Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 22, 2021 (SKNIS): With the growing concern over the increase in the use, misuse, and abuse of cannabis (marijuana) among youth in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Kitts & Nevis National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention Secretariat held a training session for education counsellors on Monday 19th April 2021, at the Jessups Community Center in Nevis.
Mrs. Karimu Byron-Caines, Director of St. Kitts & Nevis National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention Secretariat, an agency that falls under the Ministry of National Security, said that part of the responsibility of the Secretariat “is to ensure that effective prevention, treatment, and other intervention programmes through education and training are made available to the persons we serve in this Federation.”
“We have had many calls, numerous calls, especially lately, of persons expressing concerns of the increase in marijuana use, misuse and abuse amongst our adolescents in the Federation, and as such we have had official overseas training through the Organization of American States (OAS) where Miss Zahra Jacobs, your trainer for today travelled to Mexico to undertake this training in Cannabis Youth Treatment Series One.”
Mrs. Byron-Caines said that the manual and training are “designed to help train substance abuse treatment counsellors and other counsellors to conduct a brief five-session treatment intervention for adolescents with cannabis use disorders presenting for outpatient treatment. It combines two sessions of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) and three sessions of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in a group format.”
“We all know, and we are aware of the effects of marijuana, especially in our youths. We have heard it especially in our schools where the students are sometimes coming to school high, causing some behavioural problems. We are seeing challenges with the academic performance and so we are pleased to be offering you the front-line counsellors hands-on material for an effective programme. It’s going to take you effort; it’s going to take you dedication; it’s going to take some planning, but the National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention is here to support you, to assist you in any way,” Mrs. Byron-Caines said.
Ms. Zahnela Claxton, Principal Education Officer (PEO) in the Department of Education on Nevis, said that the training will prove beneficial.
“This training will no doubt provide our counsellors with additional tools, which they will surely find useful. In an age where edibles and smoking are the norms of our young people, it is imperative that we provide the necessary support for them,” Ms. Claxton said.
Ms. Sandra Maynard, Director of Social Services in the Ministry of Social Development in the Nevis Island Administration, welcomed the training and said that with the increased cannabis use in high schools, it is important to reach out especially to you At-Risk-Youth and youth offenders.
“In January of 2020, I attended the unveiling of the CFYR (Communities, Families and Youth Resilience) Project Baseline online study of communities in our Federation and paid special attention to results of young persons’ involvement in delinquent activity. Of those surveyed in the 10 to 29 age group in St. Kitts and Nevis, youth in their controlled communities were using marijuana or other illegal drugs at a rate of 47.8 percent,” said Ms. Maynard.
She added: “The controlled communities if I understand correctly, were those identified by the project as the high-risk communities across the Federation. Those youth not in controlled or high-risk territories admitting to using marijuana and other drugs was reported as being 23.7 percent. To be fair to the efforts of my CFYR colleagues, there was some reported reduction of controlled substances by the end of the project, but that number reported 30.5 percent, but 30.5 percent is still one that gives cause for serious concern, and more importantly, a call to action.”
Ms. Maynard added that the COVID-19 pandemic has had mental health effects on children and youth and some perhaps have turned to drugs to help them to cope.
Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 31, 2021 (SKNIS): Officials within the Department of Community Development and Social Services are focused on improving the negative attitudes that some young people have towards seniors.
On Wednesday’s (March 31, 2021) edition of the radio and television programme Working for You, Osslyn Ward-Harris, the director of the department, said that youth often are “impatient” when dealing with older people.
“We need to target that group and educate them on the importance of ensuring that older persons are treated in a most dignified way. That is extremely important and of concern to us as a department,” Mrs. Ward-Harris stated.
Haniff Charles, Community Development Officer, stated that some youth perceive that seniors have nothing to offer and cannot educate them as information can be readily accessed on the internet. He indicated that intergenerational mixing is one intervention strategy that the department is looking at to improve relations and perceptions. The strategy was suggested from a focus group that was held.
