Arielle wants to use her power to change the nation

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Arielle Garnes of Bishop Anstey High School East had an idea to create a safe space where youth can feel comfortable sharing their feelings.

“It is a 21st-century classroom for differently-abled students (which) is a safe space for them if they feel they are being discriminated against or ostracised. There is technology which facilitates their specific needs to further their education,” she explained to Newsday at the Republic Bank Power of One prize-giving ceremony at the National Library in Port of Spain.

She developed the idea with the help of her school dean and proposed it for the 2018 Power of One competition, which encourages participants to create projects based on areas such as environmental awareness, crime prevention, social injustice and advocacy, sexual responsibility and health.

Unfortunately the Love Until Foundation, the hosts of the competition, received her proposal too late, and while she won the Spirit of the Power of One award, she could not enter the competition that year.

However, Garnes said she felt this safe space was necessary, not only at her school, but others around the country, so she entered the competition this year and came first.

In second place was Samuel Gibson of Morvant Laventille Secondary School, who created an aquaponics system at his school.

“Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture and rearing of fish," he explained, "which is an organic way of recycling water and cutting down the production time of crops by 40 per cent.” Gibson believes aquaponics is a necessary step to reviving what he believes to be a dying agriculture industry. He hopes to develop the system, selling produce in his community first, and then to the local food industry.

Minister of Labour and Small Enterprise Development Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, who was the feature speaker, congratulated participants on their dedication to their projects.

“The Power of One competition would have tested your endurance and determination, running from January to June. You might have been tempted to give up…but here you are today, you’ve crossed the finish line successfully." She encouraged competitors not to give up on their projects, despite the end of the competition.

The competition has been sponsored by Republic Bank for 12 years, granting $10,000 to the winner and $3,000 to the runner-up to continue their projects at their schools.

Garnes told Newsday she wants to go into business, opening her own accountancy firm, when she gets older. However, she hopes to further develop her idea, "opening it to the community to let them know they are accepted."

She expressed her gratitude to the Love Until Foundation for hosting the competition, as it "allows youth to go out into the world and make a change...I am grateful and privileged to be a part of this experience, because I want to make that change as well."

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"Arielle wants to use her power to change the nation"

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