USAID stepping up partnership with St Lucia government

Increased cooperation between the governments of St Lucia and the USA will seek to reduce youth involvement in crime and violence, with assistance from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Ted Lawrence, supervisory general development officer at USAID, and Donovan Williams, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Empowerment, Youth Development, Sports, Culture and Local Government, have both signed a memorandum of understanding to govern the Youth Empowerment Services (YES) project.

According to the government, the memorandum “deepens an ongoing partnership between USAID and the government of St Lucia, and brings strategic focus to youth crime and violence prevention.”

It highlights the importance of timely information sharing, effective cooperation, and sustainability planning, a statement added.

Focus on at-risk youth

“Today’s meeting and subsequent signing of a memorandum of understanding between USAID and the government of St Lucia represents a significant step in the YES project that was launched last November and represents a comprehensive response to the problem of youth violence,” Lawrence said on Friday.

“The national advisory boards are critical vehicles and platforms for collaboration and change as we continue to work with at-risk youth across the eastern and southern Caribbean, with particular focus on Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, and here in St Lucia.”

The five-year US$64 million YES project, which was launched in St Lucia in November 2016, covers 10 Caribbean nations.

It aims to identify and target the risk and resilience factors facing crime-affected communities, at-risk youth, and youth in the juvenile justice system.