By Nixon Dickenson
In this week’s article in the Voices from the Streets series, I would like to share Mr. Domingo Skippings' views on gun violence and other criminal activities in our country.
Domingo is an intelligent and well-spoken young man who understands the struggles of life too well but the rewards of not giving up. He shared that he had good and not-so-good days, but with persistence and determination, he turned his challenging situations into positive outcomes.
According to Domingo, there has to be a cultural shift in the mindset of our people to embrace those individuals who cannot achieve a college degree but can still make a positive contribution with their skills.
Domingo shared that there is the perception that the landscape of the Turks and Caicos Islands embraces those working in the civil service or those in the private sector, especially in the areas of tourism and hospitality.
He shared that the job market needed to expand to include those in the skill industry, as locals underutilised this area.
He expressed dismay about the limited local owners of construction companies operating in the country; Domingo shared that although construction was back-breaking labour, it is also big business, and more young Turks and Caicos Islands needed to be given opportunities to enter this field.
He expressed that the conversations around developing skills and trade in our country must remain at the forefront of all discussions as too many young people are committing crimes because they lack positive ways of earning an income.
Domingo shared that this generation must take the lead in demanding the creation of trade schools so there is less time spent idly on social media and abusing substances. He highlighted that substance abuse is a major problem destroying our young people as they are easily able to access these dangerous drugs.
Domingo is making a passionate plea to our young men not to give up on their lives; rather, think outside the box and get creative. He shared that there is nothing wrong with young people engaging in small-scale farming and selling their products. He believes that there is a local market for freshly produced tamarind, sugar apple, and guinep juices as these are fruits that are grown locally in the country.
This, he shared, is an honest way of living and will guarantee them their freedom, unlike stealing, fighting, and ultimately killing. These negative behaviours will cause you to lose your freedom and, ultimately, your life.
He also cautioned our young men and women to treat each other with respect, as he believed this was also key in bringing about the change we wished to see in our country. He called on those individuals tasked with the social welfare of our people to be a voice for the voiceless and to stand up for the most vulnerable in our society.
Finally, he stressed that we must go back to being our brother's keeper. Stand in unity through the good and bad times because united there is nothing that we cannot overcome.
As for Domingo Skippings, he is determined to keep progressing on a job he loves and enjoy climbing the ladder to success one step at a time.
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