“When you sit down and you have that intergenerational mixing and you hear what they (seniors) are saying and you really get the idea, the gist of certain things, you have a greater appreciation for the knowledge that is being shared,” Mr. Charles stated.
Mrs. Ward- Harris recounted seeing a video on social media where a driver stopped to allow an older person to cross the road. After realizing that the senior was struggling to cross the road, the driver exited the vehicle and helped the senior to the other side.
“That is what we need to promote; these are things we need to inculcate and make people aware of,” she added.
Mrs Ward-Harris is a member of the Seniors Enrichment Programme, while Mr. Charles is the secretary. The programme is designed to ensure that seniors lead a dignified and purposeful life while ageing gracefully.
]]>NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 25, 2021) – – Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis continues to go without a salary, one year after foregoing his monthly pay in a show of solidarity with Nevisians who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Premier, who holds the Finance portfolio in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), gave up 100 percent of his salary, including allowances, in March 2020, with the onset of the pandemic in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
He spoke on the issue at his monthly press conference on March 24, 2021.
“In relation to me and salary, it’s now been over a year I have not collected a salary.
“I’ve still not collected a salary because I said that I believe that as Premier of Nevis I have to continue to show some solidarity with our people.
“I recognize that our people are still struggling and while this is a symbolic gesture I think it’s an important symbolic gesture, so my salary is still in abeyance,” he said.
Mr. Brantley made it clear that he has no intention of collecting any lump sum of back pay in the future.
He also indicated he was not in a position to say when he would resume getting paid as the island and wider Federation continues to struggle financially from the economic fallout caused by the pandemic.
“By abeyance I don’t mean I’m stockpiling it to collect it all at once- it’s gone. I’m not collecting it. I did say I would not collect it until we could say that this pandemic was behind us. So I’m hopeful that we can say that soon, but until then, the position remains the same.
“It’s certainly something to which I am entitled but something which I decided to forego at this time, over this period, because I think there’s real difficulty in the community.
“As Premier and Minister of Finance I can tell you there’s real difficulty in terms of government finances, and so I think that leadership must lead and that is what I am seeking to do,” he stated.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 24th, 2021 (ZIZ News) The TDC Group of Companies will be giving their support to the local farming community this weekend with the hosting of their annual Farmer’s Market on Saturday at their Home and Building Depot locations in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Marketing Assistant at TDC, Dominic Matthew explained that this activity is part of the company’s Farmer’s Appreciation Month initiative which normally takes place in March and incorporates activities and sales to show solidarity for local farmers.
“Traditionally in the month of March we normally host our Farmers Appreciation Month, it’s a two prong event where we attach a sales offering to it where we offer special incentives on agro products hoses, seeds anything that has to deal with agriculture and it’s not specific to the farming community, we also recognize now that there are changes and it has grown wider to include backyard, livestock, fishermen of course so we had broaden the scope to recognize farmers during the month by offering a 20 percent discount on those particular products, also we’ve worked with the sales representatives in that community in both St. Kitts and Nevis at both stores to go out into the field and to meet farmers and to offer advice and so forth and to interact one on one not only to bring the sales idea but to kind of strengthen the relationship we have with the farming community.”
He said this initiative has been ongoing since 2012 and on Saturday persons can expect to get a wide variety of fresh farm produce and plants at the mini marketplace that will be constructed.
“It’s where we create a mini stall in our parking lots in both St. Kitts and Nevis and we invite local farmers from across the spectrum so this time around in St. Kitts we doing plants as well so we invited an agronomist to come and sell plants and they’ll be selling their produce at both locations in St. Kitts and Nevis, we’ve been doing this since 2012. This again is another way for us to bring farmers to our store, to meet our customers and to offer the same incentives they would at a public market or at another stall or they’re own place.”
As it relates to ensuring food security, Matthew stressed the importance of partnering with local farmers.
