Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Mrs. Carolyn Stoutt Igwe; Chief Education Officer, Mrs. Connie George; Reverend Anthony; Education Officers, Principals, Teachers, Parents, and I extend a very special welcome to Dr. Laurette Bristol, Programme Manager for Human Resource Development at the Caricom Secretariat.  I am pleased that through the wonders of technology we can still see the benefits of the sterling work being done in the region on education.

Today, we engage another phase of our plan. We move another step forward in the phased reopening of our borders and our tourism industry in this COVID-19 era – in the New Regular of living and working with this unpredictable virus.

Good morning everyone! I respectfully recognise the established protocol and I want to thank you very much for making time to attend today’s event; to launch the Tourism Certification Training Programme as part of the reopening and recovery of our Tourism Sector. I am pleased to welcome you all!

Good day and God’s blessings to all.  As we continue in our fight against this global pandemic, which has crippled economies across the globe and shutdown schools from the east to the west, it is important we adopt a spirit of thanksgiving for how God has kept us safe.  Our health officials have worked hard to keep up safe, and for this we are grateful.  The cooperation of the public has been key in our fight against COVID-19, and I kindly ask that we do not get weary in well-doing. Stay safe by following the protocols of wearing our masks, hand washing frequently and practicing social distancing. 

My dear neighbours of the Fifth District, together, we are in a pact. When I asked you to make me your representative about twenty (20) months ago, I made a solemn promise that I would work hard for you and I would work with you so that together we can bring District 5 Alive.

A pleasant Good Day to everyone joining us via the Live Stream.  I want to welcome and thank you for joining with us on this very proud moment as we break ground for this long-anticipated development project in our Territory’s Capital; commencing construction of the Road Town Market Square.

Good day and God’s Blessing to everyone.Today, I am immensely proud and delighted to be present for this historic milestone for the St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Virgin Islands.

This is the first Diplomatic Representative Office to be established in the Territory. So Bishop Charles is correct, this is our first child.

I am happy to be here once again, moving forward with the recovery of our public infrastructure, since the damages caused by the Hurricanes of 2017.

It is  indeed my pleasure to warmly welcome you to today’s Development Partner Forum that has brought us together for dialogue and partnership under the theme, ‘Investing in Higher Education to Build More Diversified and Resilient Post-COVID Economies in the Caribbean.’ 

Any person who puts a book in the hands of a young child, is a person who is confident that the child will change the future.  “To read is to empower, to empower is to write, to write is to influence, to influence is to change, to change is to live.” –unknown