Young people speak with Princess Beatrix during her visit to the UNICEF the Netherlands children's rights program on Saba. In Youth Center "The Spot" they tell the Princess about how they grow up and where they see room for improvement in their daily lives. Topics covered include positive parenting, the effects of poverty and the importance of making your voice heard as a youngster.
© UNICEF/Chizzilala
© UNICEF/Chizzilala
On Saba, UNICEF works with the 'Empowerment from within' program to strengthen children's rights. The approximately 500 children and young people who live on Saba also have the right to grow up healthy and safe and have a say about their future. This also includes the sixteen children between the ages of 12 and 18 who spoke with Princess Beatrix and united in the youth council of Saba, which UNICEF the Netherlands helped set up.
Growing up and raising children on Saba and other Caribbean islands are topics of conversation. Especially in a small community such as Saba's, having this conversation is valuable. How youngsters experience this, they shared with the Princess. "The youth highlight in their stories how important family is”, says storyteller Archell Thompson, who facilitated this part of the conversation. “When they speak about family, you can truly see a sparkle in their eyes."
Environmental factors are also important for growing up positively. Young people discuss what could be improved regarding facilities and circumstances in Saba at a second table led by Kemaul Lee of the special municipality of Saba. Topics the youth mention include the shortage of teachers, which forces them to take many online classes. With the result that they are not able to make the most of their education. Additionally, they mention themes such as safety, having a supermarket close to home, and the excitement of the construction of the new harbour which will be a vibrant place.
"Do you feel heard?”, Princess Beatrix asked. One of the youngsters responded: “Yes, however we do understand that some things are difficult. We certainly have the impression that the adults listen to our input and opinion, especially by having a youth council.”
"It is invaluable for the children and young people growing up on Saba that Princess Beatrix hears first-hand what life is like here. Investing in children's rights is also important on Saba," says Suzanne Laszlo, director of UNICEF the Netherlands. "Perhaps even more so given all the ideas the young people put forward about what they want to improve on the islands. The princes' visit recognises this importance and UNICEF's work."
The 'Children in their Power' program is part of a long-term collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Bonaire. This collaboration has been close for more than ten years. Also, the case in the ongoing campaign 'Raising Our Future', which carries the shared goal that children on Saba can grow up in a safe, stimulating environment where they can develop to their full potential.