 Welcome to Nation Beat. I am General Norville bringing you this brief on the pulse of our nation and highlights around the heart of St. Lucia. Six St. Lucians have been selected to benefit from Taiwan's vocational training project for the Caribbean. A series of activities is underway as government continues to pursue energy independence and secondary schools can contest the 2018 Teen Table Tennis Championships. Six St. Lucians are among Caribbean nationals to benefit from a specially designed training program sponsored by the government of the Republic of China Taiwan. The vocational training project for the Caribbean is funded by the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund which offers training courses in hospitality services. St. Lucia and the Republic of China Taiwan have started a new chapter in their cooperation. This time get towards human capacity building. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China Taiwan commissioned the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund to implement the 2018 vocational training project for the Caribbean. The project aims to conduct training courses for young people from the Caribbean region. His Excellency Douglas Chen is Taiwan's ambassador to St. Lucia. We truly believe a strong skill workforce is key to a nation's social and economic transformation. In order to help further develop human resources and strengthen vocational training system in the Caribbean region, my government, the government of the Republic of China Taiwan will continue to assist our diplomatic allies to enhance their human resources. And I can assure you again of more skills and technology related workshop to come in the future. The program will foster and equip the participants with advanced professional skills to further develop and strengthen the human resource and vocational training system in St. Lucia. Minister in the Ministry of Tourism, Information, Broadcasting, Culture and Creative Industries, with responsibility for culture and the creative industries, Honorable Satrina Bedros expressed gratitude to the government of Taiwan and shared some words of encouragement with the participants. The focus has always been on teaching and working with us to ensure that we can fish. We are here not just giving, but teaching us and working with us to ensure that we can fish. And so it is with that spirit of cooperation that we continue on our journey with Taiwan. And we are indeed heartened ambassador that we have young recipients of this program here this morning. As our government, our commitment is to ensure that we continue to invest in the citizens of this country. And so you the delegates for this program or the participants of this program are indeed fortunate, I would say, because you're getting the opportunity of a lifetime. Participant Nadine Kojo-Jobati shared some brief remarks. I'd like to express the gratitude on behalf of all of us in the government of Taiwan for providing the lifetime opportunity for our young people to have a unique and very valuable scholarship. It offers hands-on training as well as management training for leadership and empowerment. It's available to people in the general population, which is exciting, down to the grassroots. People who would not ordinarily have the opportunity to be a part of a program like this have an opportunity, so for that we're thankful. It targets young people and of course we know that it's difficult for young people to get ahead at times. So this again gives it an even more valuable quality. The participants are expected to depart St. Lucia Friday 9th November 2018 and will return home 22nd January 2019. From the Government Information Service, Mr. Joseph Portland. St. Lucia is once again joining in the Regional Observance of Energy Awareness Month under the theme of pursuing energy independence. This year's observance is the 15th of its kind, evolving from a week-long observance into a month-long observance in 2018. Energy Awareness Month is a collaborative initiative aimed at addressing key energy issues, which targets a wide cross-section of St. Lucia society. St. Lucia pioneered the observance 15 years ago, and now it has been adopted by all curriculum countries. Permanent Secretary in the Department of Infrastructure, Ports and Energy, Mr. Ivor Daniel says, the observance creates a platform to highlight the role of citizens in securing their own sustainable energy future by providing information on the steps that can be taken to empower them to do so. We want you to participate and have as much energy as we do for Energy Awareness Month. It is our business. It is us. We have a heavy reliance on fossil fuel. And as a country, we need to contribute. We may not be the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, but as a responsible government, as a responsible country, we want to ensure that we play our part in bringing cleaner energy and we want to make our part in reducing the costs of energy to the people of St. Lucia. Energy Awareness Month also provides an opportunity to lord the significant stride made by the government of St. Lucia towards achieving a higher level of energy independence. The launch was held on Monday, November 5th, with the main highlight being the feature address delivered by the minister with responsibility for energy, the Hon. Stephen St. King. Minister King said, people's participation is vital if St. Lucia is to successfully make the switch in pursuit of energy independence. The policy of the government is to ensure that there is maximum participation of our people in the development process and in particular as it pertains to the energy sector. I would like to recognize and commend the private sector for the continued support to the government in making the annual Energy Awareness Month Private Sector Fair the success it has been in recent years. The participation of the private sector in transitioning our energy sector to a more sustainable energy pathway is critical. Renewable energy businesses and private interests focusing on energy efficiency and our growing in numbers, which is testimony of the understanding, the interest and commitment of both the private sector and citizenry of the need