{"id":171028,"date":"2023-03-21T08:33:17","date_gmt":"2023-03-21T12:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=171028"},"modified":"2023-03-21T08:33:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-21T12:33:17","slug":"letter-youth-senators-budget-presentation-flopped","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/letter-youth-senators-budget-presentation-flopped\/","title":{"rendered":"LETTER: Youth Senator\u2019s Budget Presentation Flopped\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Youth Senator\u2019s Budget Presentation Flopped\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

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Dear Editor,<\/p>\n

Caleb Gardener was touted as a youth senator with much promise and will be the face and chief advocate of the ABLP government\u2019s youth agenda.<\/p>

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But as I listened keenly to his presentation yesterday, I wondered whether Senator Gardener lives under a rock or is so out of touch as not to understand what the youth people of this country are experiencing daily.<\/p>

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In his presentation, he focused on the repetitive investment in the University of the West Indies\u2019 Five Islands Campus and on scholarships. He then spoke about entrepreneurship and the government\u2019s programme through the Entrepreneurship Development Fund.<\/p>\n

Afterwards, he then turned his focus on the work of a social and community club that he\u2019s part of and the recent youth awards. Finally, he then praised, in true form, the ABLP government for the youth work done so far.<\/p>

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But here\u2019s the point. Are any of those subject areas really having a positive and transformational impact on our youth, across the board, on a daily basis, right now? As young people would say: it\u2019s giving superficial; it\u2019s giving \u2018I didn\u2019t do my homework\u2019, it\u2019s giving \u2018I need to wheel and come again\u2019.<\/p>\n

There have been so many youth-related issues since his appointment.<\/p>

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However, we are yet to hear him speak out or attempt to be part of bringing about a solution. At this point, many are wondering what exactly is his purpose.<\/p>

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As youth senator seems not to realise what are the real\u00a0\u00a0issues affecting youth, here are some:<\/p>\n