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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, September 17, 2017 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – St. Kitts and Nevis only living national hero, Dr. the Right Excellent and the Right Honourable Sir Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds, sought to inspire and mobilize the nation’s young people to take up their rightful places as future leaders of St. Kitts and Nevis, during a motivating and thought-provoking presentation at Saturday’sNational Heroes Day Observance Ceremony, held at the National Heroes Park.

 

Sir Kennedy, who focused his speech on youth and the positive role they can play in the further development of the twin island federation, said the nation’s youth must create the right environment conducive to their own personal and professional development.  

 

He stated, “Some people say that our young people are responding to peer pressure. I am calling on you our young people not to react or to respond to a peer pressure that drags you into the morass of crime and violence. But you yourselves must create peer pressure – a peer pressure that has respect for God and your peers, a peer pressure that works to ensure that our land of beauty where peace abounds returns to and remains in that beautiful and peaceful state.” 

 

Sir Kennedy, a retired medical doctor by profession and St. Kitts and Nevis’ first prime minister, also stressed on the importance of education to one’s own, adding, “To make it in this computerized and rapidly changing world you must love to learn, for the need of knowledge never ends. The good thing about education is that it is a great equalizer. Here in St. Kitts and Nevis, whether your parents have money or are poor, you have equal access to education. The poor man’s child or the rich man’s child can rise to the top of the class.”

 

Sir Kennedy further outlined that if he can rise from very humble beginnings to the stature of national hero, then young persons in St. Kitts and Nevis possess that same ability within them.

 

“From being poor, hungry and afraid, I am here today before you, a living National Hero. The simple lesson is this, if from that background I can reach where I am today, so can you and you and you. The formula is simple – two words – learn and serve. This country is yours. 30 years from now one of you will be Prime Minister of this Federation. Look around at your teachers. That’s where some of you will be. Some of you will be the engineers who will build that bridge

between St. Kitts and Nevis, which I called for years ago before I became Prime Minister,” he said.

 

Dr. the Right Excellent and the Right Honourable Sir Kennedy Simmonds challenged the youth of today to use their talent, “mix it with a generous portion of hard work and dedication, and thus, prepare yourselves now, that you may better serve St. Kitts and Nevis and promise to this generation that you will make St. Kitts and Nevis better in your time.”