“We’ve been doing this for quite some time like I mentioned and with the onset of Covid its now even more important that we recognize the possibilities and recognize the opportunities for us to work with the farming community as a business house to continue to provide fresh food to our local people that is secure and safe as opposed to importing products that might have pesticides, we have the guarantee that they’re produced here locally so its organically grown and fresh.”
The TDC Farmer’s Market will be held at their Home and Building Depots on Frigate Bay Road in St. Kitts and Pinney’s Industrial Estate in Nevis. It runs from 9am until 1pm.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 11, 2021 (SKNIS): Being involved in community activities through various groups gives young people the chance to apply the skills they already have, can boost their self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as give them a sense of belonging in their communities. As such, the Ministry of National Security is focused on reviving community activities to actively engage young people.
“In the next two or three weeks, we are going to start some related engagements in terms of not just all of government but all of the community to do some of what we do in deviant behaviours,” said Osmond Petty, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security on Wednesday’s (March 10) edition of ‘Working for You.’ We really need to mobilize communities and get communities involved in what is happening.
Mr. Petty said that the ministry engaged a psychologist who will be in St. Kitts and Nevis to assist with the initiative.
“We are going to try to put together a programme to have discussions… to mobilize communities because communities right now are dormant. Something happens and everybody looks to the Police,” he said.
He spoke briefly to the community counsellors adding that very few of them are operational and those who are, seldom do anything relative to crime prevention.
“In terms of pulling youth together not much of that is happening in communities. We need to get back to that kind of vigorous activity,” he added.
The whole idea of reviving community activities forms part of St. Kitts and Nevis’ National Security Strategy (
“This is a strategy; this is not the solution. Out of this policy will come a number of policy documents – revised legislation, a crime reduction plan…” said the permanent secretary.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 24th, 2021 (ZIZ News) The Department of Culture is moving ahead with efforts to preserve practices and traditions that make up the culture of the federation through its intangible cultural heritage project.
According to Lead Focal Point for the project in St. Kitts Marlene Phillips, Intangible Culture is made up of processes, procedures and the way things are done, such as cooking traditional foods, performing traditional folk arts.
For more than a year, media teams have been working with persons who engage in these practices to record them for posterity to ensure the traditions don’t die.
An information session was held on Wednesday morning to show what has been collected so far and Mrs Phillip explained that their efforts require significant input from the community.
In his feature address Minister of Culture, the Hon. Jonel Powell, reinforced Mrs Phillips point noting that it was important to reach out to the communities that practice these traditions, which serve to strengthen our national identity.
The Seminar is part of a 2 year project to safeguard ICH in St. Kitts and Nevis funded by UNESCO.
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Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 18, 2021 (SKNIS): Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development, Mrs. Janelle Lewis-Tafari, said that the recently opened Lodge/Ottley’s Community Centre will contribute to the well-being of the community and aid community spirit.
Speaking at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Grand Opening of the Ottley’s-Lodge Community Centre on February 16, Mrs. Lewis-Tafari hailed the government for the progressive strides it has made over the past two decades with respect to social development.
“The progressive strides that have been made towards the establishment of safe and secure community facilities are critical to the Government’s multi-dimensional agenda to spur the implementation of community-driven advancement programmes geared towards enriching the social and economic fabric of our society,” said Mrs. Lewis-Tafari.
“The centrality and versatility of these centers are aimed at promoting civic participation at community enrichment interventions such as educational and vocational programmes and other activities that will foster community cohesion and social solidarity,” she added. “In addition, the role of the centers also includes shelters following a disaster.” said the permanent secretary.
Mrs. Lewis-Tafari also stated that “The COVID-19 pandemic among other critical factors has given the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis a stark reminder of the heightened priority that must be given to strengthening all communities to improve our socio-economic conditions and improve our resilience.”
“This is your golden opportunity” to improve upon and foster more community cohesion and social solidarity, she told the residents of Lodge, Ottley’s, and their surrounding communities.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 20, 2021 (ZIZ News) Local businessman Ernest Amory is continuing his philanthropic work through his business, the Amory Bakery by extending sales from last year into the New Year.
