Volunteer Bahamas - get involved

By tribune242

Nassau, The Bahamas

LAST night, in the ballroom of the Sheraton Nassau Beach hotel, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham officially launched the Government's Volunteer programme -- a call to all Bahamians to give of their time and talents to help create "safer, healthier and more non-violent communities".

"While Government has an essential role in society," he told his listeners, "it is no substitute for the personal responsibility required for good family life and avoiding criminal and anti-social behaviour."

He pointed out that government was not a replacement for civil society. "This is why," he said, "Government alone cannot fully address matters such as criminality, incivility and anti-social behaviour."

He emphasised that it is the "citizenry acting individually and sometimes collectively, through families, churches, service clubs, schools, Lodges, foundations, businesses and other private groups in collaboration with Government can cause renewal of community life, combat the negative influences harmful to and destructive of our communities and assist in our return to good old traditional Bahamian values like respect for our elders".

He said that community service programmes have been introduced in all of government's junior and secondary schools to make certain that every government school child will have been engaged in "a service-learning experience".

He said that to support social entrepreneurs and community leaders who are "engaged in innovative and effective youth and urban outreach programmes", government will provide a small grant. He said that "the amount of funds available may be increased depending on the needs and available resources".

Mr Ingraham talked of the joy of giving. The satisfaction of seeing someone else succeed as a result of the helping hand that you have extended.

This week, American journalist and TV personality Meredith Vieira was asked by Piers Morgan of CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight Show to recall a moment in her long career that was the most memorable. She thought for a moment and then told the story of a little boy -- about 6 or 7 years old -- who she found in a run-down tenement building. His father had walked out on the family, the mother was high on drugs, and here was this little man at this tender age determined to succeed on his own. So impressed was she by the spirit in this little body that she befriended the child. She did not go into details of what help she might have given him. But over the years, he telephoned her regularly and wherever she was, his calls were always put through by her staff. Today, he holds down a responsible government job. And in her long, exciting and varied career, this little boy, now grown to manhood, is one of her most cherished memories. It is the moment -- among her life's many moments - that gives her the most satisfaction.

We know just how she feels. Our life's work has been trying to give the voiceless a voice through their newspaper. We have written much, we have listened even more to the misfortunes of others, we have done our best to encourage young people to aim for the stars, but what gives us the most satisfaction is to be stopped on the street, or in the foodstore, by an obviously successful citizen, whose face we no longer remember, and asked: "Do you remember me? You know I started as a paper boy at The Tribune." This opening would be followed by the recounting of many happy memories when Tribune boys were then a part of the family.

"Mum, you know your (name deleted) could not do that! I could never let you down," a young man told us this week. He had had a bad break in life. He went through a period that would have broken the strongest of men. But we believed in him, we stuck by him, and gave him as much encouragement as we could. Today he is a successful young businessman -- one of our many "sons".

Today, as we look around, we see the many "boys" who passed through The Tribune holding important positions in the community -- all respected gentlemen.

If nothing else, this has made life worth living.

If Bahamians want to have a "safer, healthier and more non-violent" community -- and also the satisfaction of being a part of the solution and not of the problem - then join Volunteer Bahamas and make a difference. We can assure you that you will never regret it.

November 23, 2011

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tribune242

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