Prime Minister David Thompson (left) and Minister of Family, Youth and Sports Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo (right) talk with Corey Lane before touring the Nature Fun Ranch at Trents, St. James, where Lane has kept the youth ranch running since 1999.
Youth ranch reaches out to Gov’t
10/31/2009
By Khalil Goodman
An ailing youth-oriented programme has highlighted that more can be done nationally in the thrust to support similar initiatives.
Ten years ago grassroots youth activist Corey Lane established the Nature Fun Ranch in St. James as an outlet to aid some of the nation’s youth – many of them troubled or in need of positive reinforcement and support. Despite establishing six phases for the project, Lane’s programme has not been able to pass the second phase, although it has been in operation for ten years.
Prime Minister David Thompson and Minister of Family, Youth and Sports, Dr. Esther Byer-Suckoo, took a tour of the ranch in Trents, St. James yesterday where the project is based on over 30 acres of land.
Lane – one-time president of the National Youth Council and a hero nominee in the Caribbean ‘LiveUP HIV/AIDS campaign’ – and his cousin Renaldo Lane have pulled their own pockets or garnered support from other passionate youth volunteers and some sponsors to keep the Nature Ranch afloat. In the last few years the ranch has catered to between 35 to 40 young people who learn to ride and care for horses, raise some fish, ducks and a few small vegetables.
With no running water, the organisers have had to bring water in by truck to give the horses and the plants.
Although the two cousins have been able to keep the project running in one way or another, Corey Lane notes that more can be done.
“Being an activist myself one of the things I realise we have it down pat when it comes to talking conversations, convocations, consultations, summits and so on; but when it comes down to practical intervention we need to make the next step if we want to see some real change,” he told the local media after the tour.
“We can’t do the same thing, the same way all the time or we will get the same result,” he added.
The Prime Minister expressed surprise that the large lot of land housed the programme and sorrow that the
project has ground to an almost standstill.
“It’s good that they have shown focus and a pity they have not been able to achieve their objectives and goals. There is potential here in what we see as the fledgling activity and should be brought under the summer camp programme if possible. We would like wherever we can to seek resources to assist them,” said the Prime Minister noting that, “anything that gets our young people outdoors is good because there is clearly a fixation with computers and almost individual activity which keeps them away from activity and nature.”
However, the Prime Minister noted that the real work would have to begin as the youth ministry and additional organisations will now have to meet with Lane and the organisers to see where aid can be given.
“Our resources are limited,” said Prime Minister Thompson, “but we can’t only build our society to focus on the so-called productive sectors. They have to grow for us to grow but we also have to focus on ensuring that we have a humane society.”
The problems at the nature ranch highlight the need for the amendments to the Charities Act, which Prime Minister Thompson says are coming.
“[The amendments] would provide for companies giving large one off contributions as well as for persons who make smaller contributions to produce a receipt to show and receive tax reductions accordingly.”
Lane told the media that more contributions to the programme could serve to provide aid to put down the infrastructure for the ranch and aid more young people. The ranch has the potential to support 60 young people in total.
