Junior Achievement (JA) Saint Lucia has been recognised at the JA Americas Leadership Summit in Argentina for successfully bringing together private-sector support to restart Junior Achievement in Saint Lucia.
This recognition is an important milestone for JA Saint Lucia and the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture. It shows how the private sector is working together to support youth development.
For the Chamber, bringing back JA means renewing a programme that has been part of its youth development work since 1996. For almost three decades, the Chamber has supported projects that give young people hands-on experience with entrepreneurship, financial literacy, leadership, business and the workplace.
Chamber Executive Director Brian Louisy said the COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges and paused JA activities for several years. However, the Chamber remained committed to reviving the programme.
“While the pandemic created an unprecedented interruption, we were determined that it would not bring an end to Junior Achievement in Saint Lucia. The Chamber remained committed to finding a way to revive the programme and worked closely with our members to mobilise the support and resources needed to make its return possible,” Louisy said.
Central to the resurgence was the leadership and persistence of Cheryl Renwick, director of JA Saint Lucia and the Chamber of Commerce.
Thanks to Renwick’s work, businesses had a way to invest in JA and help bring it back to Saint Lucia. Chamber members then gave the first financial support needed to restart the programme.
The Chamber still runs the local Youth Business Trust along with JA Saint Lucia and says it is committed to making its youth-focused programmes even stronger.
