[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s part of Saint Lucia’s 39th Anniversary of Independence celebrations the National Youth Council (NYC) hosted its Youth Expose on Wednesday February 21, 2018. The event has been running for a few years under varying administrations of the NYC but this year it was a more vibrant affair than usual. With the help of Events Saint Lucia, the NYC was able to host “a very successful and engaging event”, as described by interim Public Relations Officer for NYC, Latoya Charles.
In Constitution Park and the mouth of William Peter Boulevard, tents, booths and a stage were propped up for the day’s procedings. Displays of varying talents and businesses of young entrepreneurs were under each tent, with samples such as live viewing of videography, painting and the popular Wavemaker Photobooth. Charles explained the essence of the Youth Expose: “The purpose is to kick off Independence celebrations in Saint Lucia and put the youth at the forefront of it.”
This year’s 39th Anniversary of Independence celebrations include the usual sporting competitions, drag racing, bikers’ parades and the annual Independence Youth Rally, most of which happened on the holiday. But for many young people everything leading up to Independence Day itself doesn’t do much to include their participation. Latoya Charles explained that the Youth Expose served to make some accommodations: “It’s a serious event; we’re celebrating another milestone in Saint Lucia and the young people may not be interested in most of the activities going on, so we put on an event especially for them, so they can showcase the talents they have.”
The nineteen young people sectioned into booths to showcase their work were not chosen by any specific criteria. Each person was welcomed by the National Youth Council’s committee once they were available on the day. “They were very interested to be a part of this and we appreciated it from them,” mentioned Charles. They all got the opportunity to advertise to passers-by in central Castries, at no cost. Some of the entrepreneurs are just starting off and told the STAR that the experience was an avenue to market their new businesses. Among them were Mind of Xavier, Imaginative Designs, Chloe’s Closet and Gnan Photography.
From 10 a.m. the opening ceremony of the Youth Expose was graced by the presence of some schools and Ministers Fortuna Belrose, Sarah Flood-Beaubrun and Gale Rigobert. In attendance was also the first-ever president of the National Youth Council, Mario Michel. They all browsed the products and talents that Saint Lucian youth had to offer. There was also a period of pure entertainment. Local artists Arthur, Teddyson John, Omega, Supertonic and the Fundamentals dance group put on a live show in the latter hours of the event.
