Thirteen National Youth Awardees got the opportunity to interact with President of Barbados, Her Excellency The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, during an event held in their honour at State House on Tuesday.
Dame Sandra, who congratulated the 2022 Awardees on the successful completion of their individual projects, said: “You’re doing the sort of things that I would never have even contemplated in my own youth because you have so many more opportunities than we did in those days.
“Your possibilities today are endless because the world has opened up, and opened up sometimes negatively. But I know that you can and have circumvent those things and the world, as you say, is your oyster.”
The National Youth Awardees were encouraged by Her Excellency to form a group or alliance to help move their ideas forward and also to seek an audience with the Prime Minister and other key stakeholders within their specific industries to let their ideas and voices be heard.
Dame Sandra added: “I don’t think a lot of people know what Barbados has to offer; we’re not aware of the ability of our young people; and we always wait too late to introduce our young people to everything.”
National Coordinator of Year of the Youth and Senior Youth Commissioner Elizabeth Bowen, agreed with the President’s point and indicated that a youth conference was scheduled for later this year, and would be an ideal forum to implement the suggestion.
“I’m thinking that the awardees can form part of that body of persons where they would have a platform with the necessary persons of interest to actually pitch on some of their areas of interest,” she said.
The list of awardees and their awards is as follows:
Taahir Bulbulia, the Conrad Hunte Award for his contribution to sports development.
Don Leacock, founder of Build Up Barbados, the Ficus Award for his impactful community outreach programme.
Dario Nightengale, the Challenge Award for his activism among the deaf community.
Harrison College Sixth Form, represented by students Chae Talma and Daniella Clarke, copped the Hope Award for its secondary school-based work to improve school, peers and wider communities.
Ronelle King, the Phoenix Award. She created a safe space for Caribbean women to break the silence of sexual abuse.
Jovani Gittens, the Colin Hudson Award, for innovative work in science and technology.
Kwame Dowridge, the Bambusa Award. He founded the Maths A+ Academy to help struggling children get good grades in the subject area.
Akeem Rudder, the Banyan Award, for his contributions to sports development and being the only person in the Caribbean to own a sports academy heavily dedicated to people with disabilities.
Zachary Bostic, the Baobab Award for his prolific talent as a drummer with the Israel Lovell Foundation.
Aaliyah Joseph, the Calabash Award, recognised for her love of videography and ability to create compelling short films and documentaries.
Joshua Forte, the Canewood Award for his innovative agricultural business – Red Diamond Compost Inc.
Ashonelle Taitt, the Sandbox Tree Award for using social media to engage and inform the public about pressing issues.
Ashley Lashey, the Silk Cotton Award, for her outstanding work and advocacy on environmental health.