a response to a call for purpose and towards service”. 

She described them as “nation builders and hope carriers” who were the island’s future.

Husbands reminded them that the programme was launched with “a clear understanding that Barbados’ youth are not a problem to be solved, but a promise to be fulfilled”. 

That promise, she said, rests on “investments, intentionality and individuals willing to stand in the gap”.

Over the past few weeks, the participants took part in activities that aimed to strengthen community engagement, empower youth, while enhancing employability and entrepreneurial opportunities in both theory and practical methods. 

Husbands also pointed to the inclusion of “play and project based learning”, while noting that graduates benefited from new, effective tools including “constructivist principles and culturally responsive teaching.”

The minister further told them that they now had the capacity to make an immeasurable impact through their work “in churches, community centers and homes across all 11 parishes in Barbados. 

“You did not only learn to teach but how to transform. You have demonstrated that you understand the ancient wisdom embedded in our programme’s very name; it takes a village to raise a child and you are choosing to be that village,” she said.

Principal of the ETTC, Dr. Colin Cumberbatch, in his remarks highlighted that it was his pleasure to recognise those who completed what he described as “a programme designed to provide training for community leaders for work and to engage with our young people”. 

He told the group they had been given “a healthy taste of what is possible” and encouraged them to commit to the second phase of training because their participation “shows interest, commitment and belief in the potential of our youth”. 

Programme Coordinator for the Village Builders Programme, Dr. Patricia Saul praised Husbands for her vision and efforts in conceptualising the programme. 

Dr Saul said the initiative “has the capacity to impact the life of the youth in a very positive way. The ministry was serious about community engagement and the building up of youth who are the future of our country,” she said.

With the first stage complete, the first cohort will now advance to level two.