Last year, with the onset of the Covid19 pandemic, the bakery offered free meals and baked goods to the general public at specific times.
ZIZ News spoke with Mr. Amory about his philanthropy and why he has decided to give back to the community in this way.
“For us we see how persons have been having a difficult time especially since the economic situation has changed throughout the world and for us it was important to give and show our appreciation to the many persons who come over the years to support our business,” he said.
Mr. Amory spoke specifically of the initiative that has been ongoing at the bakery where customers get more baked goods for the same price on select days.
“ It hasn’t stopped. Actually we have continued the half price until the end of June this year so every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 5 until closing, anyone can come to the bakery at that time and purchase all bread items at half price,” he said. “We will see how it goes between now and then if the half year, things are still bad then we’ll have to continue until the end of 2021. It is our desire to help as much as much as we can.”
Mr. Amory also thanked his staff who has given time and energy to make sure customers are well taken care of.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 15th, 2021 (ZIZ News): A leader in the Central Basseterre community is calling for conflict resolution in the wake of the death of two young men who were shot earlier this week.
Nubian Greaux in a post on his Facebook page said “Conflict is inevitable with human nature but it is our choice to be combative as a result. Growing up in McKnight, young men have always been branded as ghetto youths with no potential or a burden on society but we continue to break the glass ceiling by producing Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers and other prominent professionals.”
He said the fact that the lives of Lamont Heyliger and Jahquan Merritt were “taken away so violently and with such brute force should make us as a society do much introspection on the lives of these young men and even that of our own children.”
Greaux ended by saying that as a key member of the Peace Programme, he is reminding the youths and all associated with the Programme that he is willing to assist in avoiding another injury or tragic death.
He said “We must continue to change the prevailing reality by building a new model and making the current one obsolete.”
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Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 08, 2020 (RSCNPF): The Commissioner of Police has pledged that The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) will continue to support the youth of the Federation.
Speaking at the recently held Opening Ceremony of the Explorers Clubs Headquarters, Commissioner of Police Hilroy Brandy said that the Force believed in the creation of loving, caring and supportive environments for young people to develop into healthy and productive members of the community.
The Explorers Clubs have been rolled out through a collaboration between the Ministry of National Security and the RSCNPF. To date there are twelve (12) clubs around the country with over 1,000 members. Police Officers assigned to the National Intervention Team coordinate the various clubs and the Team’s Leader, Inspector Rosemarie Isles-Joseph, is credited as the movement’s Founder. The initiative is considered an important part of the Force’s community policing effort.
“The vision was clearly laid out in our Strategic Plan in 2016…the Force decided that community policing would be one of our main priority areas and it was also decided, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security, that youth diversion educational programmes would be the centrepiece of the new vision,” Commissioner Brandy disclosed.
He said that the construction of the “state-of-the-art building” represented an unprecedented interest in the nation’s youth, adding that through the headquarters and the clubs, greater ties between the Police and the community could be forged.
“We truly believe that with the construction of this edifice, a new era of cooperation between the community and the Police will be realised. It is our belief that this building and the young explorers will result in improved public support and trust in the Police.”
]]>NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (November 23, 2020) — The Department of Community Development will combine two of its Christmas Season events this year. The “Miracle on Main Street” and “Christmas in the Capital,” will be held on December 02, 2020, in an all-day affair at the Memorial Square in Charlestown.
Mrs. Janette Meloney, Director of the Department of Community Development gave the Department of Information gave some insight into the event which will be held from midday in a recent interview.
“This event…should culminate at 8 p.m. …and then we will light the Christmas tree in Charlestown, and so we will be having a mixture of the Christmas sports which we all know as the Masquerade and Johnny Walker, along with singing and dancing and poems.” she said.
Mrs. Meloney explained the changes which will take place considering the COVID-19 protocols.
