Barbuda Member of Parliament Trevor Walker says education and self-sufficiency — not migration — are the keys to retaining young people on the island, according to Antigua Observer.
Speaking on Observer AM, Walker said his long-standing focus for Barbudan youth has been building the capacity for independence rather than steering them toward conventional employment.
"My mantra has always been that you get to a stage where you work for yourself. I didn't raise my children to work in banks or to be a mechanic or to be a manager. And that is the mantra that most Barbudans have and people should have generally," Walker said.
He added that an educated population creates the conditions for residents to generate their own opportunities. "Our focus is on education to make sure that we create an educated society and when that happens, persons have opportunities to create for themselves or to go into the private sector to do other things."
Walker also highlighted the Barbuda Council's ongoing land allocation programme as a critical tool for young entrepreneurs. He said access to land removes one of the most significant barriers facing young people seeking to establish themselves economically.
"Barbuda Council right now allocates land to Barbudans. A lot of Barbudans are applying for land. We have some issues in how we are actually processing some of these things, but we're working those things out. Persons have that start in terms of that asset to use as a catalyst to move themselves forward, so you don't necessarily have this huge issue of getting one of those factors of production that creates an issue," he said.
The MP pointed to tourism, small business, fishing, lobster export, and value-added packaging as viable sectors offering real prospects for Barbudans. He also noted growing interest from members of the diaspora looking to return home and invest, citing a recent inquiry into establishing a chicken farm as one example.
"I'm very impressed with even persons, Barbudans who live in the diaspora, who are attempting to move back home capitalizing on these opportunities – farming. I remember just the other day somebody was interested in a chicken farm and so on," Walker said.
Walker firmly rejected the narrative that Barbuda lacks opportunities for its residents. "I'm not one that would say, as I'm hearing from people, there are no opportunities in Barbuda and that is why you have to do this and so on. We want our people to be the center of what's happening and I think we're creating the perfect environment for that," he concluded.
