NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 01, 2022) – – Four young persons from Nevis are among the fifteen winners in the Department of Youth Empowerment Essay Competition, the prize for which is an all expenses paid trip to Expo2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Hon. Eric Evelyn, Minister of Youth in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) congratulated the winners from Nevis- Cris-Tian Hanley of the Nevis Sixth Form College; Emma Jeffers of the Gingerland Secondary School; Ayesha Duggins of the Charlestown Secondary School; and Dahlia Slack, a student of the University of the West Indies.

“I would like to congratulate all fifteen students from the Federation who were the winners and I want to specifically congratulate the students from Nevis who will be traveling to Dubai for their prize. Dubai is a place that people always wish they can visit, so I believe it will be a worthwhile trip for you to experience and also see the Expo being put on by the St. Kitts-Nevis pavilion. I understand it has gotten excellent reviews,” he said in an interview with the Department of Information.

Mr. Evelyn applauded the Department of Youth Empowerment, a Ministry within the Federal Government, for hosting the competition. He also encouraged young persons to participate in such initiatives in order to support their overall development. The theme of the essay was centered on Food, Agriculture and Livelihoods, with a specific topic of “How Do We Sustainably Grow Food to Meet Future Demands?”

“I want to commend the Department of Youth Empowerment on St. Kitts for organizing this competition. Competitions like these are very welcomed for our young people to continue to develop and hone their writing skills.

“I believe that the students in the Federation are very good at writing, but competitions like these can only augur well for development and nurturing of those skills. I want to commend all the students who would have participated and I want to encourage students when these competitions are launched in the Federation to continue to participate as it could only aid in your own personal development.”

Ms. Duggins, in invited comments, said she is thrilled at the opportunity to visit Dubai.

“It’s a place that I’ve always seen on social media and I’m just very excited and thankful that I have been given the opportunity to experience it for myself.”

The youth delegation is set to travel to Dubai on March 14, 2022, accompanied by Hon. Jonel Powell, Minister of Education for St. Kitts and Nevis, and Youth Officer Ms. Shenicia Puran.

During the one-week visit the participants will be treated to a day tour in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE.