Movement of Youth group lends support to Vincentian organizations

Four members of the Movement of Youth group out of Riley, North Carolina, USA, wrapped up a visit to St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) last Saturday.

While here, the members carried out several of their responsibilities, while learning more of the cultural practices and about the people of SVG.{{more}}

Outlining the role of the organization, Debra Taiwo explained, “The Movement of Youth is a mentorship programme, focusing on providing middle school and high school students with the tools they needed to achieve…One function of Movement of Youth is what we called a global fellowship programme, where we provide international excursion…international exchange opportunities for our students.”

Taiwo said that the members, apart from assisting the Adare Club of Barrouallie, assisted with administration of the inaugural St Vincent Youth Soccer Cup.

“In addition to volunteering with the soccer cup, we have been we have been visiting different organizations within the community and mentoring them… We have volunteered at the Day Care and we met with personnel at the hospital…. We had a rap session with eight younger girls in the Barrouallie community and met with persons from the Youth Department,” Taiwo revealed.

Halle Thompson, one of two students who were part of the exchange exercise, spoke favourably of her stay on the mainland.

“I love St Vincent; the people here are cool. It’s like a homey feel; everyone is family… It is actually nicer than how I thought it would be,” Thompson confessed.

Meanwhile, Kennedy Raffe, another of the exchange students. stated: “My impression was that coming here that it would be hard and it would be not as a community like Riley, but it is not so…I enjoyed encouraging girls going to school, and do something with their lives and that they should help themselves.”

And, board member of Movement of Youth Malaika Pettigrew said she had first to adjust to the use of public transport, which is a far different from what she is used to in her home town.

However, she philosophised, “Travelling in the local public transport with everyone so crammed, but helps as it brings people together.”

Pettigrew concluded that while here, “There is always something happening.”

Taiwo, who has made previous visits to SVG, said that based on the success of this exchange effort, another such undertaking should be expected in 2017.(RT)