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Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 03, 2020 (SKNIS): The Volunteer Corps Programme in St. Kitts has received a commitment from the Juvenile Justice Reform Project (JJRP) to supply tools and equipment to support its activities.

The Corps was launched in 2018 by the Department of Youth Empowerment. The volunteers engage in many community-service engagements including beach cleanups, tree plantings, elderly assistance projects, reef protection, and the like. As such, officials expect the support from the JJRP to include donations of garbage bags, rakes, respirator masks, reflective vests, street cones, gardening tools, paintbrushes, goggles, snorkelling gear and more.

Minister of Youth, the Honourable Jonel Powell, said that the donation would assist the volunteer programme in fulfilling its mandate to enhance employability through experiential learning.

Pierre Liburd, Director in the Department of Youth Empowerment, said that the positive experiences that the Volunteer Corps provides to its members as well as to the community on a whole made it a perfect candidate for support by the JJRP, which receives funding from the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Director Liburd stated that the Volunteer Corps will expand its relationship with the JJRP by assisting some youth who could benefit from diversion programming.

“It’s an opportunity [for them] to be a part of something different and positive,” Mr. Liburd indicated, noting that the initial engagement will be just over three months.

It is hoped that the process of giving back would help to improve the attitudes of young people as they make a meaningful contribution to society.