Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Dr Pickering zeros in on issues affecting BVI youths

Dr Pickering zeros in on issues affecting BVI youths

While announcing his intention to retake his seat as the Seventh District Rep at the next general election, Dr Kedrick Pickering focused heavily on issues affecting the youths in his community as well as the wider Virgin Islands.

Speaking to the Long Look community at The Stickett last night, Dr Pickering questioned what is being done to ensure children have the tools and resources to make their future better and ultimately take care of the territory in the long run.

He said it concerned him because, during the lockdowns when school was online, he observed young people, especially males, walking around the community or riding bicycles when online class was in session.

“Do you understand that if our children are not getting the education and the care they need they are likely to choose the path we don’t want them to choose? Do we understand the social consequences? We are coming out of the pandemic but we have already fallen behind. Now don’t get me wrong, that is not a government issue. That is our issue,” Dr Pickering said.

“If my children go wrong and our children go wrong, then all of us are in trouble. We have got to redouble our efforts to ensure that we take care of our children. Whatever is necessary. Work in conjunction with the government of the day to ensure that our children have the tools for survival when they grow up. Otherwise, we are in trouble,” he added.

Young men’s deaths troubling


The former Seventh District Representative said he has attended several funerals for young men in the territory and it concerns him about the frequency at which they are dying.

“When you extend that to the number of males who are dying from violence, motorcycle accidents, who have ended up in prison, who has ended up on the sea lost and not coming back; each one of those persons is leaving children behind who are fatherless. Each one is leaving children that someone else must rear or probably a mother who must work two jobs to ensure that those children get help,” Dr Pickering said.

He noted this is a problem the community must face together and find solutions for. He highlighted that it is a social issue and not necessarily a government issue.

“All of us, churches and community organisations, all of us have got to work. It is not just getting up every time and holding a vigil. It is about doing our duty to ensure that we protect those children. If our children do bad, all of us in trouble,” Dr Pickering reiterated.

Help feed out children


Dr Pickering also highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on people in the territory, especially parents. He noted that during the lockdown, there were several people in the country who went without any paycheque for nearly 12 months, and this impacted them.

“A lot of people went without a paycheque for a year because a majority of people work in the tourism industry. The tourism industry was locked down and they did not have a job, they could not pay their rent. They could not take care of their children,” he said.

“Those children are suffering because they have fallen behind and I want to propose to this community that we must start a feeding programme in our schools. Don’t wait for the government to do it. We must do it because there are children in this community and beyond in the wider BVI who are going to school hungry. There are children in the school who if the teachers don’t go out of their way to help them eat, they go hungry. A hungry child can’t learn nothing in school,” the former Seventh District Representative said.

He challenged the people in the community to start a school feeding programme that would at least give every child in school breakfast to help ease the burden on some parents. He said this would ensure that when children go to school, they would not be hungry.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×