PM Says Young People are the Hope for the Country

Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding emphasised on Saturday (May 30), that the nation’s young people are the hope for the country, and worthwhile opportunities had to be created for them, so that they can be driven in a positive direction.
“They are the energy that drives this country. We are the ones who will provide them with the guidance and we will draw on our experience and our wisdom, but it is the energy of our young people that will take this country forward,” Mr. Golding said.
He added that despite the hardships and difficulties that seek to create an obstacle in the way of progress “we have to clear a path for our young people and we have to let them go through.”
The Prime Minister was speaking at a ground-breaking ceremony for a Multi-purpose Building and Recreational Centre, in Buckfield, Ocho Rios, St. Ann.
He pointed out that it is important to train young people to become responsible, and called on the parents to play their roles effectively in their upbringing.
“We are introducing legislation in Parliament to create a legal framework to support and strengthen the culture of parenting, and to place some statutory responsibility on parents,” he informed.
The $20 million project, which is an effort of the Kiwanis Club of Ocho Rios, will seek to serve the children of the area, and will include a day care centre, counselling room and an area for functions.
“I want to congratulate the Kiwanis Club for the choice of project that you have made,” Mr. Golding said, commending the efforts of service organisations, such as the Kiwanis, in helping to enable communities to better take care of their members.
Noting that the complex would provide a wholesome environment for the children, Mr. Golding said that they could become engaged in healthy activities.
“They can be mentored, they can interact with the community, they can have reinforced in their minds, a sense of identity and see how they fit into the scheme of things, in becoming the kind of citizens we want them to be,” he said.