From left: Acting Principal Youth Development Officer, Mrs. Andrea Titus, Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Joy Adamson, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, the Hon. Charles Griffith, President of JCI Barbados, Devon Parris, JCI West Indies President, Meritter Hyacinth, and Director of Youth Affairs, Cleviston Hunte.

The Minister of Youth supports exploring annual youth exchanges with the Junior Chambers International, JCI (Jaycees).

This support came from the Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, the Honourable Charles Griffith, during a recent courtesy call with a delegation from the JCI at his SKY Mall, Haggatt Hall, St. Michael offices.

He said it would be a good thing to involve Barbados’ young men and women in the JCI’s upcoming convention in Georgetown, as well as explore travel opportunities for them to broaden their horizons. Minister Griffith said the Ministry would have no difficultly in assisting with the travel costs for these young men and women involved in doing community work throughout the region.

President of JCI Barbados, Devon Parris welcomed the offer, noting that finding solutions for problems young people face in the Caribbean, is part of their mantra. He informed that they do a lot of community projects in Barbados and across the Caribbean, including recently helping students in Barbados prepare for the maths component of the Common Entrance Exam at various locations across the island, with assistance from the Massy Foundation.

He noted they are also working with Barbados’ Probation Department, with a programme called “Second Chances” to help previously incarcerated persons gain re-entry into the workforce.

Mr Parris added that each year the JCI hosts a national convention, with this year’s meeting slated for Guyana and the 2025 deliberations set for St Vincent and the Grenadines. There are eight JCI chapters across the Caribbean, in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

Also attending the Courtesy Call was the JCI West Indies President, Meritter Hyacinth who stated that they are exploring establishing JCI Junior Clubs in several countries across the region, where they already have chapters, including the establishment of one in Barbados catering to persons aged 12 to 21.

Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Joy Adamson encouraged the JCI to also work more closely with the Ministry of Education to ensure its programme reach young people in many schools across Barbados.

During the Call, Director of Youth Affairs, Cleviston Hunte also encouraged the JCI to partner with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment to make inputs into the National Summer Camps programme which starts on July 22nd and run until August 23rd, 2024.