Dear Editor,
I will once again be championing two particular issues pertaining to youth that may not be “flashy” but are nonetheless more essential than many realise.
I am a family man of faith, who believes that children should be protected, nurtured and taught our core values at home, in the community and in the house of the Lord. These values should then be reinforced in schools.
Our youth is our future, as they are the ones to grow up, leave our island to further their studies and return to occupy key positions in our community and lead our country forward. However, this can only be done, if and when we start to recognise their role in our society.
I truly believe that focus should be placed on a number of specific matters, which is the reason I introduced/championed the following:
I believe we need to ensure that every morning our youth attend school on a full stomach. It is for this reason I initiated the breakfast programme together with the management of Princess Juliana International Airport and Goddard Catering as Member of Parliament in 2014. It is my vision that our Public schools continue to benefit from this great initiative and also broaden this project to ensure students from the subsidised schools have the same opportunity to attend school on a full stomach.
Every student with a tertiary education degree is a student with increased chances of getting a steady job, allowing them to be in a better position to help themselves and their family members. It is for this reason that I, in 2013 and 2014 initiated and personally took up the lead role in getting MOU’s signed with Newark, New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Dominica ensuring free scholarship opportunities in the fields of Art, Medicine and Agriculture.
I worked tirelessly for two years to get this accomplished for the youth of St. Maarten. While these MOU’s have been signed by our Counterparts, the Council of Ministers has yet to ratify these MOU’s. I am asking you for the opportunity to ensure that this time around they will be ratified and the proper procedures and policies will be put in place as soon as possible. Enough is enough, it is also time for us to create job opportunities for them, coach them and then step aside for them to take control of their future.
Romain Laville
Candidate #7 on the United St. Maarten Party (US Party) list
