Coordinator of the Dominica Youth Business Trust (DYBT), Ceasarina Paul, has said that the organization can boast of training close to 600 young persons during its nine years of existence.
Additionally she said DYBT has assisted in making 24 new businesses become a reality.
Paul made the disclosure during the 9th graduation ceremony of DYBT and Youth Division leadership training program, at the Arawak House of Culture on Wednesday.
“Collectively the DYBT has trained 581 young people within its nine years… we have seen the establishment of 24 new businesses over the last year. Currently there are about 234 youth enterprises in operation within the Dominican economy due to direct support from the DYBT,” she stated. “Over 260 jobs have been created, a total of a 107 loans were guaranteed through the loan guarantee facility with 65 of these being current, seven of these loans were accessed within November 2012 to November 2013.”
She said that the DYBT is grateful to all the financial institutions which continue to partner to make these achievements possible for Dominica’s youth.
“I would mention that without further financial injection in the loan guarantee the DYBT will have a major difficulty,” she said.
Addressing the same ceremony, acting Chief Youth Officer, John Roach, called for immediate intervention from institutions with similar missions as the Youth Development Division, noting that they should unite and pool resources for the overall goal of nation building.
He said although the intent of Youth Week, which is now being observed in Dominca, is to focus on the youth’s achievements, there is no better time than now to address critical issues facing the country’s youth.
“There is no better time than now for institutions with similar missions and mandates to join forces and combine resources and efforts towards the overall goal of nation building,” he said. “No better time than now, because the contemporary challenges that our youth are increasingly confronted with; no better time than now because as a small island developing state it is imperative that we consolidate our resources in order to stay afloat in this globalized and competitive environment.”
He pointed out that the time is right to address youth issues because young men are increasingly engaging in the trafficking of illicit drugs and are involved in increasing acts of violence and crime, drug and alcohol abuse.
“No better time than now, because the state prison is overcrowded with our young men; no better time than now, because we don’t want prostitution to be an enterprise choice for our young women. No better time than now, because we don’t want suicide to be a way out for our youth,” Roach stated.
The Youth Development Division(YDD), the Dominica Youth Business Trust(DYBT) and the National youth council(NYC) along with other strategic partners are for the first time joining hands to observe Youth Week and Global Entrepreneurship Week together.
The week is being observed under the theme ‘celebrating youth creativity, passion and participation’.
Awards for determined entrepreneurship went to Natoia Augustine-Paul, proprietor of Bayline Seafood Services, and Burton Jno Baptiste of Burt Motors.
YDD Awards for excellent contribution to youth development went to Elizabeth Alfred, Davis Letang and Jules Pascal.
Congrats to you Nana’s… cant wait to see you and your husband set up that spot. we can hardly wait to taste the first dish from the kitchen. blessings to you all!!!
Hi Shan………