00:0091 nominations in 19 categories, highlighting excellent contributions made by young people
00:08between the ages of 10 and 35, as well as youth groups and mentors.
00:13This was in focus at the National Youth Awards 2024 under the Ministry of Youth Development
00:19and National Service.
00:21Youth Development Minister Foster Cummings said young people must be supported to contribute
00:26in a way that would ensure nation building and sustainable development, and they should
00:31be acknowledged and celebrated for those contributions.
00:35He said the awards do just that, factoring in both formal and non-formal learning.
00:41Nominees, it is inspiring to see that the efforts you have committed to have brought
00:45you here.
00:47Whether your work involves converting crisis into opportunity, such as the threat of Sargassum
00:53seaweed being researched for use in creating prosthetic legs for diabetic amputees, or
00:59supporting search and rescue efforts that reunite loved ones, or distributing eggs to
01:05those in need, visiting the elderly and senior citizens home to bring them joy and laughter,
01:11your work is truly outstanding in every category of award, and today we recognize your efforts.
01:19In delivering the feature address, President Christine Kangaloo said all nominees embody
01:23youth excellence, as she pointed to the advantage of getting to that point.
01:28Your nomination is a fact that will live on long after this evening's ceremony is over,
01:34and whether you receive an award or not.
01:38Your nomination will give you the advantage of motivation.
01:42It will motivate you to continue doing good work and striving to accomplish great things.
01:49Your nomination will also give you the advantage of being a role model.
01:54The president said the nominations also prove that young people in the country can do anything
01:59they set their minds to, despite the disadvantages, one of which she pointed to as a high level
02:05of criticism.
02:06It is no honorable thing that our criticism and our cynicism have grown into that demeaning
02:13saying, Trinidad is not a real place.
02:17It can certainly sometimes feel as if we live in a society of non-believers and worse, of
02:24disbelievers.
02:26The disadvantage of that kind of mindset is that if we sup for too long on the diet of
02:33negativity that it offers, we can all become jaded and broken.
02:39She said she has had her fair share of fighting negativity, from colorism to those who felt
02:44she wasn't good enough.
02:46President Kangaloo expressed confidence in what she called a high level of talent per
02:50capita in this country, as she voiced a wish that the National Youth Awards would assist
02:56in curbing negative mindsets.
02:59In the Youth of the Year category, the ages 10-17 award went to Brianna Harry-Cheran,
03:06and for ages 18-35, Doreen Jeffery.
03:10Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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