Friday 30th November 2007- St. George’s: The People of St. David turned out in their numbers at the La Sagesse Natural Works on Thursday 29th November 2007 to witness the closing of the UNESCO Youth Path Project and the Official Opening of the St. David Museum.

The Youth PATH (Youth Poverty Alleviation through Tourism and Heritage) project is a regional initiative that aims to contribute to poverty alleviation of young people in eight Caribbean countries through community natural and cultural heritage tourism.

In Grenada, students assisted with the rehabilitation and refurbishment of heritage sites in the parish of St. David, which included the preservation and decoration of the “Standing Stone” and the collection and preservation of artifacts for the St. David Museum.

The goal of the project was to contribute to the alleviation of poverty among young people through education that is directly linked to the world of work.
It sought to enable young men and women in the Caribbean aged 15 to 25 to utilize innovative skills for sustainable employment in the area of heritage tourism and preservation of heritage sites, ultimately aiming to contribute to poverty alleviation in the communities.

In addition to providing knowledge, through hands on training, in Grenada our trainees were also encouraged to take the steps necessary to form their own businesses. It was felt that this would enhance their self confidence as well as provide them with a sense of empowerment.

They were trained in several innovative skills such as craft making, tour guiding, hospitality arts and computer skills. Sessions were also done in English Language to ensure that all participants would be able to express themselves properly in Standard English.

As the focus is now on the development of heritage sites in St. David through community tourism initiatives, this project was quite timely as these young people will be better prepared to take advantage of the opportunities which will soon become available.

The project also afforded the participants several other opportunities for youth development, for example, some of the trainees were invited to participate free of cost at the Youth PATH Festival Meeting in Martinique. Others were also privileged to be a part of the Caribbean Intern Programme sponsored by Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Unveiling and declaring the Museum open were Deputy Prime Minister and Minster of Agriculture Hon. Gregory Bowen, Minister with responsibility for Education and Labour Hon. Claris Charles, and Parliamentary representative for St. David Mr. Michael Lett.

Grenadians are being encouraged to visit the St. David Museum at the LaSagesse Natural Works to view the wealth of history that has been preserved.