“For this year, I want you all to volunteer to be a part of The Miracle or to be part of Christmas in the Square. So if you think you can sing or if you can say a poem or you can dance, whatever you can do; You have a small group in your church or whatever group you may have and you want to do a performance, this is the time for you to come and showcase your talent…
“We are going to have time slots for each individual group to do their performance, and let’s say you come at midday and your time is from 12:00 to 12: 10 you will perform there and you can leave so that we won’t have the mass gathering, seeing that we have to take into consideration the social distancing. We want to have you for Christmas, so that’s why we have to change it up so that we can also protect each other while we enjoy ourselves,” she said.
Any persons or groups interested in participating in the Miracle on Main Street/Christmas in the Capital event can call the Department of Community Development at 469-1768; or 469-5521, ext.: 2185 or 2188.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 18, 2020 (SKNIS): To further enhance the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis’s tourism product, the Ministry of Tourism held a Tourism Training Workshop today November 18 at the ICT Center with an emphasis on community-based tourism.
The community training workshop which was labeled “The Community and You” was held under the theme for Tourism Month 2020 (being celebrated from 1st – 30th November), which is Tourism- People, Product, Purpose # Planning for Posterity.
The purpose of this training according to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Carlene Henry-Morton, is to “place our residents and our tourism stakeholders at the forefront of all tourism-focused development as their contributions, their ideas and abiding sense of focus/purpose, are key to a dynamic, competitive and sustainable tourism product.”
“Today’s workshop is a follow-up to a virtual workshop held from 22nd -24th September and the Walking Tours series held last year, which saw 80 plus individuals: tour guides, farmers, and micro and small businesses owners from over six parishes, completing the five-day theory and practice training, to increase their knowledge of our rich history and culture, strengthen their operations, and improve their business sustainability.”
“We are serious about delivering on our mandate at the Ministry of Tourism, and one of our major priorities is to help operating and prospective tourism-related small businesses to remain viable,” said Ms. Morton.
“I must commend the 20 plus participants who have enrolled for this workshop. It says that you are making it your business to equip yourselves to look after your business,” she said.
“We have among us persons involved in folklore, farmers, entertainers, and songwriters, tour operators, agro-processors, craft and jewelry designers, artists. We recognize and applaud that initiative and willingness to access the technical support that will equip you with some basic business survival skills, help you to establish or maintain strong business networks and increase opportunities to earn decent livelihoods as you work to be independent and self-sufficient,” said the Permanent Secretary.
She implored the stakeholders to seize the opportunity and make good use of the practical ideas, business techniques, and proven practices to help them adapt and grow during and well beyond the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 18, 2020 (SKNIS): St. Kitts and Nevis will join the global community on International Men’s Day on Thursday, November 19, 2020, to celebrate positive male role models and the positive value men bring to the world, their families, and communities, as well as raise awareness of men’s issues.
“International Men’s Day was set aside to raise awareness on the issues that men face and, yes, men do face issues too. We have male marginalization, male exploitation, boys who are being exploited and raped. We also have male underachievement in schools,” said Dion Browne, Gender Field Officer at the Department of Gender Affairs on Wednesday’s November 18 edition of ‘Working for You.’ “So, men do have issues and it was important to have International Men’s Day so these issues can be highlighted.
Mr. Browne said that the day was also set aside to celebrate the successes of men.
“International Men’s Day is also to highlight the sacrifices, contributions, and the achievements of men, family men who are really working hard to provide for their family, and men who are serving their communities and society as a whole,” he said. “So, it is really important to have International Men’s Day and we want to invite everyone to celebrate with the Department of Gender Affairs as we celebrate, acknowledge and observe this International Men’s Day.”
He encouraged the general public to get involved and celebrate the positive male role models in St. Kitts and Nevis, as this day affords people the opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the men in their lives and the contribution they make to society.
