by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association has embarked on a membership drive. The application period opened on January 10 and members of the executive body have been using every possible platform to market the association.
A guest on WINN Media’s ‘Island Tea’ on Thursday morning (January 20) Mr. Malakhi Ferguson, Vice President of SKNYPA, shared several ways in which members can benefit from the association.
He said, “Members of the association past and present would have a different testimony why SKNYPA is a good choice; but, on face value, SKNYPA to me, molds young people to be upstanding citizens, to give back to the society that they were raised in. So, it harnesses your public speaking skills. A lot of people think SKNYPA is just about public speaking and parliamentary; even though that is part of our main mandate, we do so much more; volunteer work, project proposals, project management skills. So, it teaches you some characteristics that would ensure that when you go out into the world of work and adult life, that you are prepared; and that’s the training ground of young entrepreneurs. It’s an opportunity for young people to network with one another; like minded people who have similar interests to network and we all know that youth networking is one of the most important things that we can have.”
Ferguson extended an invitation to persons from the ages of 12 to 30 to apply to become a member of the association. Application is done digitally by clicking the link on SKNYPA’s social media pages, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Applicants also need to present two references. The application period closes on January 24.
In addition, Ferguson stated that SKNYPA is a non-governmental, non-partisan, non-profit organization. He disagreed with the notion that the association access was open to those in the community of ‘elite’ social status. He drove home the point that SKNYPA does not discriminate against who joins the association, but instead, focuses on whether the individual is dedicated to the organization’s mission or goals.
In closing, the youth parliamentarian encouraged the public to remain connected to SKNYPA’s social media pages, as there are greater things planned for 2022.
