Senior Foreign Service Officer: Invest in the youth

 

Natalie Cox, Senior Foreign Service Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade has called on the diaspora to invest in our young people.
 
“We are calling on those in the diaspora to contribute to areas such as education through scholarships, mentorship, provide internships etcetera,” she highlighted in the closing ceremony of the Barbados Network Consultation 4th Biennial Diaspora Conference 2016, at Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Complex.
 
Cox contended that young people are not lacking neither in skills nor in aptitude. Rather, she said, what they are lacking is opportunity, and people who have gained and benefitted from the society ought to give back particularly to those young people that have the ability but are lacking through financial means and guidance.
 
She reasoned that any society that wants a sustainable future must invest in their young people.
 
According to her, “It is the fourth year of the conference and we certainly intend to make it a bigger one and we want to bring Barbadians from all over the diaspora to have a national conversation about the key issues and priorities that confront this nation."
 
She told the event that they are seeing young persons in the diaspora coming back to Barbados, not just for Crop Over, but some are resettling and giving back to the country through their expertise.
 
“In our effort to develop the youth we will continue to provide mentorship, providing a facilitating environment, connecting people to the right persons in order to broaden their horizons and give them opportunities.”
 
Cox believes, “Our people are our greater resource. Barbados will always be home. We have had struggles in the economy but we are moving at a stage that we are realising we need to harness what we have and build on what we have... It is important we develop our nation with our young people by pushing their creativity and entrepreneurship. This is the time, it is 50 years, we have no excuse.” (NB)

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