The Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Authority (SLHTA) and the Saint Lucia Fire Services (SLFS) have joined forces to engage vulnerable youth from the south. The engagement will take the form of a summer camp, in August.

More than 50 adolescents will receive training in firefighting skills—the Saint Lucia Fire Service ensured that those who will benefit most, were chosen.

Chairman of the summer camp committee Damian Jn. Baptiste, stated that those picked will reap maximum rewards.

“This is a new initiative by the Saint Lucia Fire Service targeted at fourth and fifth form students of secondary schools from Choiseul on the west coast to Micoud on the East Coast,” he said. “Our modality for recruitment consisted of seeking the assistance of principals and counselors at the various schools as we believe that they are best placed to assist us in finding the students who would benefit the most from our program.”

According to Jn. Baptiste, the camp will prepare participants for the transition to the world of work by equipping them with vocational, technical, and social skills.

“As such, some of our programs would focus on firefighting skills; other programs would be more centered on life skills and coping skills, others are good at soft skills such as etiquette, preparing for an interview, success, and things of that nature.”

The SLHTA welcomed the initiative by the Saint Lucia Fire Service, calling firefighting a noble profession and believes the camp will inspire young men and women to make positive choices. It has pledged $50, 000 in financing for the camp.

Programme Manager of the Tourism Enhancement Fund Donette Ismael said: “We recognize the power, potential, and resilience of our young people. Our youth represent the foundation upon which our society is built and investing in their well-being and development is a responsibility we cannot ignore. Sadly, many children from disadvantaged backgrounds face numerous obstacles hindering their access to opportunity and limiting their dreams. By supporting a summer camp for underprivileged youth we at the SLHTA Tourism Enhancement Fund believe that this is a unique opportunity to break this cycle and empower young minds.”

Trainees will receive certificates in First Aid, CPR, and in the use and operation of a defibrillator—a device used to resuscitate heart attack victims.

The summer camp will take place at the Firefighting Training Facility in Vieux Fort from Aug. 7 to 11.