The Antigua and Barbuda government will permanently employ 10 young people from the Nyabinghi Rastafarian community to work in agriculture as part of an initiative aimed at expanding food production and providing employment opportunities.
Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant said Thursday that Cabinet approved the employment following discussions with High Priest Ambassador Bongo Sela of the Nyabinghi Theocracy Community at Creekside.
Sela met with Cabinet to discuss the continued development of the community, with particular emphasis on agriculture, youth employment and programmes aimed at providing productive opportunities for young people.
He told Cabinet that members of the community are already involved in agriculture, including the cultivation of sweet potatoes and other food crops, and want to expand production while exposing young people to farming, irrigation and other practical agricultural skills.
Cabinet subsequently agreed to facilitate the employment of 10 young people from the community, subject to appropriate supervision and accountability arrangements.
During questioning at the post-Cabinet media briefing, Merchant clarified that the jobs would not be temporary.
“They’re from the community and employed by government to work within the community,” Merchant said.
Asked about the duration of the programme, Merchant responded: “Full employment.”
The government expects the workers to help increase agricultural production within the community.
Merchant also made clear that the government-funded agricultural programme will focus on food production and will not include marijuana cultivation.
He acknowledged that farming within some Rastafarian communities can involve marijuana and that some communities have licences to cultivate it, but said the new employment initiative is specifically intended to increase the production of food crops.
“This program does not include the cultivation of marijuana,” Merchant said.
He said the government wants the initiative to contribute to national food security while generating income that can be used to further develop programmes within the Nyabinghi community. The government is not expecting a direct financial return from the initiative.
The discussions also addressed young people from outside the Nyabinghi community who regularly visit or associate with its members.
Sela told Cabinet that some outsiders have been loitering within the community and return even after being asked to leave. The community had considered trying to integrate them into its programmes through mentorship, employment and agricultural opportunities.
Cabinet, however, advised the community against immediately recruiting or integrating those individuals.
Merchant said Cabinet’s message was to “put the brakes on” the proposal until more is known about the individuals and their willingness to participate in structured and productive activities.
Cabinet expressed concern that an unstructured arrangement could expose the community and its agricultural programme to unnecessary risks and potentially damage the reputation of the Nyabinghi community if outsiders became involved in illegal or other undesirable activities while using the community as a base.
Cabinet advised that the initial programme should focus on people already within the community, where its leadership can provide effective supervision and accountability.
Merchant said outsiders could eventually be considered if they demonstrate a genuine commitment to rehabilitation and productive activity within a structured environment.
Cabinet also indicated that similar agricultural proposals from other Rastafarian communities could receive government support as part of the broader effort to increase food production in Antigua and Barbuda.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda Government to Permanently Employ 10 Young People From Rastafarian Community.