Parents urged to get youth involved in 4-H

The opportunities for 4-H’ers are limitless.

Chairman of the Barbados 4-H Foundation, Osmond Harewood, is therefore encouraging parents to get their children on board.

Since 1982 the organisation has been enabling young people to build self-esteem and strong interpersonal skills while acquiring knowledge and basic skills related to agriculture and ecology through community activities, apprenticeships and self-teaching.

He made the call during the presentation of prizes for several agricultural competitions, held at the 4-H Headquarters, Crumpton Street on Saturday.

“No boast, 4-H is of the best things that happened to Barbados and it is going to be one of the best things to happen to your child or children,” he stressed.
“Every time I meet an adult 4-H person, they have always put this notion that without 4-H they don’t know where they would have been…The bigger picture is that we want to make persons think; all that we are teaching is to create into a business.”

Harewood however admitted that he is concerned that some 4-H’ers have not been grabbing hold of the programmes on offer.

“We are saying that 4-H’ers are not interested, but I don’t want to get to that point. So, I want to encourage you parents to get them involved.

“And I want to encourage the young ones who competed in the potting, tire and container gardening and the other competitions, that those are just the start. I want to encourage you to take the information and to continue in developing yourself and let us make the best, better,” he said.