San Ignacio/Santa Elena Child Advisory Board Hosts Youth Training
Building the capacity of our children is an investment in the future of the nation. The San Ignacio/ Santa Elena Child Advisory Board has been doing just that, investing in children through conferences and community services. Today, the board hosted a youth leadership conference in San Ignacio Town for eighty youths from across the twin towns. These youths received the opportunity to engage leaders and mentors from their community to learn how they too can impact their neighborhoods in positive ways. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Sustainable and Child Friendly Municipalities/Child Advisory Body brought leadership and entrepreneurship to life for eighty high school students in San Ignacio Town. The organization hosted a youth leadership conference at the Cayo Center for Employment Training where participants were engaged in a host of team and skill building exercises.
Kamil Neal
Kamil Neal, Technical Coordinator, Child Friendly Secretariat Office
“Today is a full packed day event. We had mentors coming in to inspire our young people. These mentors are home grown individuals who have succeeded in entrepreneurship, education, sciences and research. What we wanted them to realize they don’t have to go further to find mentors or people to support them. The support is right here within our own community. We do not want to build only leaders for tomorrow, but for decades to come. We see that some of these mentors had long lines f families and support who have always been there for them and that is exactly what we want our youths to understand, we have them right here at home.”
The entire event was organized in honor of Lea Gonzales, a fourth form student at Eden High School, who has spent the last nine years as an ambassador for child friendly municipalities. Lea stands out as an example among her peers.
Lea Gonzalez
Lea Gonzalez, Ambassador, Child Friendly Municipalities
“I am encouraged because I have been giving back to my community for the past eight years. it has been a wonderful experience and seeing and being among other young people, and sharing ideas, how to better off the community, gives me so much joy and hearing the panelist from their childhood experience, up to where they are today, it is so inspirational, all of them, their background, where they have come from, and how they have succeeded. We have planned a lot of programs for them. We have done a lot of back to school drives, for their families to be involved as well. We work alongside the town council so that helps a lot with their programs and seeing what the needs within the town are and how to better it off to make it safer place for families to reside.”
Kyah Flowers is also a fourth form student at Eden High School. Like Lea, she is a child friendly municipality ambassador. Kyah told us how her voice has helped to improve the community she resides in.
Kyah Flowers
Kyah Flowers, Ambassador, Child Friendly Municipalities
“We were one of the first sets. We have been here from the start. It has been amazing being a part of the group, to give a voice to the children, brining our view of the world from a child’s point of view. I love this event, especially because it is in appreciation of my best friend and it is an opportunity once again where the youths can come together and learn from people who we see every day, who we would think are normal people but who also accomplished so much in their lives and it brings inspiration to me and hope that at some point I can go out into the world and do the same thing, do great things and come back and give my service to my country.”
Kamil Neal
“We have over eighty students who signed up to the event and they have heard all the great success story and I think the grasp that and they understand they question they have vbeen asking makes it seem that they have that full understanding to get up and lead, not only in the community but in their school.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
