Get to know your CYAs! Celebrating 30 Years of the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Programme – Part 3

To celebrate thirty (30) years of service by our CARICOM Youth Ambassadors, each month, we are highlighting the vision of four (4) ambassadors for positively transforming the Region.  This month we will meet Shakeem and Ashley from Barbados and Andy and Arielle from the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Mr Shakeem Howell, CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Barbados  

Mr. Shakeem Howell is a young professional with eleven (11) years of experience in the Communications field.  He is passionate about youth and social advocacy and is the Leader of the “Opposition Business” of the Barbados National Youth Parliament.

He discovered his voice and love for advocacy as a student leader championing the rights of his colleagues when he addressed the forum at the “United Nations House” for a series of “Activate Talks” on issues faced by students in Barbados and the wider Caribbean. He is also a member of “UN Activate Talks”.  Shakeem holds a certificate in Project Management from The University of the West Indies Open Campus and a Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Diploma from the Ellerslie School.  He is currently pursuing an LLB Degree at The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus.

Ms. Ashley Lashley, CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Barbados  

Ashley Lashley is a 23-year-old Barbadian UNICEF youth advocate who has a wide focus on social development issues, particularly in health, the environment, children and women’s rights. Ashley began her journey in 2015 with the establishment of the “Schools Against Non- Communicable Diseases” when she was sixteen (16) years old.

Ashley was crowned Miss Teen Barbados in 2016 and Miss World Barbados in 2018. She represented Barbados at the Miss World pageant in December 2018.  She founded the “Ashley Lashley Foundation” to focus on creating a greater sense of awareness of some of the world’s major social, environmental and health issues, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).  She also created the “Healthy and Environmentally-Friendly Youth” (HEY) campaign to focus on Climate Change and health.

Her motto is “Let no obstacle be greater than the cause”.

Mr. Andy Missick, CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Turks and Caicos Islands

Andy is a probation officer by profession. In addition, he is a youth parliamentarian and a member of the Rotaract Club. Andy is involved in mentorship and youth work within his community. He strongly believes that mentorship strengthens youth and takes great pride and value in providing guidance and capacity-building for young people within his community. He views giving service as a significant aspect of lifelong learning, being able to not only help others but also contribute to personal growth and development. Andy desires to make a great difference in people’s lives by helping to create an enabling environment for people living in vulnerable situations and giving people hope through counselling and motivation.

Ms. Arielle Neely, CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Turks and Caicos Islands

Arielle has over five years of experience in youth work and volunteerism. Her passion for youth development is evident from hosting a university charity event for “Hull’s Women’s Aid” to being a university and college student ambassador in the United Kingdom. 

In addition, Arielle has coordinated Youth Sexual Health Education sessions for 30 high school students with the AOL Foundation in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Arielle’s theme for her ambassadorship is “Learning across the lifespan; what we teach today, will benefit tomorrow”.  The theme focuses on the social, economic, and emotional development of youth through sexual and financial education.  Arielle selected these issues based on statistics, which indicate that HIV infection is significantly affecting vulnerable youth 15 to 22; data has also indicated that young adults have the lowest financial literacy and money management skills.

Arielle values lifelong skills and hopes to develop a national youth club that prepares young people for life.

Source: CARICOM TODAY