 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. St. Lucia and the rest of the Lesser Antilles braces for the fifth storm of the hurricane season. Youth unemployment in the south of the island is being tackled by the National Apprenticeship Program. The observance of breastfeeding month ends on a high note and Chief Tree is branching out healthy eating. The National Emergency Management Organization and sister agencies are continuing to monitor the progress of tropical storm Isaac which was downgraded from hurricane status. On the forecast track, Isaac is expected to move across the Lesser Antilles near Dominica on Thursday. Isaac is moving toward the west near 14 mph and this general motion speed is expected to continue through the end of the week. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph with higher gusts. The St. Lucia Med Services says little change in strength is expected over the next day or two but Isaac is forecast to be at or near hurricane strength when it reaches the Lesser Antilles. Director Venantius Descartes says St. Lucia will begin to feel the effects of Isaac Wednesday morning. Come tomorrow, say from about 8 o'clock in the morning to sometime during the day, maybe around 2 o'clock. We expect to feed a band from this system to start affecting St. Lucia. Just a band. We expect rainfall from it. No, we don't expect a lot of strong winds but we expect some rainfall. And then afterwards, we expect some improvement in the weather and then from 2 a.m. on Thursday to 2 a.m. on Friday, then the system will be crossing the island chain. So it will be at the longitude of the island chain. So that is when we expect the big conditions from the system. All residents and visitors alike are to remain vigilant and in a constant state of preparedness for any possible impacts from this system. We don't expect to get tropical storm force winds from this system and that is if it remains on the projected track. But as you know, things can change if it's a strong system, if it dips a little, probably conditions may worsen. But from 2 a.m. from around 2 a.m. on Thursday to 2 a.m. on Friday, we expect rainfall. Some heavy, heavy showers and thunderstorms and we expect in the region of 50 to 70 millimeters of rainfall on this system. But like I say, if it dips and it gets closer to St. Lucia, rainfall amounts may increase to even higher. You are urged to plan and prepare for worst case scenarios as the pace at which tropical cyclones develop and strengthen cannot be underestimated. The government of St. Lucia is registering the desired results with the implementation of the National Apprenticeship Program, NAP. Based in view for the NAP is providing an avenue for unemployed youth to gain job training, certification and placement. Tackling unemployment remains a top priority for the government of St. Lucia. And in this regard, the National Apprenticeship Program within the office of the Prime Minister is making strides in this direction. We began the program in February. It was an initiative that was put in place because of the high unemployment situation in the south of the island. And since we've started in February, we have identified, we have fully appreciated the magnitude of unemployment in the south because persons have been coming in on a daily basis. Hundreds of persons have been coming to our doors to register for employment opportunities. And so what we do here, our mandate is twofold. One is to partner with the private sector to provide employment or to identify employment opportunities for unemployed young persons, particularly in the south of the island. Of course, we would be helping persons from across the island throughout, but our focus is mainly on the south. The program has ignited excitement in young people throughout the island about the opportunities available for their growth and development. On Wednesday, August 29th, 30th and 31st, 2018, the National Apprenticeship Program in collaboration with Monro College Admissions Committee interviewed over 200 prospective applicants registered for the hospitality training due to commence mid-September. I applied for the training program that the government is offering in collaboration with Monro College because I think it's a good initiative. Young persons can come together to better know about their country, about their people, about the arts, about the music, about the industry and the cultural heritage. So I believe that's a good program where young people can engage in the tourism sector. I applied for the program mainly because I have a passion with interacting with persons. I studied tourism and hospitality at A level and I'm willing to put my knowledge into practice. However, I need more knowledge to back up what I did at A level. Successful applicants will acquire training in different areas within the hospitality sector. I'm here to really strengthen the partnership that Monro College has with the government of St. Lucia. The government of St. Lucia is very much interested in helping the young people to come out of the street and get proper skills so that they can change their lives. So together we have partnered together to put a program together to provide them the skill in the hospitality industry so that they can find jobs in