"Your present situation is not your final destination."
This is one of the messages Caricom Youth Ambassador Samantha Rampersad wants young people to keep in mind as they navigate the challenges of life.
Rampersad, 25, took up the position on September 8 and will continue in the role until July 31, 2025. She said all her work will focus on youth and national development.
"I know this might sound very cliche, but helping people and trying to prepare a better world for the generations that come after me gives me a sense of belonging, happiness, and fulfilment.”
She said the world is not a safe place and the crime situation in TT was already bad. She believes if TT does not progress in preserving its culture, society and youth, who are the future leaders, it may end up in a similar situation to the conflict between Palestine and Israel, and that is not the kind of world she wants her nephew or her future children to live in.
“I see myself as being very fortunate and blessed to be born in TT, where we don't have those sorts of imminent attacks to worry about.
“I see the duty falling on me, because if we, as the young people of this generation, don't fix it, nobody else is going to do it. So the onus is on us.”
Rampersad said she has yet to be given guidelines as to her role as youth ambassador, but there were several projects she wanted to pursue and intended to pitch to Caricom.
Her main idea involves the use of seaweed, as most Caribbean islands have it. Its abundance means it could be a cost-effective way to benefit people and the environment. Seaweed could be used to create building blocks, fertilisers and recycling bins.
The idea for the blocks came about because she wanted to build a homework centre for Venezuelan migrants to access a stable and safe space for learning. However, the project was very expensive and there were few resources. She saw the idea of making blocks out of seaweed on social media, and thought it could be a solution to the problem.
She also noticed pollution is a big problem in TT, as there is always litter on beaches and rivers. She believes recycling bins made of seaweed and putting on beaches could help minimise the issue. And seaweed fertiliser could provide a clean and sustainable option for farmers as an alternative to chemicals that make their way into streams and rivers.
She said the project could be one to encourage Caribbean youth integration.
[caption id="attachment_1040235" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Samantha Rampersad speaks to secondary school students in Kingston, Jamaica about gender-based violence and life motivations at the Jamaica Youth Forum in December 2022. - contrax creative studios[/caption]
Over the years Rampersad has volunteered with governmental, non-governmental and UN agencies and so understands her purpose and the impact she could have on the world through simple projects.
In September of this year she was part of the UN Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Caribbean Forum on Population and Development in Antigua and Barbuda, where she d
