Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 19, 2015 (SKNIS)—Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mrs Ionie Liburd Willett, has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr the Hon. Timothy Harris, for his commitment to the education of nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Addressing the audience at the Prime Minister’s 12th annual “Help- A- Child Programme”, Mrs Willett praised the prime minister for such an initiative.
“Occasions such as this one, when we celebrate unique contributions to the development of our youth, warm the hearts of our educational gatekeepers as we recognize that preserving the youth, our future nation builders, is one of the top priorities of any government, and more so, this government,” Mrs. Willett.
Mrs Willett is of the view that initiatives such as the “Help a Child Programme” are not common. She underscored the importance of celebrating the programmes that are in existence.
“Worthwhile initiatives are always welcome. Today we gather to celebrate one such initiative, whereby our young people are assured of consistent support and investment of our resources,” she said.
“The Help -A -Child Programme is an insightful initiative which demonstrates one person’s commitment and dedication to the upward mobilization and success of his people. The Honourable Prime Minister, Dr. Harris, has done what Albert Einstein advocates, “Try not to become a man of success but rather, try to become a man of value,” she said. “Indeed, Dr. Harris has tried and today we can see that he has succeeded.”
During her address, Mrs Willett also shared a word of encouragement to the parents of the scholarship recipients:
“Parents, hold your children close; enable their expectations with open communication and unconditional love,” she said. She further admonished parents to “always be there for them. Be their disciplinarians, their providers, their friends, and their strong tower in difficult, challenging times. Nothing is more important than your support and guidance at this developmental stage.”
The 2015 awards ceremony was held at the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) in Molineux on Thursday, October 15 at 4pm. Now in its 12th year the programme has succeeded in providing assistance for over 350 students of the Edgar T. Morris Primary School in Tabernacle, the Violet Petty Primary School in Lodge Project, the Estridge Primary School in Mansion’s Village, and the Joshua Obadiah Primary School in Molineux Village at the cost of EC$165,000.
Also present at the ceremony were Hon. Wendy Phipps, Minister of State within the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services, Ambassadors and Advisers to the Government, as well as Mrs Debbie Isaac, Senior Education Officer.