the industry, whether it is cruise lines, whether it is tourism, whether it is hotels, and also fill the needs of all the hotel industry in St. Lucia. And Monro College is very grateful to the government of St. Lucia for taking this initiative to help the people of St. Lucia. The program will be one solution to some of the issues facing the labour market such as low level of certification. It also aims to prepare young people to be incorporated into projects and investment plans which will become into fruition soon. We hope to offer all the programs that we have developed so far that would be event planning. We have food and beverage, housekeeping, bartending and front office management. So we hope we have sufficient numbers for each program and I don't think we are very far away from getting the numbers that we require to start the programs. Classes will run for a total of four months at Monro College new facility in the south of the island. The program is of particular benefit to young persons who will then be able to earn a decent wage while continuing to acquire new skills on the job which can be used to enhance their qualification for future work endeavours. Each applicant will receive a stipend of $500 per month from government to cover expenses of transportation and food over the course of the training period. The National Apprenticeship Program continues to help empower our young people which is pivotal to building resilience in St Lucia. From the National Apprenticeship Program office, I am Kanisha Flavia reporting. The St Lucia Diabetic and Hypertension Association has received a shot in the arm with a donation from the Bank of Nova Scotia. The monetary contribution has gone towards the purchase of diabetic shoes for clients. Anicia Antoine has more on the corporate gesture. The Bank of Nova Scotia has donated $25,000 to the St Lucia Diabetic and Hypertension Association. The donations enabled them to purchase an assortment of 64 pairs of top quality diabetic shoes. Individuals with diabetes have an increased risk of developing food problems. Wearing specially designed shoes can help reduce risk and promote healthy circulation in your feet. What we want to do is just show people what we're going to be doing and allow the general public to be informed of what we're going to be doing with those shoes, basically. Diabetes neuropathy is basically a nerve condition which affects your lower part of your body, your nerves and your legs. So for example you could be doing gardening, you could be out walking and you could get a cut on your foot and you wouldn't even realise it. And then that cut turns to an infection, that infection generally leads to amputation. And what we're trying to do is reduce the cost of amputation which is a heavy burden on the government of St Lucia. According to the World Bank Collection of Development Indicators, 11.62% of adults in St Lucia have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Cochabank is very excited to partner with the St Lucia Diabetes and Hypertension Association. As our corporate responsibility we give back to our community, we are aware of the issues in St Lucia with hypertension and diabetes. And what better way to be part of reducing the level of hypertension diabetes than by contributing to the association. So we are ongoingly partnering with them to see how we can reduce this in St Lucia. The SLDHA urges individuals who are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus to come to their headquarters at which if they qualify they will receive a pair of diabetic shoes. From the Government Information Service, I am Anise Antoine reporting. This is Nation Beat. Coming up, Chief Tree is branching out, healthy eating and SMC is peaceful recreational area. Welcome back. The Ministry of Health and Wellness has ended breastfeeding month on a high note while continuing to advocate and promote the practice. More from Miguel Morissette. Breastfeeding month ended on August 31, 2018. For the first time, the Ministry of Health and Wellness introduced an outreach campaign referred to as a breastfeeding baby bash. The event was held at the Castries City Town Hall with the aim of embracing and celebrating with mothers who engage in, support and promote exclusive breastfeeding. Lisa Hunt Mitchell is the breastfeeding coordinator at the Ministry of Health and Wellness. We really want them to applaud them, we want them to feel good about what they are doing and we want to encourage them to continue. And this is the purpose of this workshop. We also will be highlighting the benefits of breastfeeding as well as appropriate feeding for the babies at six months. Even if you breastfeed your child exclusively for six months, thereafter they are supposed to be fed other foods. And so we are educating them on how to introduce other foods to the babies. So at the end of this workshop, we would want them to be more educated about the importance of breastfeeding to the mother and also to the baby. We also want them to take this information and to share it with others. Meanwhile, Jacqueline Henry, a mother of two and a full supporter of exclusive breastfeeding, also recognizes some of the setbacks and challenges confronting nursing mothers. For working moms, the struggle is real. So