By Robert A Emmanuel
The New Life Assembly of God Church broke ground on Wednesday on a new youth and community centre in McKinnon’s aimed at giving local youngsters new opportunities in life.
The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by United Progressive Party (UPP) politicians, Pearl Quinn-Williams and Anthony Smith Jr, as well as former youth ambassadors and religious ministers from the United States.
Billy Roman, pastor of the Clare Hall-based branch of the international Pentecostal church, told Observer that the facility’s objective will be to give young people a safe space to grow and develop.
“One of the examples is that our organisation has about 18 universities in the United States, and one of the programmes that we want to add is that after [our young people] are done with school, sometimes there is not a path for them to transition into a university, so we are going to be working with some of the universities to help them to achieve their dream,” the pastor explained.
The youth and community centre was a dream which began at least five years ago, with the land on which the centre will be built purchased a year ago.
Pastor Roman said the centre will not just benefit the nearby community, but young persons across the island.
“We want to go into the schools and ask, ‘what are some of the talents and abilities that you have already’ and we want to empower those abilities and talents so that you accomplish and continue your life’s passion,” the pastor continued.
The project will be executed in different phases, with part one estimated to cost around EC$1.5 million.
“The phase one will be the building with the different classrooms with the sanctuary, and phase two will be the indoor basketball court with a cafeteria and some offices,” he stated.
Meanwhile, at the ground-breaking ceremony, David Speer, who serves as the Caribbean Area Director for the organisation, spoke about the proud occasion.
“This is going to be a house and place of renewed hope, this is going to be a house of vision, this is going to be a place where youth and people of all ages can see themselves from heaven’s perspective,” Speer stated.
Dr Eddie Rivero, Chief Development Officer of Builders International which has been assisting with the project, said that he had a great belief in its success and would be bringing donors together.
“In the very near future, there are going to be beautiful buildings right here, and that building is dedicated to reach this community, and we are so proud to be a part of a project like this,” Dr Rivero said.
Builders International is a non-profit organisation headquartered in Missouri, USA, that focuses on connecting “generous volunteers and donors with dynamic missionaries and trusted community leaders around the world”.
According to the website, they are seeking US$650,000 to assist in the development of the centre, with over US$400,000 already raised.
Meanwhile, former youth ambassador Guishonne Powell spoke about the importance of the centre for youth in Antigua.
“As we navigate the complexities of the modern world, it is imperative that we invest in our youth; they are the driving force of our nation’s progress.
“Antigua and Barbuda, like any other nation, is shaped by the dreams and aspirations of young people. Establishing a youth centre is just an investment, it is a commitment to nurture the potential of each young mind,” Powell argued.