CARICOM Ambassador urges GECCU scholars to give back

The General Employees’ Co-operative Credit Union Ltd (GECCU) held its annual Youth Leadership Symposium for its scholarship holders on August 23 and 24 at the Anglican Pastoral Centre at New Montrose.{{more}}

The objective of the symposium was to expose the scholarship holders of GECCU to the core principles of co-operatives, while promoting continuity within the movement. Chair of the Scholarship Committee Dr Mineva Glasgow, addressing a hall of over 60 students at the official opening ceremony, told the gathering that this year’s theme – ‘embracing the power of cooperative values’ – is significant and relevant for helping them, the young students, to understand how every decision that GECCU makes is directly proportional to the benefit it can provide to them and their wider membership.

Former GECCU scholarship recipient and CARICOM ambassador Chelsea Ferdinand encouraged the students to “let your decisions today reflect the co-operative values and principles, especially that of concern for community, in helping to create opportunities for others”.

She emphasized how relevant credit unions are, to not just older persons, but also the youths, since younger persons, are “most vulnerable to life’s challenges”. The CARICOM ambassador also told the young people about GECCU’s commitment to education and the importance of giving back.

“GECCU issued their first scholarship in 1981 and here we are today, in 2016, still benefiting. How is that so? Because persons who benefitted from scholarships came back and made a contribution,” Ferdinand said.

“Don’t just fill your pail, but help to fill someone else’s as well. Add your voice to the vibrant, co-operative community – a voice which represents the hopes, dreams and ambitions of young persons in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” she said.

The two-day symposium featured various presentations, team building exercises and also a field trip to Winfresh SVG in Diamond.