we have to be very careful when trying to introduce formulas and stuff like that. I tried it for my second baby and then he had an allergic reaction, so I would say again, breast is best. So the better we can stay away from these things, the better for us. It will save us on cash and the lives of our little ones. So don't introduce anything. Even if you're at work, the stress we have to minimize our stress level because it really affects your production of milk. If you have a lot of stress, you're not going to produce any milk. And when we go back to work, try to find some time, communication is key. Communicate with your employers, your employees and ask for the time for you to go and express the milk. Or else you're going to get a clogged up and that is very, very painful and costly. So again, breast is best. The breastfeeding baby bash was well attended by mothers across the island who support exclusive breastfeeding. Ministry officials said the aim is to make this breastfeeding baby bash an annual event. From the communications unit in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Miguel Morris said reporting. Chief Tree is an initiative currently being rolled out at various preschools. Get at teaching children from a tender age the importance of eating healthy with the hopes of a healthier future. Key partners in the initiative appeared on NTN's agriculture on the move, providing some valuable insight into the progress of the initiative thus far. The Chief Tree, which was created by Petro August is a fictional character with the ability to bear all the fruits in the world. According to August, the character was created with the aim of not just encouraging children to eat healthy, but also to educate them about food and where it comes from. This is being achieved via the use of jingles, stories and coloring and activity books to name a few. The author explained that the results far exceeded her expectations as the initiative appears to have benefited other entities. We were now able to collaborate with the rural women. Because what the parents were saying is that when they go to the supermarkets, they don't have choices. They don't have healthier things. They don't have local things, which is what we were promoting with Chief Tree. Not just eating healthy, but getting a palette for what was available locally. So we were able to collaborate with the rural women in trying to develop healthier snacks for the children. So we've experimented with quite a number of different recipes using local produce. So eventually we're hoping that we can get those things on the supermarkets. August also added that the initiative ensures a healthier adult population that could result in the reduction of chronic diseases and the health bill. Several schools on the island have been utilizing the concept of Chief Tree to help mold the mindset of the youth. Chief Tree's motto is a healthier youth is a healthier future. Administrator at Shostak Preschool Ramona David said the school has noticed positive changes in the students' behavior. The children's eating habits have changed. The mannerisms have changed. Even the parents themselves, the attitudes have changed because the children will insist on eating only those foods with Chief Tree supports. And because of that we've seen a lot of changes in their health patterns and the parents themselves talk about their behaviors changing and stuff like that. So it is one of the initiatives I think that can be island-wide and there can be a very great impact on the children's social development and especially their learning. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, ICA, is a partner on the initiative. According to ICA's National Specialist for St. Lucia, Brent Feofill, the initiative was implemented at a number of preschools throughout the island and these results will record it. So improvements in nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice by students. Now what that means is that the information communicated about eating healthy and healthy eating options, students gained a better awareness of that, they had more information to process. It changed their attitude towards healthy eating and we found that through questions on their preferences between healthy and unhealthy eating options and then ultimately changed their eating behavior. So at the outcome we found students fewer and fewer come into school without having a hard breakfast. More and more had healthier breakfasts come into school and we also saw a sustained pattern among the students of eating healthy and choosing healthy options. The initiative has been ongoing for some six years now. Meantime the director of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, ICA, has wrapped up a visit to the island. Details in this report. Director general of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Dr. Manuel Otero, visited three Caribbean islands where Aica is assisting in agricultural development. Following his mission in Grenada and Dominica, Dr. Otero paid a 3D visit to St. Lucia from August 23rd to the 25th. During his stay in St. Lucia, he made a courtesy call on Agriculture Minister General Belisica Joseph while discussions were held on matters of mutual cooperation between Aica and the