GOVERNOR GENERAL Dame Sandra Mason is appealing for guidance and direction for those young Barbadians displaying negative behaviours.
After commending and investing 16 young men with medals yesterday for recent acts of bravery, the Governor General told the MIDWEEK NATION she believed many of the young people going astray lacked guidance and direction. At the same time, she suggested young people doing positive things should be highlighted more prominently, noting they represented the larger sector of young Barbados.
Dame Sandra pinned the Barbados Bravery Medal on several young men awarded the honour in the 2017 Independence Honours, to loud applause from other Independence award recipients and guests attending the investiture ceremony at Government House yesterday morning.
Dré Browne, Chad Boyce, Shacarlo Boyce, Shakeem Boyce, Shamar Boyce, Shaquille Boyce, Kareem Brathwaite, Keshane Bynoe, Kyle Gibson, Jerome Giles, Terry Nurse, Mario Peters, Tio Peters, Traven Sandiford, Tio Warner and Lynden Watson were recipients of the Barbados Bravery Medal.
Browne’s award was given for saving the life of a visitor in a near-drowning experience, while the other 15 awardees were recognised for their heroic acts last September in helping to save the heavily populated Bayville, St Michael neighbourhood of Jessamine Avenue from widespread destruction by a fire.
While pinning the medal for eight of the 15 Bayville youth present at yesterday’s investiture, Dame Sandra took the time to give words of encouragement to each of the young men as they stood before her.
Afterwards she told the MIDWEEK NATION: “I was especially proud of those young men and that is why I had so much to say to every single one of them. I wanted to let them know how proud we were especially because of their selfless action. It augurs well for the future of Barbados.”
In her Throne Speech on Monday, Dame Sandra made special mention of Barbados’ young people, saying: “It is incumbent upon us to encourage and support our youth, remembering the words of former president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who said: ‘We stand here today where our children will stand tomorrow’.”
She reiterated this yesterday, adding: “If we don’t give them the guidance and direction that they need, it will not redound to the benefit of Barbados.”
