The Tribune

A Cabinet Minister has praised the hands-in training provided to students by the Department of Co-operatives' Summer Programme, known as "Empowerment Camp".

"I am very proud of what I am seeing here in terms of food processing and the creation of handicrafts," said Michael Pintard, minister of agriculture and marine resources. Students learn how to operate and manage their own cooperatives, while also studying agricultural processing skills.

Students processed goods such as pepper sauce and tomato seasoning. They also made skincare products such as facial scrubs, astringents and cleansers. Their handicraft items ranged from straw-work to seashell items. Students were also able to grow different types of plants that can be used as food and medicine.

Mr Pintard reflected back on September 11, 2001, when vessels were unable to come to The Bahamas because of restrictions imposed by the US government following the terrorist attacks.

He said: "We learned very quickly that our food reserves are so low that if we were to encounter a tragedy of the same magnitude, we would struggle to feed everyone."

He explained that food security was important to the last administration as well as the current one.

Mr Pintard expressed hopes that the students involved in the summer programme will consider career paths or entrepreneurship in the various areas they were introduced to.

He said: "If you are interested in food processing, then your competition is halfway around the world. Too many Bahamians are now competing in the same fields."

Lakelle Kinteh, a 17-year-old 12th grader from St Augustine's College, said the camp really opened her mind to other professional opportunities that were different from her chosen career path of heart surgery.

She said: "Heart surgeons work on an alternating time schedule and that would allow me to be able to be in my own kitchen making foods or facial scrubs on my free time."