Published 10 December 2021
Basseterre
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
MOE LAUNCHES THE 2021-2022 S.A.F.E. AND VOLUNTEER CORPS PROGRAMME
Basseterre: St. Kitts, Thursday, December 09, 2021: Students from the various tertiary education institutions across the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis participated in the launch of the 2021-2022 Support for the Advancement of Further Education (S.A.F.E) and Volunteer Corps programme on Wednesday December, 08, at the Immaculate Conception Catholic School (ICCS) auditorium.
Providing an overview of the S.A.F.E initiative, Mrs. Patricia Isles Caesar, Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Education (MOE), noted that this government initiative is aimed at reducing the financial burdens affiliated with pursuing a tertiary education.
“The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has designed a number of social safety net programmes to reduce the financial constraints of some of its citizens. One area in which safety nets exert a positive impact is education. One such safety net is S.A.F.E. This government funded initiative caters to students at the tertiary level; AVEC, CFBC, and the Nevis Sixth Form College (NSFC),” noted Mrs. Isles Caesar.
Mrs. Isles Caesar further stated that recipients of the S.A.F.E. scholarship are expected to engage in the act of volunteerism.
Mr. Pierre Liburd, Director of the Department of Youth, explained that the services of volunteerism expected by the recipients of the S.A.F.E scholarship will be overseen by the Department of Youth.
“This is a partnership between the Ministry of Education’s S.A.F.E programme, which provides assistance and support to students pursuing their tertiary education and the Department of Youth that takes on the oversight of the volunteer aspect of the agreement as part of your sponsorship or partnership in the programme. As such, each and every one of you will be members or participants serving in the Volunteer Corps programme,” he said.
Addressing the recipients, Minister of Education, Honourable Jonel Powell, extended congratulatory remarks and encouraged the recipients to use make the most of the opportunity to volunteer.
“This is a perfect opportunity for you to develop yourselves and separate yourselves from others; to make you more marketable, to make you better trained, to take advantage of the limited opportunities. So, I urged you to take it seriously,” Minister Powell said. “It also is good to put on a resume. It helps to show a more well-rounded person. It helps you to stand out. And as you participate, as you volunteer within the various spheres, remember to give it your best.”