local agricultural sector. The main concerns are related with the necessity to increase productivity for promoting import substitution, also for promoting more intra-regional trade, especially within the eastern Caribbean states. Aica is ready to support these activities and, as a matter of fact, have signed an agreement with OECS secretariat just precisely to increase intra-regional trade. Aica's objective in the region focused mainly on increasing productivity in agriculture, reducing the national food import bill, adding value to local products, and promoting the well-being of rural families and the youth. The need to promote regional trade, especially within the eastern Caribbean, was of particular interest during discussions between the parties. Part of the visit was to meet with Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Sarah Flatbobber to renew ties in a number of areas relating to national development. Well, first of all, we want to say how very pleased and honored we are to welcome the Director General of Aica, who is visiting St. Lucia for the first time since his appointment to office. And we're very, very happy with his vision that he outlined, even prior to his election, on assisting the Caribbean region with rural development and agricultural development. We are very grateful for the OECS differentiated strategy that he has adopted, where we're looking at the particular needs of OECS countries with regard to the development of our agricultural sector. The Director General met with the diplomatic corps to raise awareness on Aica's areas of priority for the next four years in the region and at the national level. A memorandum of understanding to promote trade among Aica's member countries was also signed between Dr. Manuel Otero and the OECS Director General, Dr. Didicas Jules, during the three-day visit. From the Agriculture Information Unit, I am Hingson Butcher. Students and teachers of the St. Mary's College now have full access to a peaceful recreational area following a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of a Peace Casibo on the school grounds. Funnel Neptune reports. The St. Mary's College RBC Young Leaders saw the need to construct the Peace Casibo as a means of sensitizing the public and tackling the issue of youth violence. Past President of the St. Mary's College RBC Young Leaders, Nathan Francis says, he's delighted that the Peace Casibo is constructing and that a peaceful and safe environment exists for students. It was a major achievement completing this project one year after our time-man was over as it contributed to the continuity aspect of our project. So we urged the upcoming Young Leaders and other club members to continue to embrace the movement with a view of creating a better society for us all. As I move on, I urge the upcoming Young Leaders to carry on the legacy set by all who preceded them. Act 10 Principal of St. Mary's College, Adon Howell says, he's very pleased with the positive approach the young men of the St. Mary's College have undertaken to promote peace. Region 6, they have been on board with us and I want to take this opportunity to wear their cap and logo. They have been on board with us from the beginning, the inception of this idea put forward by our brilliant men in the Young Leaders. So I want to thank them. I also want to thank the young men and to applaud you to keep it up. Be ambassadors for St. Mary's College. Be ambassadors for St. Lucia. Be ambassadors for peace. The Peace Casibo was funded by the Region 6 Adrine Little Tears Foundation in the sum of over $38,000. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development, I am Fennel Neptune reporting. A grand fair will be held at Fodor in observance of World Food Day. The Department of Agriculture is planning several activities in commemoration of the October 16 celebration. Philip Sidney of the Department of Agriculture said the activities will include a World Food Day fair at Fodor in Denry, a food sampling session with the Cabinet of Ministers and a World Food Day address. We have a children's service at Lara Shoes. Again, looking at World Food Day. So the theme will be tailored, you know, for, you know, whatever homily that you have, that will be get towards that. So it starts the day, okay? And then we will go for the launching of the World Food Day and we spend the day there at Fodor. There will be lots of things to see there. There will be, it's food. So we look at everything produced locally there on that day. The 2018 World Food Day observance will focus on empowering rural agriculturists. Empowerment. And that's what we are doing this time around for World Food Day in St. Lucia. On the 14th of October, we are having an agricultural fair, a World Food Day fair, okay? And that's going to be held on the 14th of October at Fodor Park in Denver. The whole idea is those persons that we have empowered and have worked with to ensure that they are able to get the agro processing sorted out. So they are able now to do it within their local. The Department of Agriculture hopes to bring all agro processors together. So St. Lucia can view the range of local products. And that's Nation Beat. Join us next time as we fill the pulse and heart of our community. I am Janelle Norville.