The students of the St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown are pleased to be participating in the RBTT annual Young Leaders’ programme this year. The launch of the 25 member group was held on February 23 at the school’s auditorium.{{more}} The main theme for this year is “Water. Beyond the Surface. Sustaining life. Securing our future”. The SJCK young leaders adopted the theme “Going to the limits in exploring all aspects of water, the possibilities are endless”. They also created a theme song and a pledge which were delivered to the public.

The featured speaker for that event was Parliamentary Representative for West Kingstown Daniel E. Cummings. Cummings, who is a Civil Engineer and the former manager of the Central Water and Sewerage Authority, gave a brief review on the historical perspective of water supply in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. His main focus, however, was on water conservation and water management. He reinforced the fact that “we have to make sure we protect and preserve our forest which is an important aid to the replenishment of ground water”.

The enthusiastic group, led by their President Shaze Yammie, journeyed to the Belair Mineral Spa on March 5, 2011, to rid the area of the garbage that was left there by some of its users. The SJCK Young Leaders were very disturbed by the many objects that were found in the area.

The group was responsible for the cleaning of the nearby river and the planting of flowers to beautify the surroundings. As the group tarried on in their mission, villagers from near and far came to collect water from the spa. The Young Leaders used the opportunity to inform the users and visitors of the various ways to conserve water and urged them to cherish the Belair Mineral Spa. In one particular conversation with one of the regular users of the Spa, the individual mentioned the importance of this source of life, stating that he frequently travels from the community of Sion Hill to the spa to get water for domestic use because the tap water affects his health. So he wants to urge the necessary authorities to assist in whatever way possible for the proper maintenance of the area.

As we know it, a place where water flows freely on a daily basis should be kept clean at all times. This will prevent contamination and aid in the preservation of life. To sum up, the Young leaders of the SJCK want to encourage the entire public to keep all the rivers and their surroundings clean. After all, they are what the majority of us Vincentians rely on, especially in the time of drought.