Bitter In Your Mouth

 To stand out and be counted! The burdens carried by our youths are heavy. What weighs down even more upon our shoulders is the ignorance and general unwillingness of some to mould, support and encourage our future leaders. I met a young man and I was moved to tears by this plight. This post meets me angered, confused and disheartened.

     Reynaldo, unlike most young men of my island seeks independence. Not to contribute to the dependency syndrome pandemic. Realizing the importance of food security in any society, this true Agrifootsoldier, decided to make his contribution to society at the most basic level- food production. He sought the teaching of farming veterans on the island  and, if that was not enough, acquired training in agriculture in the Youth Apprenticeship Programme in Agriculture.

     Excited and rearing to go, this graduate found himself caught in the web of  bureaucracy. Where was he going to farm? Where was he going to source the much needed capital to set up his holdings? Without legal titles to any lands he is unable to move forward. The red-tapes within the system and lack of internal networking among Divisions has left this soldier down and despondent. For Tobago agriculture to improve, we must find a way to eliminate the unnecessary delay and bridge the gap as we fight for those who are willing to fight for country and self.

     In our world today, most of our youths can be considered 'at risk'. Let us encourage our young ones to climb out of the barrel and contribute meaningfully to societies. To fight this illness I prescribe a cup of Zebapique tea.

Photo courtesy Google