Dr Pickering zeros in on issues affecting BVI youths
While announcing his intention to retake his seat as the Seventh District Rep at the next general election, Dr Kedrick Pickering focused heavily on issues affecting the youths in his community as well as the wider Virgin Islands.
Speaking to the Long Look community at The Stickett last night, Dr Pickering questioned what is being done to ensure children have the tools and resources to make their future better and ultimately take care of the territory in the long run.
He said it concerned him because, during the lockdowns when school was online, he observed young people, especially males, walking around the community or riding bicycles when online class was in session.
“Do you understand that if our children are not getting the education and the care they need they are likely to choose the path we don’t want them to choose? Do we understand the social consequences? We are coming out of the pandemic but we have already fallen behind. Now don’t get me wrong, that is not a government issue. That is our issue,” Dr Pickering said.
“If my children go wrong and our children go wrong, then all of us are in trouble. We have got to redouble our efforts to ensure that we take care of our children. Whatever is necessary. Work in conjunction with the government of the day to ensure that our children have the tools for survival when they grow up. Otherwise, we are in trouble,” he added.
Young men’s deaths troubling
The former Seventh District Representative said he has attended several funerals for young men in the territory and it concerns him about the frequency at which they are dying.
“When you extend that to the number of males who are dying from violence, motorcycle accidents, who have ended up in prison, who has ended up on the sea lost and not coming back; each one of those persons is leaving children behind who are fatherless. Each one is leaving children that someone else must rear or probably a mother who must work two jobs to ensure that those children get help,” Dr Pickering said.
He noted this is a problem the community must face together and find solutions for. He highlighted that it is a social issue and not necessarily a government issue.
“All of us, churches and community organisations, all of us have got to work. It is not just getting up every time and holding a vigil. It is about doing our duty to ensure that we protect those children. If our children do bad, all of us in trouble,” Dr Pickering reiterated.
Help feed our children
Dr Pickering also highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on people in the territory, especially parents. He noted that during the lockdown, there were several people in the country who went without any paycheque for nearly 12 months, and this impacted them.
“A lot of people went without a paycheque for a year because a majority of people work in the tourism industry. The tourism industry was locked down and they did not have a job, they could not pay their rent. They could not take care of their children,” he said.
“Those children are suffering because they have fallen behind and I want to propose to this community that we must start a feeding programme in our schools. Don’t wait for the government to do it. We must do it because there are children in this community and beyond in the wider BVI who are going to school hungry. There are children in the school who if the teachers don’t go out of their way to help them eat, they go hungry. A hungry child can’t learn nothing in school,” the former Seventh District Representative said.
He challenged the people in the community to start a school feeding programme that would at least give every child in school breakfast to help ease the burden on some parents. He said this would ensure that when children go to school, they would not be hungry.
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Since when you concerned about the youths? You had more youth delinquency in your district than anywhere else and you did nothing to solve it. No programs! No nothing! If you cared about young people you would have mentored one of them to run in the district. At 64 years you want to be running. Give the young people a chance.
He 64 huh. To me that is a young but he is younger than that. He’s matured. Give picko him a chance because he know. If anyone does. He does.
Actually he was instrumental in starting YEP which is the only such program in the entire BVI and it has helped many young people so please stop telling untruths. Do you ever go there and see the number of kids that are there all the time, I do, and you should before talking nonsense
That’s all the BVI voters do, they recycle politicians. That’s why the country is in a mess year after year. They don’t want to give anyone else a chance apart from these failed politicians. What has he done to enhance anything in this country. He is extremely nice close to election time. Look, you all leave this man out of the HOA. Forget about both doctors in that district. They are disappointments, six and half a dozen.
Dr Pickering and I was in high school same time I always had great respect for him after school I left to America … he should be a shame of the way he run his district for 20 years the standards it it a disgrace and he want another chance shame on you Dr Pickering
This is the same n** head who wasted money to create a beach for SHEEPSES. AND REFUSE TO SECURE LIFE GUARDS TO IMPROVE OUR TOURISM PRODUCT OUR 1ST PILLAR OF SURVIVAL. PUT BACK OUR TAX MONEY IN THE TREASURY, MR AIR MILES!!
Diego will do better trust me
Every politicians have the answers before they are elected … when they get elected they become clueless but we are smart now we won’t be fool this time!!!
So who or what you people will elect? It seems like there is total negative minded people in the Territory. I bet those who have so much to say either can’t vote or don’t vote. Utter Nonsense!
I would think when running for election some of the issues that needs to be on the agenda would be those that affect the people deeply.
Murder, I can say is a factor of poor methods of conflict resolution. One alternative is to find programs that will teach and bring awareness to the youth. Ensuring they understand that at an alarming rate of 4 person per year for 5 years, would deduct 20 person from the territories, if those 20 person are Natives then there is a huge gap, if 20 babies were not born to fill that gap, the gap would also remain open because of the age span.
Human Smuggling, I can say it’s a factor of unemployment and greed. Unemployment is easy to fix, there are countries in this world which do not have unemployment such as Libya , Oman, etc. the argument is that they are oil rich countries. But my suggest is the method used to reduce all unemployment should be tried.
Greed, stem from a factor of unsatisfied people who wants to live a lifestyle that suck the fruit from others. 27 undocumented person at 1000$ in less than a day is 27000.00 minus their overheads. Geez! You can tell a man how to live, but if his living affects you then we have a problem , so find employment, a solution that can help them is to open a trading Center link the Caribbean and Africa. Stop shopping on Amazon. Africa has its own satellite, And it’s own market place so this market can be tapped into.
Welfare, increase the welfare money instead of a feeding program, psychologist says one bonding moment for parents is when they can dine with their children. Eating with the children is important, moms cooking and moments spending is priceless.
Dr. Come with something new on the agenda, and when it’s prepared send it out via social media, people perhaps will take you serious.
I wish that Pickering and Wheatley will be able to work together. Think of all that can be achieved for the betterment of the country. Why all the division amongst our people? Find a way…it can be done. Dr. Pickering you are older, more experienced, get together with Dr. Wheatley and make the East and the rest of the country back on track. Everyone does not have to be a minister, work with the young man already there.
A quarrelsome chief does not hold a village together. African Proverb