GHS launches 2018 Young Leaders project

The Girls’ High School (GHS) RBTT Young Leaders are seeking to be ‘Angels of Change,’ as they embark on multiple projects under their theme, “Acknowledging yesterday, changing today, bettering tomorrow.”

Excitement brewed amongst the 30 girls selected to be the GHS Young Leaders 2018, on the day of the official launch of the GHS Young Leaders 2018 at the school last Friday, March 9.

The launch marked the beginning of the school’s participation in the Young Leaders Competition hosted by the RBTT bank that explores the theme “I am me, leading change in our communities”.

“Which will challenge you, our Young Leaders, to be the change. You should be challenged to ask yourself, who, what, where is our community? Is it in our school, our neighbourhood, our church, our world?” advised the representative from RBTT, Amelia Lai, while speaking on tackling the theme.

“Identify the need, gap or problem, and as a team develop a strategy for impact,” she intoned.

However, major sponsor representative, managing director of Cash Money Auto Elton Bailey, had already requested an overview of the projects the girls intended to complete, before agreeing to be their sponsor.

“I was extremely impressed with the programme outline. I was touched to see these young ladies using their skills, and resources, and making personal sacrifices in St Vincent, and also the Grenadines, to help the less fortunate,” he remarked.

Certainly, ‘excited and driven’ were the adjectives which the president of the GHS Young Leaders 2018, Divya Singh, used to describe her team.

“The vision and passion in each of our eyes in every meeting,” has resulted in eight ideas for projects, and two fund-raisers that will be carried out by the group, which will, “enhance personal development, raise social consciousness, and improve the physical environment,” Singh informed.

They intend to tackle unemployment by creating social awareness on the issue and sourcing jobs for five skilled individuals; they will also seek to educate the younger generation on domestic abuse and all aspects of it, through the project ‘Educate to elevate’; the team’s internal project will tackle a problem of rodents and pests at the school by creating several eating areas around the school and supplying them with garbage bins; they will provide counselling sessions for teen moms who have lost hope; and to personally supply a home for the less fortunate with supplies that they are in need of.

The girls made an effort to include the needs of those in the Grenadines with a project entitled, ‘Lifting the Sunrise’ in Bequia, which is designed to “aid the Sunrise Group of Children with special needs, by creating committed and lasting relationships with local clothing and food retailers to enhance the food.”

The Young Leaders also intend to place needed seating areas at the Bequia Airport, as well as paint a mural.

On that very day, the ‘Angels of Change’ initiative was launched as one of the projects for the team. The president introduced it as a fund which is intended to facilitate monetary contributions from anyone, even those who live abroad, for the well-being of orphans. It is intended to help with their schooling and social activities and to provide ‘core childhood experiences’ to them.

A large glass container with cut wings on the front was placed in the middle of the spectating students and the podium, as the GHS Young Leaders 2018 kicked off the donations.

Following them, a stream of students and teachers followed to make their contributions to the fund as well.

The group was given much advice on the eve of their journey, including from their acting headmistress Michelle Beache, who advised, “I implore you, GHS Young Leaders, to learn about the various elements of your project, to execute them to the best of your abilities, have fun and… be the change agents you were meant to be.”(KR)