Published 30 July 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
PM Harris hails SKN Youth Ambassadors for bringing greater awareness in response to challenges of disaster
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, July 30, 2018 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, on Sunday July 29 bade farewell to a group of 24 St. Kitts and Nevis Comprehensive Disaster Management Youth Ambassadors who left the Federation for Tortola in the British Virgin Islands on a Restoration Humanitarian Assistance Mission.
Prime Minister Harris wished them a safe journey “as you undertake to do some good and to display your ambassadorship, your sense of duty and service in another country.”
The British Virgin Islands, pointed out the Prime Minister, was one of the Caribbean countries that were significantly impacted by hurricanes last year. “We too received some of the trouble which hurricanes usually bring but we were not as badly impacted as they were, for which we say to God be the glory. And we were happy that we were in a position to render support to the BVI, to Anguilla, to Antigua, and to Dominica who had endured worse than we did.”
He congratulated them for being ambassadors in relation to Comprehensive Disaster Management issues, who have become a good voice in support of the initiatives of NEMA as they bring greater awareness and better responsiveness to the challenges of disaster wherever they may occur.
They travelled on a St. Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard vessel, and seeing them off also included the National Disaster Coordinator for the Government’s National Emergency Management Agency Mr Abdias Samuel, Coast Guard Commanding Officer Captain Walter Bass, their parents, and guardians. Accompanying them to Tortola was Advisor to the St. Kitts and Nevis CDM Youth Ambassadors, Mr Kurt Caines.
“I want to thank your parents and guardians for the confidence they have displayed in you to go to take on a great responsibility and to act responsibly away from home,” said Prime Minister Harris. “With all the love, the care and the support that we can provide, you go in your name and the name of the Government of people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Mr Abdias Samuel, National Disaster Coordinator, explained that a major importance of the exchange is for the ambassadors to have a hands-on experience about how the recovery process in the disaster cycle works “so they can see that it is a process that can be a long term and (also see) the investment that is needed in order to restore the country once it is impacted by a natural disaster.”
President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Comprehensive Disaster Management Youth Ambassadors, Ms Shajuneé Gumbs, said that the ambassadors had an age range of 18-30 years and that twenty were from St. Kitts and four from Nevis, and the majority of them are students. They return on Sunday August 5.
“The group was launched last year November and the mission that we are going to partake on for this week is the restoration mission in Tortola,” said Ms Gumbs. “We are going there to basically rebuild, do some painting and also help out with probably cleaning and whatever they have in store for us there. It is just basically to help them from the impact of the hurricanes from the 2017 hurricane season, Hurricanes Irma and Maria.”
ENDS
Pix captions:
1: Prime Minister Harris poses for a group picture with the CDM Youth Ambassadors and their parents and guardians before they boarded the St. Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard vessel.
2: From left: Mr Kurt Caines, Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, Ms Shajuneé Gumbs, and Mr Abdias Samuel.
3: Prime Minister Harris greeting the youth ambassadors before they boarded the Coast Guard vessel.
4: Prime Minister Harris greeting parents and guardians of the youth ambassadors.
