Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

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Basseterre, St. Kitts
May 16, 2012 (SKNIS)

Final preparations are underway for the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis to host the 22nd Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Ministers of Education Meeting under the theme “Contributing to a Deeper, Stronger, Economic Union”.

The meeting will be held from May 22 to 24 at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort. The opening ceremony, which is opened to the public, will be held on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

The occasion will provide the opportunity for policy makers to engage in constructive dialogue on substantive policy issues regarding education development in the OECS; agree on policies and strategies to advance OECS education; secure the support and collaboration of regional agencies and development partners in advancing the education development agenda; as well as share innovative ideas and experiences that have contributed to educational development at the national level.

The OECS was established on June 18, 1981 on the signing of the Treaty of Basseterre, in St. Kitts. Seven countries signed the treaty in 1981. They are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Virgin Islands joined the OECS as an associate member on November 22, 1984. Anguilla joined in 1995 increasing the membership to nine countries.

The OECS Ministers of Education meeting is held annually and is rotated amongst the OECS member countries.

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Mr. Patrice Nisbett

Charlestown, Nevis
May 16, 2012

The Nevis Island Administration has plans to construct an early childhood facility in the St. James Parish, the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) representative and Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Hon Patrice Nisbett has revealed.

The Attorney General, who held successful one-on-one consultations with his constituents at the Combermere Community Centre on Thursday May 10, told the Department of Information that the constituents had raised a number of issues, and a major one was the lack of an early childhood centre in St. James.

“They have impressed upon me what can be done in order to alleviate this situation,” said Hon Nisbett.

“They feel that in the constituency, there are a number of young children and they believe that there is the requisite population in terms of young ones that can justify the government investing in an early childhood facility in the constituency.”

Many of them had informed him that they live and work in the constituency and they would want to be able to take their children to a facility in the area. The NRP representative agreed with them that when they have to go outside the constituency it comes at a particular cost, and as a result, the NRP government would want to see how it could address that particular burden that is facing a number of them.

“As a matter of fact, the government has a plan to construct a facility here in St. James to address those issues,” Hon Nisbett told the Department of Information. “I think the mechanics are being worked out at this point in time and at the appropriate time I would imagine one would clearly enunciate to the general public and to the constituents in particular what would be the plans in relation to addressing those issues.”

Responding to the constituents’ wishes, the Hon. Nisbett has consented to be holding the one-on-one consultations on a weekly basis. Other issues raised included affordable housing and availability of land, jobs, improvement of recreational facilities at the VOJN Primary School, and the general cleanliness in the parish, with some stating that some sections are overgrown by vegetation.

“In areas where people have been aggrieved, one would want to try as much as possible to see that the appropriate remedy for the grievance is meted out so that the constituents can in fact have some relief to the particular difficulty that they are experiencing at the time in question,” said Hon Nisbett.

He said that he was quite challenged and motivated by his constituents’ insistence that the government needs to continue the housing revolution that was started, so as to provide affordable housing to the constituents in the parish of St. James.

“They have been directed to continue to avail themselves for the services afforded by the Nevis Housing and Land Development Corporation in relation to the provision of lots, at the same time in relation to the provision of housing, so as to satisfy the housing needs of the constituents,” said Hon Nisbett.

Accordingly, the Attorney General told the Department of Information that he has undertaken to contact the relevant personnel in the government departments to see how the particular concerns of the constituents can be addressed in timely, efficient and in an effective manner.

“Issues that have been raised in these consultations are far and wide and are varying,” concluded the Hon Patrice Nisbett. “One would want to take the necessary action so as to ensure that those issues are addressed, and in doing so one would ensure that we maintain a conducive environment here in the constituency, where people can live, work, raise families and enjoy an improved quality of life.”

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Social Minister – Ms. Marcella Liburd
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 5, 2012 (SKNIS)

The Cabinet of Ministers in the Federal Government was impressed with the progress of the Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) during a visit to its community farm.

The Sugar Industry Diversification Fund (SIDF) sponsored pilot programme is separated into two main parts – hydroponics food crop production and life skills training. It specifically targets “at risk” youth in the community. A total of 35 young men so far have immersed themselves in leaning about self-improvement and receiving counseling.

Hon. Marcella Liburd, Minister of Social Development, under whose ministry STEP falls, has been actively involved in bringing this programme to the young people of the community.

“What we did was we opened it up to applications and I went around telling them how they could apply” said Minister Liburd. “It isn’t that we went and handpicked any of them, we went around and told them this is a project that we are thinking about and tried to encourage them to become interested, because a lot of them were not doing anything so that they could go and apply through Youth Skills.” “I think around thirty something of the fifty something who applied turned up to the orientation and those were the thirty something that started here.”

Minister Liburd said although young men currently participating in the programme are satisfied with it; it is still a work in progress. She also said the greater response thus far has been from males.

“Well, they are satisfied with it but, it’s a work in progress in the sense that I don’t think some of them really understand the opportunity that they’re getting” said Minister Liburd. “It’s a two-part thing. There are some at the community center doing self-improvement and counseling. If they don’t get over that hump, they would not be able to use this opportunity that is presented to them.”

“I tried my best to get women involved in this because it was not just for men” said Minister Liburd. “I actually spoke to young women in the area and asked them to go and apply. I think only like two or three of them did apply and none of them showed up for the orientation so it just happened that it turns out to be all men.”

The programme is expected to have a downward effect on crime and the country’s import bill. Participant Brian Griffin in a comment to the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS) described the programme as a wonderful experience and sees himself as an upcoming fruit and vegetable producer in the future of St. Kitts and Nevis.

“Well so far I think that the programme has been wonderful and it has been a wonderful experience for most of the young men to come together” said Brian Griffin. “The best thing I got out of the programme is the teamwork as everybody got together and worked to accomplish one goal. In the future I expect to see myself as one of the biggest fruit and vegetable producer in St. Kitts. We are just trying to make sure that the nation is healthy and rich and keep it wealthy.

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