This years’ International Men’s Day will be celebrated under the global theme: “Better health for men and boys.” However, Mr. Browne said that there are two other themes that the Department of Gender Affairs is trying to highlight. These are “Raising Awareness or Funds for Charities for Supporting Men and Boys Well-being” and “Promoting a Positive Conversation about Men, Manhood and Masculinity.”
]]>BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, November 18, 2020 (S.T.E.P.) — The Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP) has introduced new guidelines for field workers attached to Community Enhancement Groups, which are geared towards streamlining the workers’ attendance with the sole aim of getting greater operational efficiency.
“This is a programme that should have been done from the beginning of the year, but due to coronavirus, and then we had an election and then we began to work on the regularisation of the STEP workers, the programme was delayed,” explained STEP Director, Mr Emile Greene.
According to Mr Greene, persons would have complained that the STEP workers in the field were not working or were working for a few hours but were still getting paid for hours that they are not in the field. The new guidelines will ensure that STEP gets greater operational efficiency of its field side.
“We can see it especially now we are in the rainy season there are many areas that are overgrown and we thought, with the approval and instruction of the government that we are going to introduce new measures and to enforce them,” said Mr Greene. “Our work day will now be 7:00 am to 2:00 in the afternoon. Previously, by 10 o’clock you cannot find any of the cleaning crew on the road. The come out a few hours and then they are gone home.”
Accompanied by STEP Field Operations Manager Mr William Phillip, STEP Senior Field Officer Mr Jason McKoy, STEP Field Officer Mr Leslie Connor, and STEP Verification Officer Mr Keith Warner, Mr Greene has been visiting the various Community Enhancement Groups in St. Kitts and updating the workers on the new measures. STEP Chief Field Officer in Nevis Mr Oscar Browne has been visiting the groups in Nevis.
The workers have been advised that STEP will enforce punctuality and the attendance requirements, and those persons who do not work and those who are consistently absent will be disciplined.
“We have said to them that they have to be early, and they have to come with their tools,” observed Mr Greene. “You cannot come to work and if you are somebody who is supposed to be doing raking or cutting grass using a machete, they come empty-handed – we will send them back home. We have also said to them that the practice of not working on Friday must stop immediately.”
Mr Greene reports that they have so far seen some improvement with some of the groups, but added that a lot more still needs to be done as the programme has just started. STEP is using the field officers to go out every day to verify that persons are turning up to work on time, and that they are staying on the job for the required time, while at the same time ensuring that the quantity and the quality of work done has improved.
“With the transformation in work hours, the transformation in quantity of work, and the transformation in the work done, I think over the next few months the people of St. Kitts and Nevis should be pleased with the work, as government is determined during these times that money spent must bring value to the country,” noted the STEP Director.
He concluded: “Covid-19 has changed many things in the way countries operate and here in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet they have indicated that the programme must – there is no if or no doubt – improve and there be value for money being spent.”
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 21, 2020 (ZIZ News): The Ottley’s Village Improvement Association donated a washing machine to the Hodge family in a small ceremony at the family home in Ottley’s Village on Sunday.
The donation comes after the family’s home was damaged by a fire that occurred in March of this year.
President of the Ottley’s Improvement Association, Pastor Leroy Benjamin said that the association saw it fit to help the family as they too are members of the community.
“The club in its wisdom thought that we should do something to say that we are apart of the community and we want to be helpful and so the decision was taken as to what was best for the Hodge family and for us to show our solidarity with them and so the Hodge family decided on a washing machine and so the club decided that that’s what we’ll do to show we’re apart of the community and we want to be showing that we care and therefore we rose to the occasion,” he said.
Ottley’s resident, Ms Hodge expressed gratitude to the association and God for gifting her with the machine.
“The Lord has blessed me again with something else, a machine and I want to thank the Lord and I would like to thank the entire team(Ottley’s Improvement Association) for blessing me with a machine. Thank you all so much.”
Pastor Benjamin said that the Ottley’s Improvement Association is committed to continuing initiatives such as these as well as initiatives that involve the youth of the community in the form of scholarships and school supplies.
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