Jalen Monzac and Iana Franks were introduced as the new CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (CYAs) for St. Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, during an induction ceremony held at the Department of Youth Empowerment.

CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (CYAs) are a regional network of young Caribbean nationals mandated by CARICOM Heads of Governments to advocate for and educate young people about regional priorities such as AIDS and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

Director of Youth Empowerment, Pierre Liburd, who served as a CYA in the early 2000s, said that the opportunities presented to the young people through this programme are extremely beneficial.

“Once you apply yourself and remain focused on the objectives which are to truly, honestly, represent young people – their dreams, aspirations, views and positions and you articulate that through the decision-making processes that you will be exposed to at the national, regional, and often international level you will do yourself, the young people and the nation proud,” Mr. Liburd said.

Junior Minister responsible for Youth Development, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, congratulated the duo on their appointment. She said that the staff at the Department of Youth Empowerment are extremely excited to work with the team and looks forward to hearing their ideas.

“I hope that you both have that fire and that spark and are ready to really take the ideas that you have as young leaders and be able to impact your communities,” the Junior Minister stated.

Honourable Phillip added that she previously served as a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador and established valuable networks that still exist today.

“I want to encourage you and look forward to your leading engagements because we are here to do work,” she said. “The future is bright, and I have every confidence in both of you based on my own interactions.”

The CYAs will serve for the next two years. They will be supported by a corps of ambassadors made up of 11 young persons.