15 ESSAY COMPETITION WINNERS HEADING TO DUBAI FOR EXPO 2020

Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 23, 2022 (SKNIS): The Department of Youth Empowerment has announced the winners of their recently concluded essay competition, which was held under the theme ‘How Do We Sustainably Grow Food to Meet Future Demands’.

Minister of Youth and Education, the Honourable Jonel Powell, along with Youth Officer Ms. Shenicia Puran, recently met with the winners and their parents to congratulate them and go over the details of their trip – from travel and hotel arrangements to tours at Expo 2020 in Dubai. 

“One of the things we will be doing is a full-day tour in Abu Dhabi which is the capital of the U.A.E and is about an hour drive away from Dubai. Abu Dhabi is a lot stricter, since you cannot enter many places unless you are fully vaccinated. You will be able to experience the difference between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. You will see the $2.5 billion Royal Castle which was recently built and the gold roofs and all of that. The whole experience I think will be a memorable one and I am very excited and I hope you are very excited as well to go. And as parents, I hope you are excited as well for this opportunity for these kids. It is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Minister Powell.

St. Kitts and Nevis’ rich culture and heritage, along with its sustainable tourism product, and the ingenuity and talent of its people have been on display on the world’s stage at EXPO 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Minister Powell assured parents and guardians that the trip will be safe for all the young people, noting that there are many food options available in Dubai.

“We want to create a memory imprinted on the minds of these young people. What I would like to say is you hear a lot of things about Dubai…[but] not everything you may hear is true. You do not have to tie-up your heads all the times, you can wear shorts, you can dress the same you dress at home, the food is a little different with a lot of lamb and a lot of chicken. There is also a wide range of fast-food outlets in Dubai if push comes to shove,” said Minister Powell.

The essay competition winners are Cris-Tian Hanley, Emma Jeffers, Ayesha Duggins, Dahlia Slack, Xavier Christopher, Kadeja Prentice, Kyea Phipps, Gemar Gumbs, Shadesia Greene, Mauriel Knight, Desean Newman, Recardoe Rodriques, Kymani Phipps, Dominique Williams and Gianna Phipps.