As a young woman from a small Caribbean island with just over 100,000 people, youth activism often feels isolated and lonely. This is because it is hard to find like-minded activists or movements, and the ones that exist have small networks that make creating change difficult. Unfortunately, the reality is that young people have little to invest their time and energy. As a result, many turn to drugs, alcohol, and the like. This situation is worsened in households where young people are vulnerable to extreme poverty, lack of support, neglect, abuse, and violence. Lack of quality education and the unemployment crisis further exacerbate this reality.
Since a child, I have been involved in advocacy, partly because I have always had a love for seeing people and my community do well. But as I got older, I had to become a brilliant spark in a world that felt dim and doomed for darkness. I realized there was a lack of spaces in the country that championed and supported the youth.
As young people, the future is ours, yet it can also feel as though we are being left behind and forced to grow up too soon. So, if we want to empower young people, we need to create a place for them to do so themselves. That’s what I’ve come to believe. Leaping towards this vision, I founded a local youth organization called SPARK SVG. I believed that if one person could be a good example in a home or rural community, they could inspire their peers to follow suit. This would cause a ripple effect in society as a whole. In a world that tries to balance human well-being, equality, and environmental protection, there has never been a greater need for youth in action. As a young person myself, I recognize my role as a responsible citizen in a developing Caribbean society.
I dream of a future that values young people as the greatest resource. Political leaders have a duty to protect and nurture our youth, because they are the future of our nation. It is unacceptable that they are left exposed to economic, societal, and educational difficulties—just to name a few. The decade of action began in 2020. I stand resolute in my faith in what that youth can do as individual sparks to ignite positive change across the world.
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