for more low-carbon and low-cost options in our energy sector. A suite of activities has been organized in commemoration of Energy Awareness Month 2018. They include school visits throughout the month, no iron day on November 16th, the private sector Energy Fair November 17th at the Derrick Walcott Square from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tel Aviv's panel discussion November 19th and the national schools debate among others. We are focusing our Energy Awareness Month this year on educating, on bringing the young persons in and on exposing the public to everything that St. Lucia has in terms of energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy, the persons that can provide these services and all the information that they may require for this energy month. And we're hoping that going beyond that into the next year, that we can build on what we are doing this energy month and that it will not stop there, but we will have the public with us throughout this renewable energy sector development project. The Department of Infrastructure, Pulse and Energy encourages all solutions to participate in these activities and to be part of the pursuit of energy independence and a sustainable energy future in St. Lucia. Reporting for the Ministry of Infrastructure, Pulse, Energy and Labor, I am Khabigajan. This is Nation Leeds coming up, setting the nutritional standards for the nation's children. The Ministry of Health will be undertaking an island-wide survey from April 24th to verify and document St. Lucia's success in eliminating Schistosomasis, otherwise known as Bilazia, a chronic disease caused by parasitic wombs which live in certain freshwater snails. This survey targets primary school students within the age group of 8 to 11 years. It is very simple. The survey will obtain a urine sample from students, a few drops of blood through a finger prick and administering a short questionnaire. All tests will be undertaken by a trained team from the Ministry of Health under the supervision of a registered nurse. Now remember, this is only a survey. St. Lucia currently has no issues with Schistosomasis or Bilazia. However, we need the support of communities, teachers, parents and their students. Partner with the Ministry of Health and support the survey from April 24th and help protect the health of this generation and future generations. A message brought to you by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Pan-American Health Organization. Welcome back. The health and wellbeing of children around the island continues to be of major priority to the Ministry of Health and Wellness through its support of healthy eating at schools. More from Funnel Neptune. Officials within the Ministry of Health and Wellness met recently in a workshop aimed at developing guidelines for the introduction of nutritional standards for school meals. Participants were granted the opportunity to share ideas about ways to ensure that students are provided with a healthy and balanced choice of meal on a daily basis. Chief nutritionist Elisa Handmichael says healthy food choices at the schools should be made a priority as a means of dealing with the problem of childhood obesity. The big problem with childhood obesity in St. Lucia as well as around the world and because children spend so much time at schools we want to ensure that the school environment is one that supports healthy eating and so these standards will serve as a guide as to what is accepted at schools in St. Lucia. This is actually part of a bigger picture because we would like to have a policy, a nutrition policy for all schools in St. Lucia starting from daycare because we know some of the foods that the parents put in the bags of the children are very unhealthy and can contribute to childhood obesity. Handmichael says with continued support and dialogue it is hoped that measures will be put in place to ensure the provision of nutritious food for all children. We know that obesity is a risk factor for many chronic diseases and so we would like to reverse that trend by making sure that the foods available whether it is served at the schools or around the schools or at the school canteens that they are healthy for the school children. The Ministry of Health will continue to undertake a series of workshops, monitoring assessments and awareness campaigns as a means of ensuring the implementation of nutrition-sensitive school meals in St. Lucia. Reporting from the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, I am Fennel Neptune. The Secondary Schools Team Table Tennis Championships was keenly contested this year. We get the details from Ryan O'Brien. Gastry's Comprehensive Secondary School emerged boys' champions while St. Joseph's Convent A emerged girls' champions at the completion of the Secondary Schools Team Table Tennis Championships held at the Stanley John O'Dlam Secondary School Auditorium on Monday. In the boys' final, the Gastry's Comprehensive Team comprising the Andre Cauldron, Ismael Moise, Shernan Jankian, Colvin Paul won 3-1 over Barbano Secondary in the final. Barbano Secondary was represented by Kenneth John, Nate John and Jacqui Malican. Third place went to Sir Arthur Lewis Community College represented by Mario Sincere, Aledon Thomas, Clement Charles Jr. and Corrine Secondary represented by Sanil Bernard, Max William, Joel Charles and Naimia Abouti. In the girls' final, St. Joseph's Convent A comprising Zarian Anthony Lenore Ajuda and Joel Sinclair won the distance against Convent B before taking the title 3-2. Convent B comprised Maya George, Aviona Edmond and Johanna Theodore. St. Joseph's Convent also filled a third team, Convent C and a third comprising Angelique Richardson, Nij Mayers and Janelle Richardson. Also in third was Colin Secondary represented by Sunil Dorius, Fedora Moise and Chameca Blanc. From the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, I'm Ryan O'Brien. That's a nation beat. Join us next time on NTN at 7.30pm with a repeat at 7.30am and on this station as we fill the pulse and heart of our community. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St. Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am General Norville.